The PDP position comes as Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano, at the weekend explained why the state government couldnt congratulate his predecessor, Mr Peter Obi, on his nomination as the vice presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP).
The stance was contrary to the wild jubilation that erupted across the state, when Obi who literarily single-handedly installed Gov Obiano as his successor in the Nov 16,2013 poll in the state. The seeming tardy silence of the incumbent has left a sour taste in the mouth of watchers of Anambra politics.
But Obiano who spoke through his Special Adviser on political matters, Ifeatu Obi-Okoye, said there was nothing to celebrate at this stage.
Obi-Okoye stated, “Let’s get something clear; I don’t think Peter Obi’s nomination as VP candidate calls for any congratulatory message. If he becomes the vice president, we will congratulate him.
“We ( APGA) are running for the presidential election against PDP and we fielded a candidate who we believe can win the the PDP candidate, so we have no reason to celebrate Obi. Otherwise, we are saying we have already acknowledged that they will defeat us.
“But I want to say as you have mentioned that as someone who is from here, and who was in APGA, that if by any chance Obi becomes a VP, we will congratulate him. For now, we are in the trench, planning how we can win the election for APGA.
“You may not believe that we have chances, so also would you not have believed that a footballer would become the president of Liberia, or would you not have believed that the current president of Ghana would have defeated an incumbent.
While saying there would be surprises in the 2019 polls, Obiano aide said nobody should rule out the chances APGA in the race.
“There are so many factors that will play out in 2019; the ethnic factor, security factor, the lack of governance, the inability of politicians to keep faith with the people. What we should all watch out for is that the election is not rigged.
In a release by the state Publicity Secretary, Mr Nnamdi Nwagwu noted that the nomination of Mr Peter Obi as the running mate of Atiku is a prayer answered and dream come true and that members of the party in the state are excited about the development.
He noted that the combination of Atiku and Obi would enjoy solid backing from the PDP faithful, friends and beyond who love and support the party in the state.
According to the statement, “Over the years, Mr Peter Obi has demonstrated his clear commitment to progressive values, hard work and visionary leadership in support of the common man and the nation. With his youthfulness, energy and knowledge, he has what it takes to be a great vice president.
“We also congratulate all PDP candidates who have emerged in the recently concluded primaries. We assure every one of our support, as we work hard to get them elected into their various positions. We cannot think of any better set of candidates than those we have now.”