From Christian Chime, Onitsha
As key political parties and their members especially the governorship aspirants continue to strategise, restructure and refocus their membership bases ahead the 2021 governorship tussle in Anambra state, the Labour Party (LP) late afternoon Thursday, March 12,2020 commenced theirs by election of a new set of officials.
Leading members of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) members to supervise and inaugurate the new executive, the national chairman, Alhaji Abdulkadir Abdulsalam, urged Anambra electorates to speak with their votes by voting out the lies of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and All Progressives Congress (APC).
Consequently, Abdulsalam said “Anambra state will no longer be a zone of on-the-air television-show development, but will be turned into a zone of practical, visible, and tangible developments unlike what we have seen in the last two decades under the PDP, APGA and APC leaderships”.
Speaking to the delegates drawn from the twenty-one councils of the state, Abdulsalam pointed out that LP remains the only party with human symbol and multiple membership in every Nigerian home, hence was now poised to stand up against the two decades old worn-out lies and inactivity of the prime political parties.
According to him, “…because LP is focussed, disciplined and united as a family, we are going to lead the way in Anambra state. We have just put together a formidable result-orientated executive that has vowed to turn things around for the distraught citizens of the state who have been wearied by decades of political lies, deceit and deception by the APC, APGA and PDP.
“We are coming with people of integrity, ability and industry who have served the nation and humanity in various areas of life who are daily trooping in and picking our membership cards”.
Exhorting the party’s frontline governorship aspirant, Group Capt Nnamdi Nnoruka (rtd), the national chairman described him as a man of ability, zeal and inviolable industry who understands the complexity and idiosyncrasies of Anambra polity. He added that the party has no doubt that when he gets the people’s mandate as governor he shall perform well.
Nnoruka who appeared to have opened the floodgate of top ex-military officers entry into the party in preparation for his governorship bid said that LP government in the state was going to execute programs and requests generated direct by the people, not by elites. He said he was elated by the presence of highly distinguished personalities, moving into the newly reinvigorated party.
The governorship aspirant commended the peaceful disposition of the delegates who joyously elected the new state executive. He appealed to them to join hands with Emeh leadership to take the party to every home, assisting also with constructive criticism, suggestions and ideas until victory was achieved in 2021. He said his telephone lines and gate would remain open to all round-the-clock, for opinions, suggestions, advice and criticism.
In his inaugural remark Chief Ugochukwu Emeh who was elected alongside Col Victor Ndulue(rtd) as chairman and Secretary respectively vowed to lead LP to its first governorship victory in the South East geopolitical zone, especially in the face of mass disenchantment by the citizens who were already tired of the cheap worn-out lies of those in the saddle.
No fewer than five top ex-military officers and other professionals attended the congress including Brig-Gen. Arinze Chuka Ebenebe, Navy Commodore Emma Okechukwu Enemor, Capt Nnoruka, Col Ndulue and Col Buddeh Okafor among others.
Some members of Gov Willie Obiano’s cabinet attended the congress, but refused to tell reporters whether they have decamped to LP or were just on observation of the congress.
Officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) led by Mr Samuel Nimeh, Nkiru Gibson and Reginald Onyeukwu were on hand to monitor the proceedings of the congress which held at the Eastend Hotels, Awka. They expressed satisfaction with the process