Group urges FG to open Anambra airport before Nov 6

•Third Force may adopt ADC, vows to check godfatherism •Two aggrieved APC aspirants join AAC, APM

Anambra Civil Society Network (ASCONET) has urged the Federal Government to inaugurate the completed Umueri International Cargo and Passenger Airport, Anambra State, in preparation for the coming governorship election in the state.

This was contained in a statement signed by the Chairman of ASCONET, Chris Azor, at the weekend. According to the group, the call became important to ensure a smooth movement of logistics and a hitch-free election, in view of the security challenges in the South East.

The statement reads in part: “Considering the current security challenges and the need for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deliver credible and violence-free election in the state come November 16, it is advocated that the Federal Government opens up the airport for use, before, during and after the governorship election.”

Opening the airport for public use before November 6, it added, would benefit the people in their businesses and exercise of their franchise without hindrance.

The statement noted that on Monday, July 12, 2021, the Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, and her Industries, Trade and Investment counterpart, Niyi Adebayo, flew into the state via the airport on their way to inaugurate some projects at Innoson Motors, Nnewi.

HOWEVER, a coalition of 25 civil society groups, the Third Force, is set to name a consensus party it believes has the best chance of producing a leader with integrity, character and competence as governor and president.

After a meeting of the group, in Awka, at the weekend, the Spokesman/Alternate Chairman, Davis Ezeigwe, observed that the old, bigger parties had had to dominate the polity and recycle leadership among their members, adding that the Third Force Movement was out to end the ugly pattern.

Feelers indicate that the group may have settled for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) led by Chief Ralphs Nwosu, a missionary in politics.

IN another development, two of the 11 aggrieved governorship aspirants of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chidozie Nwankwo and Geoff Onyejegbu, have defected to the African Action Congress (AAC) and the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) to actualise their governorship ambition.

Another, Ben Etiaba, is said to have defected to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) hours to the July 30, 2021 deadline for the end of the substitution window of candidate’s names to INEC.

The aggrieved aspirants were piqued by the alleged lukewarm attitude of the Governor Mai Mala Buni-led caretaker committee of the party in addressing their grievances.

Nevertheless, eight of them have vowed to remain in the party and work towards the disqualification of Senator Andy Uba as candidate of the party in the poll.

To achieve the goal, the Managing Director, National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Dr. George Moghalu, has instituted a legal action before an Abuja High Court challenging Uba’s victory at the APC primaries.