APC, PDP seek inroad into Anambra ahead of 2017

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC) are set to take advantage of the ongoing leadership crisis in the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) ahead of next year’s governorship election in Anambra State.

While the PDP is desperate to get the state in order to consolidate its grip of the South East and South-South region ahead of the 2019 elections, the APC is working tirelessly to make an inroad into the South East where it already has a foothold in Imo, and Edo in the South-South.

However, with the intrigues and plots concerning the 2017 governorship election in the state gathering momentum, many politicians and interest groups in the state are of the view that the election would be very interesting due to the absence of any godfather to dictate where the pendulum would swing.

As such there is the possibility that for the first time, Anambra people may have the opportunity to determine who govern them through their votes. Based on that frame of thought, there is the expectation that voters in the state would be the real kingmakers, especially given the fact that the incumbent governor, Willie Obiano, is widely believed to be a creation of one man.

Even members of the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), insist that Anambra people should be allowed to have their say in how they are governed.

Those who witnessed the recent visit of the leadership of Anambra State chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) to the chairman and members of a socio-economic and political organization called Osisioma Foundation, at Umunya, Oyi local government council of Anambra State, must have noticed the subtle yearning of Ndi Anambra for a new political culture, bothering on sustainable development.

The state chairman of APC, Mr. Emeka Ibe, while extolling the organizational structure of the foundation, which he noted starts from wards through the local governments to the state level makes it very inclusive, thereby achieving a bottom-up approach to programme conception and implementation.”

He said the association’s deep knowledge of the economic and political challenges facing Anambra State and entrepreneurial experience represents the guiding lights for the comprehensive solution to the challenges as a state.

The APC chairman disclosed that their visit was to explore the possibility of striking a collaborative relationship with Osisioma Foundation, even as he enjoined the founder to consider joining the APC.

Justifying his call on Obidigbo to join the party, Ibe asserted that APC under President Muhammadu Buhari, was determined to provide good governance to the people, which he said tallies with the vision and mission of foundation.

The APC chairman said with the benefit of hindsight no political party in Nigeria presently could be more pro-Igbo than the APC, revealing that very soon, reconstruction of the major federal roads in the South East would begin, including the construction of the second Niger Bridge and provision of a railway line to link Southeast to Southwest. “We have all seen that PDP merely used and dumped South East, without anything to show for the monumental support and votes,” he remarked, adding that what President Buhari was about to put in place in South East would justify that assertion.

Ibe claimed that since the Supreme Court judgment on the crisis in All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) a lot of politicians and political parties have been struggling to lure Obidigbo to their side, but urged the founder of the Foundation not to have anything to do with political parties that have nothing to offer to the people. “You have made good name your watchword; you are one of the few leaders in Anambra State with spotless integrity and honesty, please do not associate with high jumpers,” Ibe stated.

Dr. Obidigbo, said he would positively consider the hand of fellowship offered him by APC. He stressed that the party has shown capacity to accommodate the vision and mission of Osisioma Foundation for the development and progress of Anambra state in particular and the South East in general.

Recalling the injustices and impunity that trailed his 2013 governorship aspiration in APGA, Obidigbo said:  “Of course, there are many political parties in Nigeria. But if you talk about the one that has the capacity to serve and deliver dividends of democracy for the interest of the people, I think that party is the APC. That is why the foundation is considering an alliance with the party.”

He said the Foundation has the drive to create massive employment opportunities for young people and empower the women to be self-sustaining. “The foundation is at the forefront of maintaining a people-oriented network of ideas that will help transform Anambra to the level of being industrialized and self-sustaining,” he added.