A pressure group, the Anambra North Elders For Good Governance and Quality Representation, has said Tuesday’s campaign rally of the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi in Anambra State, impressed on the Anambra electorate the need to root for credible candidates and not just political parties.
The position was contained in a statement by the group issued on Thursday by the Secretary, Chief Osita Ofojebe in Onitsha.
The much-advertised Labour Party Anambra State campaign rally, had held on Tuesday at the football pitch of the All Saints Cathedral Church, Onitsha.
But Ofojebe believes the event has come and gone with a clear lesson.
According to him, prior to this event, a hoard of candidates currently flying the labour ticket had almost made it their sole campaign strategy to be seen to be attached to Mr. Obi, the Labour Presidential flag bearer.
He alleged that the candidates in their desperation, had caused to be printed, banners with their pictures and that of the former Anambra State governor, strategically positioned to create the impression that Obi’s aspiration was same as theirs.
“For weeks on end, this gang of desperate labor party candidates, who mostly failed to clinch tickets in their former respective party primaries, suddenly transfigured into labor champions and had hoped that the almost saintly perception of Mr. Peter Obi, would somehow, rub off positively on them and this explains why they were upbeat in the weeks leading up to the All Saints event, with many boasting that the presidential candidate was coming to Anambra State to raise their hands as political tradition demands,” he said.
Ofojebe however gloried that unfortunately for the candidates, that was not the case as Obi, known for being forthright “and as a man that eschews any attempt by questionable characters to gain cheap popularity by leveraging on his well curated image, simply stood on that podium, delivered his usual campaign speech and left them utterly disappointed by not raising their hands as a sign of recognition.”
He maintained that by not raising their hands, Obi was staying true to his conscience “for he has realized that there was just no way he would be numbered amongst cultists, destroyers of Anambra State public properties and those whose idea of politicking is by engendering a state of panic and needless violence in the polity.
“We really must commend the labor Presidential candidate for standing tall and solid as a rock and fir staying unwilling to be sucked into the deceit orchestrated by those who believe that rushing to pick the labor ticket, equates to automatic acceptance by Ndi Anambra State.
“The labor Presidential candidate must be applauded for recognizing that political parties are mere vehicles for the actualization of political interests and that both good and bad men and women, abound in every political party.
“Indeed, Mr.Peter Obi, by not acceding to their wish for their hands to be raised, which they had hoped would make good optics for the media, is smart to understand that in the forthcoming general elections, Nigerians are tired of the deception that demonizes or praises political parties as though their respective candidates, reflect or personifies an ideology, which as they already know, is non-existent.”
The group said in the coming general elections, Nigerians shall troop to the ballot box to elect leaders on the strength of their track records and not political parties, adding that there is now the consciousness that all the political parties are the same.
“The people now know that be it Labor, PDP, APC, YPP, ACN etc, there are both good, bad and desperate individuals chanting their slogans, and to get it right, they must sieve out the wheat from the chaff by electing individuals as opposed to the idea of political parties which the current gang of persons who lost tickets in their respective parties but are now flying the labor ticket, hope to achieve.
“To HE. Mr. Peter Obi, we say kudos for understanding that the Anambra State voter is one of the most advanced that would never be sucked into a lie that seeks to make no clear distinction between he and others hoping to leverage on his brand.
“May God bless our dear state and may the coming election, throw up leaders with visible track record of service delivery, who shall superintend over our affairs for the next four years,” Ofojebe concluded.
