The Nation Newspaper

Tag: United Progressives Party (UPP)

  • UPP, APDA call for fair play in Anambra election

    UPP, APDA call for fair play in Anambra election

    Dr Sylvster Igwilo, Chairman of United Progressives Party ( UPP ) in Anambra said that the party was confident of winning the Nov. 18 governorship election in the state if every stakeholder play by the rules.

    Igwilo made this known in Awka on Sunday that the party’s candidate, Chief Osita Chidoka was the most qualified from the array of candidates in the race.

    He said Chidoka had better plans for the people of the state and have been addressing issues that bordered on the common man in his campaigns.

    Igwilo warned other parties to comply with the efforts aimed at minimising irregularities during and after the Nov. 18 governorship election.

    “My party is quite prepared for this election, we know it is not going to be easy and as you know, UPP has the most credible candidates among all others in the race.

    “Chidoka is well known and accepted by the people, a former Minister and FRSC Corps Marshal who is interested in the state and how to put back on track economic prosperity and sustainable development.’’

    Igwilo said the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ) was doing well compared to the previous years in terms of preparation for elections.

    According to him, if things are to go by the assurances INEC has given, then the election would be free and fair.

    “My appeal is that other party chairmen should play by the rules, their agents should be properly identified with passport to enable us know who is who.

    “There are some people that are not serious about this election. they are just interested in what they will get through sharp practices,” he said.

    Also speaking, Mrs Adaeze Okafor, candidate of the Advanced People Democratic Alliance ( APDA ) raised alarm at what she described as increasing monetary cost of the election.

    Okafor said it was as if the election was a do-or-die affairs from the way some candidates of the big parties were going about in their campaigns.

    According to her, candidates and their supporters should see election as opportunity to serve and not avenues for amassing wealth.

    She noted that some of the issues raised in the campaigns so far had not addressed the wellbeing of the ordinary people of Anambra but an attack on persons.

    “Issues are not addressed in the campaigns, they have not said how they are going to build the people and make their lives better.

    “The role of money in this election is becoming too much, some parties have set a lot of money aside to pay for votes.

    “Other candidates are throwing money around in the market places as if their lives depend on the election.’’

    She called on the INEC to restrict people from going close to the electorate during voting and to stop votes buying.

    NAN

  • Anambra 2017 Poll: Guber aspirant resigns from UPP

    Anambra 2017 Poll: Guber aspirant resigns from UPP

    Chief Chuma Offodile, who lost the United Progressives Party (UPP) governorship candidature after the primary in Anambra has resigned his membership of the party.

    Offodile, who withdrew from the party’s primaries on Aug. 19, announced his resignation at a news conference in Awka on Monday.

    He said he was resigning from the party because the party allowed the primary to go on in spite of complaints of alleged infractions and manipulations of the delegates’ list.

    He also said he was taking the position because a human life was lost on the day of the primaries due to confusion caused by the party leadership.

    “In spite of all entreaties, including court order that the UPP should adhere to the provisions of its own constitution in the conduct of the Anambra Governorship primary, the party did just the opposite.

    “After a hotly contested ward and local government congresses of the UPP Constitution, a delegates’ list comprised of local government chairmen and secretaries, treasurers, youth and women leaders were complied.

    “To the surprise of party members, a delegates’ list copiously at variance with list of elected delegates was uploaded on the UPP website on July 2017.

    “The website list contained strange names with no phone numbers unlike the authentic list,’’ Offodile said.

    “When accreditation commenced on Saturday, Aug. 19, I got information that only those whose names were on the website were allowed.

    “I drove down and hand over my letter of protest to the Chairman of the Committee, Chief Chris Uche and state Chairman, Dr Sylvester Igwilo that I would withdraw if they insist on using the illegal list.

    “A couple of minutes later, I received a call that the disenfranchised delegates were becoming uncontrollable and that armed policemen were firing teargas to scare them and that one delegates had been taken to the Teaching Hospital in Awka.’’

    He noted that by the time he got to the hospital, this delegate had given up the ghost, but his name was both on the authentic and illegal website list.

    “It is the display of gross insensitivity to the life of a member that made me to reconsider my membership of the UPP.

    “I hereby resign my membership with effect from today, Aug. 21, 2017.

    “I urge all my supporters and all those who believe in the Biafran ideology of equity, freedom and justice to do same and await further directives,’’ Offodile said.

    Chief Osita Chidoka, former minister of Aviation and Corps Marshal of Federal Road Safety Corps, emerged as the gubernatorial candidate of UPP from the primary, conducted at Emmaus House, Awka, on Saturday.

    Chidoka had in his acceptance speech on Saturday called on every member of the party to eschew bitterness and join hands with him in the task of electioneering.

    “I am extending hands of fellowship to everybody, including those that pulled out in the last minute; I am calling on them to join hands in the task of election.’’

    Reacting to Offordile’s resignation, Igwilo said it was both a surprising and a hasty decision, noting that he had the right to do so.

    The state chairman said though the party had yet to be officially notified of the resignation, the national secretariat would react appropriately in due course.

  • Anambra 2017: Chidoka emerges UPP candidate

    Anambra 2017: Chidoka emerges UPP candidate

    A former Minister Of Aviation, Chief Osita Chidoka, has emerged the gubernatorial candidate of the United Progressives Party (UPP) in Anambra.

