Awka – The Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) has called on the All Progressives Congress (APC), the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as well as the ruling All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) to immediately withdraw from the November 6 Anambra governorship election, as they do not have valid candidates for the election.
The three major political parties quest to participate in the November poll in Anambra, has been bedeviled by series of court cases, fueled by alleged faulty nominations.
The APGA presently has three candidates from three factional National Chairmen with multiple cases in court.
The PDP has two candidates from two different primaries with many aspirants under the platform, having defected to other political parties.
For the APC, about 11 aspirants that contested at the primary level had rejected the outcome of the exercise while some are in court over the matter.
There is also the issue of the Governor Mai Buni-led APC caretaker committee, as pointed out in the Supreme Court judgment on the reelection of Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu.
According to Afam Dozie Ofomata, the Publicity Secretary, ZLP Campaign Council, the call for the parties to withdraw from the election, is against the backdrop of the fact that key political stakeholders in Anambra have already embraced the coalition arrangement on the platform of the ZLP, with Chief Obiora Okonkwo as consensus candidate, a development he claimed, has made any contest on the other parties an effort in futility.
He revealed that arrangements have been concluded with key stakeholders in the parties as well as seven other minority parties on the use of the ZLP as a coalition platform to actualize the collective interest of the people at the elections.
“The PDP, APGA and APC have irredeemably mismanaged their nomination processes, leading to invalid candidates, endless litigations, bitter infighting, confusion and inability to forge a direction.
“The ZLP is particularly not surprised at the collapse of the PDP governorship campaign structure, as the leaders, critical stakeholders and foot soldiers of the party in Anambra have now abandon its candidate, Valentine Ozigbo, having realized that his candidacy, which did not meet the statutory nomination requirements cannot fly.
“In the case of APC, it is practically a futile venture given the recent Supreme Court verdict which directed to the illegality of the Governor Mai Mala Buni-led APC national leadership, a development that technically invalidated the nomination of Senator Andy Ubah as candidate for the election.
“In the same vein, APGA do not have a valid candidate as the nomination of Prof. Charles Soludo has also failed elementary statutory requirements, including irreversible inaccuracies and inconsistencies that have flawed the entire nomination process.
“Ndi Anambra, of course, know better that embarking on a journey with such faulty vehicles. This informs why they are identifying enmasse with Chief Obiora Okonkwo on the platform of ZLP,” he noted.
The ZLP Publicity Head informed that the party’s candidate, Chief Okonkwo is currently enjoying the solidarity of the highest demography of supporters and volunteers, having established firm affinity with all segments of the voting population across the 326 wards and 21 local government areas in the state.
“Moreover, Ndi Anambra are rallying behind Chief Okonkwo, because he is armed with the competence and practical blueprint for massive development of the state.
“In the coming days, the ZLP will commence a vigorous enlightenment campaign ahead of the elections. In that regard, the leadership of the party has concluded arrangements relocate our entire structure, including the national machinery to Anambra state to ensure that nobody robs Ndi Anambra of their desired collective victory with Chief Okonkwo on the platform of the ZLP,” he revealed.
