Mr. Peter Obi, the former governor of Anambra State, and Mr. Valentine Ozigbo, one of the two factional governorship candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, have pleaded with stakeholders and members of the party to unite to achieve an easy victory in the state’s election on November 6.
On June 26, the party held two primary elections, which produced Ozigbo and Senator Ugochukwu Uba, which caused a rift among its members. Obi and Ozigbo spoke at a reconciliation meeting called by Ozigbo in Awka to bring the party back together.
Obi, in his speech at the meeting, urged everyone to come together and work for the party’s success in the next governorship election, stating that the primary had concluded and that the election should now be concluded.
“I’m prepared to grovel to all of the candidates for us to win the election. This candidate must be victorious in this election, and we will not abandon our state because of the actions of others. I am confident that I will win my local government election, and I am confident that nothing will stand in our way of winning the governorship race. Anambra must not revert to its former status quo antecedent.
In this election, PDP has the most qualified candidate. We will win; we have a formidable candidate, but we will need an equally formidable team to win. 24 hours a day, I am devoted to the Peoples Democratic Party, and the party’s governors across the country are committed to the party’s victory in the Anambra State election. After all, it is our election, and we will prevail,” the former governor declared.
In his presentation, Ozigbo outlined the efforts he had taken to bring every member and aspirant back together but expressed sadness that the party had been hampered by litigation, stressing that the party’s legal team would not relent in its attempts to remove the impediments.
“I did not win the primary, but the PDP and the state of Anambra did. We are a single family, but we are on the verge of reunification. Our adversaries are not within PDP, but rather outside the organization. PDP is a forum that will bring Igbo people together; no one should interject themselves into what is now taking place. By the grace of God, we will be able to take over the government building.
“The primary reason for this gathering is to express our gratitude for what you have done and for what you will do in the coming days, as the real war is about to begin. There is no reason to celebrate today because the real celebration will take place on November 6. There is a pressing necessity for us to enter the governorship race as a united front.
My co-aspirants, Senator Uche Ekwunife and Hon Chris Azubogu, as well as Dr. Obiora Okonkwo, Dr. Godwin Maduka, and Mr. Godwin Ezeemo, among others, all gave me encouraging signals throughout my visits.
Everything else in this state, from the APGA to the APC to the YPP, is a forgery, and that is why I am imploring all of our stakeholders to place their trust in me, knowing that I will not let them down if they do.
”They need to forgive and forget, and I’m willing to make any sacrifice necessary for us all to come together. We want to make the late Dr. Alex Ekwueme, the founder of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), proud wherever he may be, and that is the assurance I offered his daughter, Lady Chidi Onyemelukwe when we spoke before the meeting.
“My vision is how to win the election,” says the candidate. One of the difficulties is the possibility of litigation. The only name that appears in the INEC database is Ozigbo, and we are certain that the matters will be resolved soon. We are distracted by the two cases that are currently ongoing, and we are not taking any time off.
We will begin our local government campaigns on August 9, and we intend to conduct a comprehensive campaign to bring about positive changes throughout the region. Not only will the PDP win the Wards 326/326, but it will also win the Wards 21 over 21. I’d like to implore everyone to be committed. It is our project, and we must see it through to completion. In the coming week, we will unveil the campaign’s organizational structure.
“The entire PDP governorship in the country is behind us, and even the members of the campaigns of the APC and APGA candidates are rooting for us in this election. This is the moment to put an end to hunger, this is the time for us to shine, and I promise you tonight that everything I have will be put to use to help the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) win this election,” Ozigbo shared his thoughts.
