Maduako igbokwe l Wednesday, July 28, 2021
ONITSHA, Anambra – Former governorship aspirant on the platform of the People Democratic Party PDP in the Anambra State election, Dr. Obiora Okonkwo may dump the party for Zenith Labour Party, ZLP to actualize his dream of becoming governor of Anambra State.
Obiora contested among 16 aspirants to fly the PDP ticket for the Anambra State in the November 6 governorship primary and lost to Valentine Ozigbo after emerging the first runner up. He scored 58 votes to emerge second, losing to Mr Valentine Ozigbo who scored 62 votes. A group known as , Anambra Rescue Committee (ARC) on Tuesday called on him to leave the PDP and run for the governorship of Anambra State on another party.
The chairman of the group, Mr Azubike Anazor who addressed a press conference in Onitsha on Tuesday said the group monitored the primary election of the party and other major political parties and believes they were manipulated.
Anazor said the recent gubernatorial primaries of the major political parties in the State – PDP, APGA and APC — have resulted in the imposition of candidates and manipulation of the electoral process by vested interests.
“We in the ARC rationalized that if we do not decisively intervene now, if we do not move fast to squelch the present descent into anarchy, confusion and uncertainty, history will not exonerate us from a willful sin of omission. We are intervening to rescue our dear state from an imminent shipwreck which will, if allowed to occur, throw our state back to the years of holocaust and result in the reversal of all the goods we have witnessed since 2003.
“Our state needs a credible, competent and urbane leader with the capacity, reach, viable program of actions and policies, existing solid political/campaign structures, and who is generally acceptable to our people as the Governor.
“We find these qualities in Dr. Obiora Okonkwo and we hereby publicly urge him to re-enter the race for the Governor of Anambra State under the banner of any of the registered political parties.”
He said the group it is more concerned about the quality of governor the state produces than the political party the governor comes from. Anazo further pledged to mobilize citizens of the state to urge Okonkwo to dump PDP, while also promising to ensure that he is supported to win the governorship election under any political party.
“We call on all Anambrarians , irrespective of their political persuasions or leanings and their membership of any of the existing political parties, to rally round Dr. Okonkwo if and when he accedes to our request to rejoin the race. Let us all in unison resolve and work towards sending Dr. Obiora Okonkwo to the Government House Awka,” he said.
Meanwhile our reporter reliable gathered that Dr. Obiora Okonkwo may dump PDP on Wednesday to join Zenith Labour Party ZLP to try his luck of becoming the governor of the state. One of the insider in the ZLP told our reporter that Okonkwo has concluded plans to dump PDP and join ZLP.
