The forces are gathering for the epic battle this year for the governorship of Anambra State – the heart of Igbo land.
While Governor Willie Obiano of the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) is gearing up for the battle of his life for re-election, the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) in Anambra State is fine-tuning its plans to take over the state in the governorship election scheduled for November 2017.
“The APC has become the number one party that will take over the seat of power in Anambra State in 2017,” said the party’s State Chairman, Mr. Emeka Ibe.
Ibe spoke yesterday in Awka, the Anambra State capital, while addressing newsmen on the side-lines of a meeting of the party.
Indeed, the APC, the ruling party at the Federal level in Nigeria, has commenced the search for a formidable candidate, a man of timber and calibre, who will help the party to realize its objective of chasing Chief Obiano out of the Government House, Awka, in November.
More than 10 aspirants have so far indicated their interest to fly the APC’s flag at the governorship poll in November.
The party’s executive members and other stakeholders held a crucial meeting in Awka yesterday with the governorship aspirants under the platform of the APC.
Ibe ruled out any preferential treatment for any candidate – and assured the aspirants of a level playing field during the party’s primaries, in line with the APC’s avowed committed to transparency and fairness.
His words: “We have no anointed candidate. In the APC, we have a history and culture of fairness and transparency. The assurance I am giving to them is that there will not be an anointed candidate.
“The number of people that you see today coming into the party is an indication that APC is the party to beat in the 2017 Anambra governorship election.”
Ibe assured the aspirants that the date they joined the party would not be an impediment to their ambition to fly the party’s flag at the polls. He affirmed that every aspirant would have equal status.
“If you join the party today, you have equal status with members who were on ground during the time of the merger. We are in touch with serving legislators at state and federal parliaments as well as serving commissioners who have indicated interest to join the party.”
“What it shows is that APC has become the number one party that will take over the seat of power in the state in 2017.”
“The only people we do not want are those who would create problems. We want people who would support President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption programme.”
Ibe further said the party had not considered zoning the governorship position in the state, noting that the party would rather support any candidate that emerges as its flag bearer.
“The government of APC will not be a propaganda government, but a government that will show the people the reality and will lead them out of the current quagmire,” he stressed.
Among the speculated governorship aspirants who attended the stakeholders’ meeting were the Chairman, Capital Oil and Gas Industries Ltd. / the Publisher of The AUTHORITY Newspapers, Dr Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah; Chief Obinna Uzor (GOCUZ); Chief Johnbosco Onunkwo and Mr Tony Nwoye.
Others were Mr Donatus Okonkwo; the National Auditor of APC, Chief George Muoghalu; Senator Uche Ekwunife as well as Dr Chike Obidigbo among others.
Speaking to journalists at his country home in Nnewi the APC National Auditor, Chief Muoghalu, who is also aspiring for the Anambra top seat said that those who are flooding APC with a view to grabbing the governorship ticket were welcome because a political party is like a church that is free for everybody to join – as a platform to pursue their interests and goals.
Confirming his interest in the race, Muoghalu said that the APC was ready to take over the leadership of Anambra State contending that the party was prepared to do things differently and better, if elected into power, by executing people-oriented projects and reducing the cost of governance to the barest minimum.
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