From Obinna Odogwu, Jeff Amechi Agbodo and Braide Damiete

Candidate for the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) in Anambra State governorship election, Dr. Obiora Okonkwo, appears to be enjoying mass appeal with chieftains of other major political parties discretely rallying round him, to form an alliance ahead of the November 6 poll.

Some top members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), All Progressives Congress (APC) as well as the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) were sighted in meetings with the ZLP candidate as the battle for political control of the state hots up.

Sources at one of the recent meetings hinted that such key stakeholders in PDP, APGA and APC are convinced that participation of their parties in the election would amount to waste of time and resources, given that they do not have validly nominated candidates.

According to our source, leaders sighted at the meetings include those who are dissatisfied with the flawed nomination processes in their respective parties and whose decision to align with Okonkwo in the coalition ZLP has been strengthened by public apprehensions that their parties do not have valid candidates and may have reached their dead ends.

It was gathered that PDP, APC and APGA leaders, have already agreed to deliver their respective wards and local government areas to the ZLP under the coalition agreement, in line with the decision of critical stakeholders from the three senatorial zones and 21 local government areas in the state.

They were said to have complained that the campaigns of their parties are not focused on the core issues of development, but tied around overbearing political godfathers, who are not ready to carry others along.

“I can confirm to you that key members of the campaign councils of the APC, PDP and APGA have been holding meetings with the ZLP and the coalition candidate, Dr. Obiora Okonkwo, and they have agreed to deliver their respective wards and local government areas to the ZLP.

“The people are convinced that the PDP, APGA and APC do not have validly nomination candidates for the election. In PDP, Valentine Ozigbo was nominated without meeting the required two-third of their delegates. There are also many court issues on the validity of his candidature. There are similar nomination issues in APC and APGA and of course, nobody wants to be on a journey that leads to nowhere”, the source hinted.

It was gathered that while some of such leaders will publicly announce their alignment with ZLP in the coming weeks, others have decided to stay back in their parities but pull support for ZLP and Okonkwo on the coalition arrangement.

The development is said to have weakened the major political parties as well as heightened mutual suspicions and bad blood within their camps as more members develop apathy towards their sagged campaigns.

This is more in the PDP where some members of the campaign council have already pulled out while other key stakeholders have announced their non-involvement in the campaign.

An APGA member, who spoke on condition of anonymity, corroborated the development, adding that there was serious disenchantment within the party.

When contacted, Publicity Secretary of ZLP’s Campaign Council, Afam Dozie Ofomata, confirmed the political alignment noting that it was in line with the agreement reached by political stakeholders across parties in Anambra state to support Dr. Obiora Okonkwo as coalition candidate on the platform of the ZLP.

https://www.sunnewsonline.com/pdp-apga-leaders-in-talks-with-okonkwo-to-form-alliance/

-PLEDGE TOTAL SUPPORT

-TO MOBILISE ANAMBRA DIASPORA FOR NOV. 6

A delegation of Eze Ndigbo in the northern part of Nigeria, has endorsed Dr. Obiora Okonkwo, candidate of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), for the November 6 governorship election in Anambra state.

The delegation, led by HRM Igwe Ikechukwu Oliver Akpudo, the Eze Ndigbo na Kano, were in the Ogidi countryhome of Dr. Okonkwo on Thursday to pledge unalloyed support for his visions for the state.

Also on the delegation were the Eze Ndigbo na Karu, HRM Amb. Igwe Ochedo; the Eze Ndigbo na Azare, Bauchi state, HRM Sir Andrew Ekemezie and Onowu Eze Ndigbo na Nyanya, Onowu Edwin Agomuo.

They monarchs, who represented all Eze Ndigbo in the northen part of the country, told Dr. Okonkwo that they were encouraged by his vision and agenda for the development of Anambra to seek to partner with him and support his mandate.

Speaking on behalf of the delegation, the Eze Ndigbi na Kano, said the story of Anambra state has become embarrassing adding that as Indigenes of the state, they were equally deeply interested in how affairs of the state was managed.

Noting that the APGA years have been a disservice to the state, the monarch prayed that no person like Willie Obiano ever comes near the seat of power in Anambra state.

They also stated that Anambra people cannot reward Obiano's leadership mishap by electing his handpicked candidate adding that Anambra must move in a new direction with Okonkwo.

According to Igwe Akpudo "we came down from our different places in the north -Kano, Bauchi, Nyanya and Karu- as representatives of the Igbo Diaspora to liaise with you on how best to empower you to lead our state into a new era of development.

"We have examined all the other candidates and none of them come close to you in terms of vision and programme. We believe that working together, we will be able to pull the Anambra Diaspora to work for your success on November 6.

"We will mobilise our people home and abroad to support you and make sure that our state moves in a different direction.

"We are tired of complaining about bad leadership in Anambra state. Now, we are getting involved to make sure that the right kind of person is elected to lead us", he said.

Welcoming the delegation to his palatial home, Dr. Okonkwo said he was in the race for the good of Anambra people.

According to him, the state of development of the state would not allow any genuine patriot to sleep comfortably.

"I am in this race for Anambra. It is not for what I will gain. If it were for it, I would have moved on. But we cannot relax while our state is mismanaged.

"The past years of APGA have been wasted years and we cannot reward Obiano by allowing him continue with this sort of mismanagement by imposing his surrogate on us.

"It was the same continuity that brought Obiano to us. He wants to continue that with his errand boy. We must not allow that to happen because if we do, our children will one day ask us what we did to rescue the state while it was being mismanaged by APGA", he said.

Okonkwo who promised to create a Diaspora Commission in line with his 10-Point Agenda to manage affairs of Ndi Anambra in the Dispora, said the life and welfare of every Anambra son and daughter, matters to him.

He urged Ndi Anambra in the Diaspora to remain steadfast and positive as November 6 approached expressing confidence that with their unalloyed support, the narrative in the state will become history.

PDP and wahala

#AnambraDecides2021 #WinWithDikeora

Did you know that the consensus Guber Candidate in the November 6, 2021 Anambra State election, Dr. Obiora Okonkwo, is the winner of the prestigious “The Sun Newspapers’ Entrepreneur of the Year, 2019 Award”? -

This honour was bestowed on him by management of The Sun Newspapers, in March 2020, for his entrepreneurial vision and dexterity in business, through which he has created wealth and jobs.

He also won the maiden Dr. Michael Okpara Leadership Prize in Business. The honour came from the Dr. Michael Okpara Foundation, a charity dedicated to propagating the leadership ideals of the late premier of the old Eastern Region.

Vote Zenith Labour Party (ZLP). Vote Dr. Obiora Okonkwo as Governor of Anambra state.

This is the man we want

Success sir.