Boosting PDP’s Capacity for the Job Ahead in Anambra
David-Chyddy Eleke reports that a governorship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party, Mr Valentine Ozigbo has given the party a boost in its quest to win over Anambra State in the forthcoming governorship election
Though there are several political parties in Nigeria, just four of them have enough roots in Anambra State to be able to win the governorship contest, which comes up on 6th November 2021. The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP is one of such political parties, and it is fighting hard to ensure it takes over the state, after it left power about 15 years ago.
Preparations towards the contest have been building up, but all the parties with the prospect to win the state have also acknowledged that there are several challenges facing them in their quest. At a South-east stakeholders meeting of the PDP held in January this year, the chairman of the party in the state, Mr Ndubuisi Nwobu lamented that the party was faced with numerous challenges, including lack of logistics that would aid its victory in the election. Nwobu lamented that the party in the state principally needs vehicles to run around, and that currently, he and members of his executive committee use their personal funds to run the party, including paying their staff members.
During the stakeholders meeting, Nwobu lamented the poor funding of the party, insisting that it is resisting the temptation of going cap in hand to beg for funds, and that such challenge was capable of costing the party victory in the forthcoming election. He charged the aspirants to help make donations that can be used in the running of the party secretariat, also stating that the party in the state was in need of buses and vehicles that could help it function efficiently.
In what looked like boosting the party for victory, frontline aspirant of the party in the forthcoming gubernatorial election, Mr. Valentine Ozigbo, has donated eight Toyota Sienna vehicles to the party officials for grassroots mobilisation and other party activities. Ozigbo who branded the vehicles also specified which party officials the vehicles were assigned to. They include; Chairman of the party in the state, Vice Chairman, Secretary, three zonal chairmen of the three senatorial zones in the state, the women’s and youth leaders respectively.
Ozigbo also promised to hand out N400,000 quarterly for the maintenance of the donated vehicles. The presentation, which took place at the PDP secretariat, Awka, the Anambra State capital, was in fulfillment of his earlier promise to support the party with vehicles.
Speaking during the event, Ozigbo said, the respect he had for the party leadership was part of the reason for the donation. He called for a more united party and sacrifice by every member of the PDP to dethrone the ruling party in the state. “This gesture is as a result of my deep affection, love and commitment for the party, and the need for PDP to take over Agu-Awka (Government House), come November 2021,” he said. He called on other PDP aspirants and other stakeholders to emulate the gesture, by supporting and donating to the party for which they use its platform, even as he pledged more support and contribution to the party.
Ozigbo assured that anything needed to win the November 6 election, would not be in short supply, and promised to donate more vehicles to other party officials. He urged the state chairman, Hon. Ndubuisi Nwobu to ensure the vehicles were maximally used to achieve their purposes, insisting that the PDP was the only party to redeem Anambra, and Nigeria, at large.
The gesture spread a wave of excitement among members of the party as the state party secretariat immediately came alive. The keys to the vehicles were presented to the officers in charge, just as the pledged to ensure that it would be used to ease movement before and during the election. The PDP seems to be the most enthusiastic about the forthcoming governorship election, as they hope for victory. With the unity that now exists in the party, and the belief that even though the state is predominantly a PDP state, division and rancor had previously cost the party victory in the past, they have every reason to be happy about the new found unity.
Commending Ozigbo, the chairman of the party in the state, Chief Ndubuisi Nwobu, lauded Ozigbo for his unalloyed support to the party, noting that the vehicles would have psychological effect on the masses upon seeing the vehicles, adding that their psyche will immediately see a united party, and would speak volume of how active and alive the party is in the state. He noted that no candidate can win the governorship election without a strong party, stressing the need for party stakeholders to invest, re-energize the party.
Nwobu also expressed appreciation over the gifts, assuring that the party would use the vehicles to galvanize grassroots support for the party, even as he assured that the party would make good use of the donated vehicles to achieve the envisaged goals. He encouraged Ozigbo to sustain his grassroots movement to every part of the state, and enjoined him to keep interacting with the people and stakeholders of the party.
Ozigbo is among the over 15 governorship aspirants of the party, who are angling for the ticket of the PDP for the governorship election in Anambra State, which has been slated for 6th November this year. Other very powerful aspirants who Ozigbo would square up against are; Dr Obiora Okonkwo; chairman of United Nigeria Airlines, Hon Chris Azubogu; member representing Nnewi North, Nnewi South and Ekwusigo federal constituency in the House of Representatives, Mr Godwin Ezeemo; a serial entrepreneur and business mogul, Dr Godwin Maduka; a US based medical doctor and owner of Las Vegas Pain Institute among others.
Frontline aspirant of the party in the forthcoming gubernatorial election, Mr. Valentine Ozigbo, has donated eight Toyota Sienna vehicles to the party officials for grassroots mobilisation and other party activities. Ozigbo who branded the vehicles also specified which party officials the vehicles were assigned to. They include; Chairman of the party in the state, Vice Chairman, Secretary, three zonal chairmen of the three senatorial zones in the state, the women’s and youth leaders respectively. Ozigbo also promised to hand out N400,000 quarterly for the maintenance of the donated vehicles. The presentation, which took place at the PDP secretariat, Awka, the Anambra State capital, was in fulfillment of his earlier promise to support the party with vehicles. Speaking during the event, Ozigbo said, the respect he had for the party leadership was part of the reason for the donation. He called for a more united party and sacrifice by every member of the PDP to dethrone the ruling party in the state