Category: South East

The senator representing Anambra Central, Uche Ekwunife, has advised the electorate in Anambra State to shun political apathy and show selflessness in the politics of the state.

Ekwenife spoke in Abuja while delivering a lecture on the November 6 Anambra State governorship election at the 40th anniversary of Uke Development Union (UDU).

The senator, who was represented by a former Majority Leader in the Anambra State House of Assembly, Sir Joseph Dimobi, urged the residents to get involved in politics to elect leaders who would develop the state.

Noting that good and bad things come through politics, the senator urged her people to make the desired change they want through active political participation.

She said: “It is through politics that good things come and it is also through politics that bad things come. If we have to make a change, we have to be selfless about it so that our state would continue to grow and take the lead.

“Some people want to impede the development of Anambra State. If anything happens to Anambra State, then know that it affects all of Igbo.

“Whether you like politics or not, you have to be aware because without it you cannot get what you want for the progress of your community and the state at large.”

UDU Chairman Innocent Ezeugo said Anambra State indigenes need leaders who are selfless and ready to work for the development of the state.

“All we need is visionary and honest leaders who will work the talk because Anambra people are known to be industrious and hardworking. We want leaders who will keep that going,” he said.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has restated its preparedness to wrestle power from the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the November 6 governorship election in Anambra State.

The party said its candidate, Valentine Ozigbo, would have landslide victory in the election.

The Coordinator of Ozigbo Youth Vanguard and Chairman of Aggrieved Councillors in the state, High Chief Chuks Benson Anaje, announced this yesterday while addressing party faithful at his home in Awka, the state capital.

Anaje emphasised that the power of incumbency would not save APGA in the election.

The campaign coordinator assured the people that Ozigbo would make a difference, if elected governor next month.

He urged the voters to elect the PDP candidate to serve them by voting for him massively on November 6.

He said: “When he (Ozigbo) came here, Umujagwo my village in Awka, he told us that he would do everything possible to give Awka a capital city that befits it.

“He has promised to ensure adequate road networks, security, infrastructure and a whole lot of other programmes that will touch the life of every Anambrarian and all those resident in the State positively.

“He is a gentleman and we know he will fulfill all his promises.”

Anaje further pleaded with the Federal Government to provide enabling environment in terms of security and logistics for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to do its job without hindrance.

On the recent state of emergency threat, the PDP chieftain said the call was uncalled for since the electoral umpire had already prepared for the election.

“All government has to do is to restrengthen the security architecture to ensure a hitch-free election. We appeal to President Buhari who oversees all these things to see that state of emergency is not slammed the State. It’s not the best thing for us,” he added.

On rigging, Anaje assured that his groups would be wide awake to forestall any attempt to rig the election.

He said: “We must protect our votes. We will not give any chance for rigging. We have someone like Senator Uche Ekwunife as the Director General of Ozigbo Campaign Organization.

“She is a champion and she knows her onions as far as party politics is concerned. She will never allow our opponents to rig us out. She is well experienced in politics. “

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has berated the ruing All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Anambra State for saying Labour and Employment Minister Chris Ngige had abandoned APC candidate in the November 6 election in the state, Senator Andy Uba.

Uba has allegedly been insulted and attacked by some parties, which his campaign organisation has declared “enough is enough”.

A statement yesterday in Awka, the state capital, by the Director of Media and Publicity of Senator Andy Uba Campaign Organisation (SAUCO), Victor Ogene, said Ngige did not reject any position in the campaign organiation.

“Despite our resolve not to further dignify the tantrums emanating from the throes of the outgoing APGA administration with responses, we are constrained to, once again, call attention to the party’s increasing recklessness.

“The propaganda of APGA, titled: Chris Ngige Backs Out of Andy Uba Project, and reportedly authored by …the APGA social media team, went to the ridiculous degree of stating that the unfounded gibberish is based on an alleged recruitment of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) members to murder prominent Anambrarians to snatch (the) state by force.

“It is laughable that in their haste to throw just about any dart in the direction of Senator Uba and the APC, they forgot that their principal …had already absolved every Anambra citizen of culpability in the mayhem ravaging the state…

“For the APGA desperados, however, no name, no authority is sacred in the execution of the ‘one day, one propaganda’ strategy upon which their media campaign is hinged.

“Else, they ought to have known that the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Nwabueze Ngige, remains the leader of the APC in Anambra State and sits as chair of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) for the November 6, 2021 election.

“In addition, the minister’s closest associate, Chief Uzoma Igbonwa, is head of the campaign’s Finance Directorate, while his younger brother, Chief Emeka Ngige (SAN) heads the legal arm. This is in addition to having his cousin, Emeka Okafor, Ide Nnobi, as the deputy governorship candidate of the APC.

“We wish to advise the APGA that next time they decide to pick a target to shore up the dwindling profile of their party, they must look beyond the minister who is renowned within Nigeria, and beyond, as one person who has enormous capacity to say his mind at any time, and on any issue.

“To attempt, therefore, to drag the esteemed name of our leader into issues that do not concern him is taking politicking too far…”