By Nwanosike Onu, Awka
Ex-Anambra State Governor Peter Obi and one of the governorship candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Valentine Ozigbo, have pleaded with the party’s stakeholders to unite for victory during the November 6 governorship election.
The duo spoke yesterday in Awka during the reconciliation meeting of the party convened by Ozigbo after the party’s primary election held on June 26.
Ozigbo and Senator Ugochukwu Uba emerged the candidates of the party during the parallel primaries held simultaneously at the Dora Akunyili Women’s Development Centre and Paul University Field, both in Awka.
However, during the reconciliation meeting, the 15 other governorship aspirants in the PDP were absent, including notable leaders of the party like Senator Joy Emodi, former minister Prof. A.B.C. Nwosu, Senator Ben Ndi Obi, Chief Olisa Metu, among others.
But Obi, who left after addressing the crowd at the event centre, said he came to beg everyone to unite for the governorship election in November, adding: “The primary election is over.”
“I’m ready to beg all the aspirants for us to win the election. This candidate must win this election and we will not run away in our state because of anyone.
“I will win my local government and this is my assurance. Nothing will stop us from winning the governorship election. Anambra must not go back to what it used to be.
“PDP has the best candidate for this election and we are going to win it. We have a formidable candidate and we need a formidable team to win.
“I’m committed to PDP 24 hours and the party’s governors in the country are committed to winning Anambra State election. It is our own election and we will win it,” the former governor said.
Ozigbo, who disclosed the efforts he had made in reconciling every member and aspirants, regretted that the litigations had held them down, saying the party’s legal team was not relenting in overcoming the obstacles.
He said: “I didn’t win the primary election, but PDP and Anambra won. We’re one family. We are going to unite soon. Our enemies are not within, but outside PDP.
“PDP is a platform that will bring Igbo together. Nobody should be worried about what is happening now. We’re going to occupy the Government House by the grace of God.
“The major reason for the gathering is to thank you for what you did and thank you for what you will do in the coming days because the real battle is coming.
“We are not celebrating because the real celebration will happen on November 6.
There’s need for us to go into the governorship battle as a united family.
“I’ve visited my co-aspirants and I received positive response from Sen. Uche Ekwunife, Chris Azubogu, Dr. Obiora Okonkwo, Dr. Godwin Maduka, Mr. Godwin Ezeemo and others.
“What I want to tell you is that every other party in this state is a counterfeit, from APGA, to APC, to YPP. This is why I’m begging our stakeholders to have faith in me. I won’t disappoint them.
“They should forgive and forget. I’m ready to make sacrifice for all of us to come together. We want to make the founder of PDP, the late Dr. Alex Ekwueme, proud where ever he is. This is the assurance I gave his daughter, Lady Chidi Onyemelukwe, when we spoke before the meeting.
“My vision is how to win the election. One of the issues is litigation. In the record of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the only name there is Ozigbo and we’re confident that soon the cases will come to pass. The two cases pending now are distracting us and we are not resting.
“We are going to start our local government campaigns on August 9 and it’s going to be ‘Operation deliver your area’.
“PDP will win wards 326 /326 and not only 21/21. I want to beg everyone to be dedicated. It’s our project and we must come out victorious. We are going to release the campaign structure next week.
“The entire PDP governors are behind us. This is the time to end hunger, it’s time for us to shine and I’m promising today that everything in me will be brought to bear for PDP to win this election.”
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