Anambra Guber: Obaseki, Makinde, Ikpeazu on membership drive

• As party flags off e-Registration of members

Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State led a delegation of top party leaders, including Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State to launch the PDP e-registration and Continuous Voter Registration (CRV) drive in the southeastern state.

At the launch, the party leaders expressed readiness to champion the campaign of the party’s governorship candidate, Valentine Ozigbo.

Other top shots at the event were the Chairperson of the Anambra State PDP Governorship Campaign Council, Senator Uche Ekwunife; former Anambra Governor Peter Obi, who is the 2019 Vice Presidential Candidate of the PDP; a PDP National Executive Committee member, Chief Okey Muo-Aroh; the National Organising Secretary of the PDP, Col. Austin Akobundu; national Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan; Mr Oseloka Obaze, the 2017 PDP governorship candidate and members of the Anambra State House of Assembly.

The Chairman of the PDP e-registration committee, Governor Obaseki, said the choice of Anambra to flag-off the exercise is symbolic because it shows the party’s seriousness to win the coming election.

“We are here on an important mission. Anambra is the first state we are doing this. The committee on e-registration deemed it fit that we start this exercise in Anambra. The crowd here shows we have a real party, so I am both happy and encouraged to be in your midst,” Governor Obaseki said.

“This is a bold step to rebuild our party, considering that our politics depends on the activities at the wards. This process will register you with the party and also with INEC. It is vital because it greatly reduces rigging as we can monitor election results and transmit them as soon as votes are counted. Registering with PDP is the lifeline that will help us stop the irregularities in government in Anambra in November and at the federal level in 2023. I am looking forward to Anambra’s election. We are projecting at least 250,000 new members so we can win by a landslide,” the Edo governor added.

In his address, Governor Makinde said he is committed to the Ka Anambra Chawapu project and would be visible in the electioneering process. The Oyo governor said the presence of governors from all the southern regions shows the unity of purpose within the party.

“I want to identify with the PDP in Anambra State, especially with the coming election. I am glad because I came from the Southwest. Governor Obaseki went from the South-South and Governor Ikpeazu from the Southeast. This means that the entire South of Nigeria is fully represented here.

“I was elected as governor on March 9, 2019. As of March 8, PDP had only one member in the Oyo State House of Assembly. By the end of the election, we had won the governorship seat by defeating APC by over 154,000 votes. We also increased our membership in the Oyo State House of Assembly to 22 out of 26 members. That’s the power of numbers.

“Don’t listen to detractors; we were on the ground in Edo, and it couldn’t be rigged, so expect me on the ground during your election,” Governor Makinde said to cheers from the crowd.

Abia State governor Okezie Ikpeazu, who is also the chairman of the National PDP Campaign Council for the Anambra Election, said the PDP is demonstrating its determination to show Nigerians the way to go.

“We cannot remain analogous in a digital world. I am a product of women, and youth mobilisation and our plan for Anambra is to win at the polling units and follow up the results at the ward, local government and state collation centres,” Ikpeazu remarked.

“We must take our destinies into our hands by coming out en masse to register in our various wards. Registration is straightforward and can be done anywhere. This is no time to stand on the fence if you are truly tired of the status quo.

“I do not doubt that if leaders take up the responsibility and mobilise followers in their units, I am sure that we will win. It’s not about Valentine Ozigbo, but about us. Ndi Igbo have the numbers in every city in the country, so we must take advantage of this process.”

The PDP candidate for the Anambra governorship election, Valentine Ozigbo, said the party must lead the e-registration process across the country, starting from Anambra State.

“I am overjoyed today by the presence of powerful leaders of our party. The importance of this exercise cannot be overstated, and we must take advantage of this process launched in our domain to show readiness to change the governance process in Anambra State,” Ozigbo, a transformational corporate titan, urged the packed crowd at Oma Event Center.

“I want us to go to the grassroots, boost our numbers and get ready for November.”

Ozigbo, who is the immediate past President and Group CEO of Transcorp Plc, also reiterated Governor Makinde’s remarks on the importance of the distinguished guests.

“The presence of these leaders here has helped us achieve several objectives, including our unification efforts so that we go into the election as one united family. It has helped to send a strong signal that we are here to win this election.”

“I assure you that we are going to do the needful, we will invest our time and resources, I will lead from the front and Ndi Anambra will know that true transformation is here,” Ozigbo, who was accompanied to the event by his wife, Mrs. Ojiugo Ozigbo, said.

Ali Odefa, the Zonal Vice Chairman of the PDP (South East), who was represented by the South-east Zonal Organising Secretary, Hon. Mike Ahumibe gave assurance to Ozigbo, and his running mate, Azuka Enemo, that the party in the Southeast zone is solidly behind them.