As the 2021 Governorship election in Anambra State nears, two of the top political parties contending for the Governorship seat, the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) are already enmeshed in verbal fireworks.
Although the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has not announced the timetable for the election, prospective aspirants of both political parties have commenced internal consultations, sparking utterances from both camps, aimed at whittling down perceived growing influence of aspirants.
In a recent publication, the Special Adviser to Governor Willie Obiano on political matters, Ifeatu Obi-Okoye had lambasted the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in reaction to a New Year message by the state chairman of the PDP in Anambra, Chief Ndubisi Nwobu, which claimed that Anambra state was facing trying times under the present APGA- led government, following alleged misappropriation of resources by the state governor, Chief Willie Obiano.
Obi-Okoye who noted that the PDP unleashed terror and mayhem on innocent Anambra citizens when it was in power between 1999 and 2006, said “the party should be reminded that Anambra citizens have not forgotten the dark days of jungle justice and misrule of the PDP led administration, where innocent citizens were allegedly killed, maimed and hostage-taking became the order of the day.”
He continued, “Regrettably, I have referred to Chief Ndubuisi Nwobu as the factional chairman of PDP in Anambra State. I say so because barely a week ago a High Court had nullified the contraption which installed him as State chairman of PDP, and declared one Chief Oguebego as the authentic chairman of PDP in Anambra State.
“Be that as it may, we would advise the opposition, particularly the PDP, to be more constructive in its criticisms and shun infantile tendencies which do not promote the wellbeing of the good people of Anambra State.
“The present APGA led state government, under the watch of Governor Willie 0biano, has without doubt, set the bar of leadership, social and economic development in Anambra State on a high pedestal that has attracted national and international attention and acclaim, hence, any unbridled criticism by the opposition must be based on the parameters of achievement attained by the Governor Willie 0biano led administration.
“In this regard, the PDP must be reminded that the good people of Anambra State have not forgotten the dark days of misrule under PDP when primitive measures such as the use of the bakassi boys was offered by PDP administration in Anambra state as their solution to security issues.”
He recalled how Bakassi boys were allegedly unleashed by the PDP on the people of Anambra state as an instrument of terror and vendetta against the opposition, citing the abduction and gruesome murder of Barrister Barnabas Igwe and his pregnant wife and other alleged politically-sponsored assassinations, such as that of Chief Odimegwu, a PDP stalwart from Ekwulumi in Nnewi South LGA, that of Igwe FFBC Nwankwo of Nawfia, all under the watch of a PDP led governnent in Anambra State, as evidence of failure.
However, in response to this, the Secretary of PDP in Anambra State, Mr Nnamdi Nwangwu in a statement today, has said Obi-Okoye who was a former factional chairman of the PDP in Anambra State, should be told that the party has moved on from the destructive level he and his ilk threw it.
The PDP image maker said it is absurd that Obi-Okoye who was a factional chairman of the party when mayhem was visited on the state still have the audacity to point accusing fingers, noting that rather than attempting to pass a negative blanket statement on PDP, the former factional chairman should rather tell Anambra people the role he played during the mayhem.
Nwangwu also pointed out that the present leadership of PDP in Anambra State is devoid of factions as was the case in the days when Obi-Okoye was in charge.
“The person who is most difficult to wake up is a man who is pretending to be sleeping, the PDP under the leadership of Chief Nwobu Ndubishi is united and focused to take over the state in 2022. Elements like Obi-Okoye who are obviously jealous of the giant strides of the transformed PDP cannot distract us. But he should wake up to the reality of the moment.” Nwangwu said.
He added, “Ifeatu Obi-Okoye said PDP should be constructive in her criticism of the APGA government, we in PDP would like him to tell us anything that is not true in all we have said about the government of the day. We complained about failed infrastructures, deceitful and failed MoUs, multiple taxes and levies. Ifeatu Obi-Okoye should tell us which one of these is not true.”
The PDP spokesperson called on the party faithful and the people of the state to brace to usher in a fresh breath as according to him, eight years of poor governance is bad enough for the state.