    Chidoka beat his opponent, Chief Chudi Offodile in the primary congress held in Awka on Saturday.

    Announcing the result, the Chairman of UPP National Congress Committee, Chris Uche, said Chidoka polled 1,222 votes against 87 polled by Offodile from total 1,309 valid votes cast.

    Uche, who is deputy Chairman of the Party (South) described the exercise as transparent and successful.

    “Based on this figures from this transparent exercise held before all of you here, we declare Chief Osita Chidoka winner and return him as the gubernatorial candidate of UPP in the Nov. 18 election in Anambra,’’ he said.

    Uche, however, announced that Offodile withdrew from the primary election before voting commenced.

    “And to put it in a simple way, Offodile withdrew this morning even when he was with us last night and earlier today,’’ he said.

    In his acceptance speech, Chidoka lauded the members of the party for believing in him, while promising to make UPP the ruling party in Anambra in the next administration.

    He called every member of the party to eschew bitterness and join hands with him in the task ahead.

    “I most sincerely thank members of our great party, delegates, primary committee and all the officials.

    “I am extending hands of fellowship to everybody, including those that pulled out in the last minute; I am calling on them to join hands in the task of the election.

    “Democracy is all about dialogue and negotiation, but as you can see 1,400 delegates out of 1, 630 coming to be accredited shows that the election has been very successful.

    “Our members at the grassroots are united in one accord to nominate a candidate truly represent the party and give it the opportunity to form the next government in Anambra,’’ he said.

  • UPP, HDP flay appointment of LG transition committees in Anambra

    Two political parties have condemned the appointment of caretaker committees into the 21 local government councils and 326 electoral wards in Anambra by Gov. Willie Obiano.

    The parties, United Progressives Party (UPP) and Hope Democratic Party (HDP), gave their condemnation of the appointments in interviews with the News Agency Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Awka.

    NAN reports that Obiano appointed the transition committees and councillors on March 29, to take over the affairs at the councils which has been run by the Head of Services at the various councils for a while now.

    The Chairman of UPP in Anambra, Dr Evans Igwilo, told NAN that the appointments were not in the spirit of the constitution of Nigeria.

    Igwilo said he did not know what could have informed the appointment of caretaker committees just when the Anambra governorship election was around the corner.

    He wondered why Obiano who is a product of democratic election would not allow elections to be conducted in the councils.

    “Gov. Obiano has not done the right thing in this matter; I do not know what he is afraid of or wants to gain by appointing caretaker chairmen for the councils.

    “Unfortunately, these are some of the negative indices that will work against him because the people of Anambra have been yearning for this election.

    “The UPP condemns these appointments and call for elections, this is a product of bad advisers, if the Federal Government decides to appoint caretaker committees in the state, Obiano could not have been a governor,” he said.

    Also, Sam Oragbunam, Chairman of Hope Democratic Party (HDP), described the appointments of the caretaker committee’s members by Obiano as sign of desperation for second term.

    Oragbunam said the refusal of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) led government in Anambra conduct polls at the council was because of the allocation accruing to them.

    “I see these appointments as desperation for second term but it will actually work against them.

    “The appointment and swearing in was done in the night; so, it shows that APGA believes that the appointments will be necessary to deliver the governor for a second term in office.

    “It is all to the detriment of democracy and the people, the party in power in Anambra has abused the trust and confidence bestowed on them, successively they have not showed willingness to conduct elections.

    “Although Obiano sent a list of nominees for the Anambra State Election Commission board, the election itself was not provided for in the budget, so they are not just ready for it because of the money accruing to the councils,” he said.

    But defending the appointments, Chief Jude Emecheta, an APGA chieftain, hailed Obiano for ensuring that quality people were at the councils to pilot their affairs pending when elections were conducted.

    Emecheta who is the National Chairman of Obiano Support Group (OSG), dismissed the notion of the opposition that the governor was not keen in conducting elections at the councils.

    He noted that part of the evidence was the list of ANSIEC board members he sent to the House of Assembly for confirmation, assuring that the elections would still hold.

    He, however, decried the litigations that have trailed the membership list, urging the litigants to withdraw their suits to enable the House screen and approve the board members.

    “I must commend Obiano for appointing the caretaker committees; the councils must be run and it is not true that APGA or the governor does not want or are afraid of election.

    “The list of ANSIEC board members before the House is a matter in the courts and this not healthy, let those people withdraw the suit and allow the process to go on because they are credible nominees.”

    The Acting Chairman of Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC) in the state, Mrs. Oby Okafor, said she was not in the state when the appointments were made.

    Okafor, who is also the chairman of Advanced Congress for Democrats (ACD), said IPAC would not make a statement on the matter until they meet to discuss it.

    She said the appointment could be because there was no budget for elections in the 2017 appropriation bill and expressed the hope that the council elections could still hold before the governorship.

    According to her, the local governments will not be devoid of leadership, some people must be there while waiting for election.

    “Local government election is good, we want it, but the election is not in the budget, if it was contained in the budget and the government did not do it, we would have started agitating,” she said.

    Contacted, the Chairman of APGA in Anambra, Chief Norbert Obi, declined comment, saying he was at a burial ceremony.

    NAN reports that Anambra has been without elected council officials since January 2016.