From David Onwuchekwa, Nnewi
The leadership of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Anambra State has begun underground work on Governor Willie Obiano’s second term in office.
The next next governorship election in scheduled to hold in 2017.
Leadership of APGA in Nnewi North Local Government Area, at the weekend, vowed to carpet any other political party in the council area, all in a bid to ensure that Obiano wins in the homestead of late Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu.
The leadership in the area, comprising ward chairmen and secretaries, youths and women leaders disclosed the plan when the member representing Nnewi North Constituency in the House of Assembly, Amalachukwu Kenneth Anazodo separately addressed them to further appreciate their support in the last election that threw him up. He gave them a mandate and reminded them of the need for the party to record landslide victory in the next governorship election “to protect the image and personality of the late Ojukwu” who he said was “APGA personified and also hailed from Nnewi.”
Anazodo said it would be a shameful if APGA lost the council area to another political party and urged party faithful “to begin to do their homework now since 2017 is around the corner.”
“We are about facing another election. I don’t believe in fire brigade approach. Governor Obiano is working and needs to be returned for a second tenure. Check very well you will find out that Anambra State is the most secure place in Nigeria today. When kidnappers held the state to ransom before Obiano came in, our people were doing their daughters traditional weddings in Lagos and other cities for fear of being kidnapped instead of their home towns as tradition demands. But now, people move freely in any part of Anambra State.
“He pays workers salaries as at when due despite the economic recession in the country. He is doing his best in infrastructural development. I can go on and on to mention what the governor has done in his first tenure that is yet to expire. So, let’s return him,” Anazodo pleaded. He said work done on each road construction in Nnewi had reached up to 80 percent completion and expressed the hope that they would be completed soon.
APGA leaders who spoke in turn demanded more state government presence in Nnewi to enable them use that as a campaign strategy during the election. They also requested to be empowered in agricultural ventures to which the lawmaker told them to form themselves into cooperative societies to enable government deal with them as a body.
The Assistant Publicity Secretary of the party in the council area, Mr Ben Agbodike said what the lawmaker did had gingered them to work harder. He assured him that Governor Obiano would receive massive votes in Nnewi in the next governorship election.