As the November 16 Anambra State
governorship elections approach, the
phenomenon of politics of
endorsement under which individuals
and groups adopt various candidates as
The quartet of Chief Willie Obiano,
Obiano of the All Progressives Grand
Alliance, APGA; Dr Chris Ngige of All
Progressives Congress, APC; Chief
Godwin Ezeemo of Peoples Progressive
Alliance and Chief Ifeanyi Ubah of
Labour Party are all respective
beneficiaries of this gale of adoptions.
So far, as the competing camps
respectively fine-tune strategy to
enable their principals emerge
victorious at the end of the contest,
the fortunes of Obiano, Ngige, Ezeemo
and Ubah have been boosted with
range of endorsement from interest
groups, town union presidents and civil
society groups.
And as for Obiano who is being
groomed by the managers of the APGA
to take over from incumbent Governor
Peter Obi, the number of groups that
have endorsed him for the
governorship post include, the
president generals of the 178 town
union groups, the Onitsha traditional
institution led by Igwe Alfred Achebe,
political groups like the Democratic
Peoples Party led by Chief Anayo
Obiakor, the Barrister Ifeatu Obi
Okoyeled Forum, Omabala youths and
elders, and a host of traditional rulers
and reputable individuals.
The Willie Obiano Campaign Forum led
by Owelle Onyeka Mbaso and which
have coordinators from the 21 local
government areas of Anambra State,
had after their recent meeting in Awka
issued a statement wherein they
adopted Obiano as their candidate in
the election. They justified their
support for Obiano, saying, Obiano is
the most qualified candidate in the
race. He has the professional
competence to run Anambra; we need
a man who has demonstrable
competence in managing human and
natural resources and Obiano is the
man for the job. They were optimistic
that Obiano is going to win the
election.
Similarly, the president generals of the
178 town union governments have also
thrown their support for Obiano. It will
be recalled that the group had after
their recent meeting at the Trig Point
Hotel, Nibo, Awka South Local
Government, adopted Obiano as their
candidate. The group which sees APGA
as a friend and ally of the Federal
Government led by Dr Goodluck Ebele
Jonathan defended their adoption of
Obiano with these words: A good
relationship with Federal Government
is very important for attracting projects
from Abuja, including appointments for
our people; APGA and President
Jonathan are working together and
Willie Obiano will work with Jonathan
just as Governor Obi did.
The Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Achebe
and the traditional ruler of Awka, Eze
Uzu Gibson Nwosu, as well as other
royal fathers have also thrown their
support for Obiano. Speaking when
Obiano was formally presented to him
at his palace, Igwe Achebe noted that
Obiano had commendable background
that would position him to attain the
height achieved by Obi. The Eze Uzu
Awka, speaking on Monday when
Obiano paid him courtesy visit few
hours before APGA formally flagged off
their campaign at the Alex Ekwueme
Square, described Obiano as a strong
and credible candidate who is worthy
of being a governor.
The APC candidate, Senator Dr Chris
Ngige is another front runner who has
been endorsed by various groups and
individuals as their candidate in the
election. The Anambra Political Forum
for Ngige 2014, led by Chief Ben
Oranusi and Barrister Okonkwo-Okom,
a former member of the State House
of Assembly, has since adopted Ngige
as their candidate.
The Forum whose membership is
drawn mainly from former political
office holders during the first sojourn of
Ngige as governor, had during their
meeting at the Marble Arch Hotel,
Awka, said they are supporting Ngige
because of his pedigree and what he
achieved as governor of Anambra from
2003 to 2006 Oranusi, who spoke
when the Forum hosted Ngige
defended their endorsement of the
APC candidate, said, Everyone of us
wants change; we can get into
government using Chris Ngige as a
vehicle; he is the only candidate that
has what it takes to govern the state.
We have a structure here; from the
state to every polling booth we have in
Anambra, we want you to come and
start where you stopped.
Again, the Publicity Secretary of Ngige
Campaign Organization, Mr. Okelo
Madukife, had in a statement which
was released to journalists disclosed
that about 26 market associations in
Anambra State under the aegis of
Anambra State Markets Amalgamated
Traders Association (ASMATA) have
thrown their support behind the
candidature of Ngige. According to
Okelo, they pleaded their support for
Ngige to return to office as governor
when they paid a solidarity visit to the
Campaign office of Ngige .
Furthermore, a section of Enugu and
Ebonyi states indigenes in Anambra,
who recently had a meeting with
Ngige, have also endorsed him for
governor. Chief Godwin Ezeemo is
another strong contender who has
been endorsed for the governorship
post by various groups and individuals.
It will be recalled that Ezeemo had on
Wednesday presented an indigene of
Aguleri and a former lecturer, Dr
Raphael Chikwenze, as his running
mate. Ezeemos choice of Dr Chikwenze
who has large followers is strategic,
apparently.
It is aimed at wooing the support of
people of Anambra North Senatorial
Zone. Speaking on why they are
throwing their support for Ezeemo at a
solemn ceremony in Awka, Chikwenze
contends, I have been a teacher all my
life, I have a Doctorate in Physics and
for me to deviate and join politics was
driven by what I saw in Ezeemo, I saw
in Ezeemo as somebody who can
provide the terrain for the
transformation of Anambra State. I
have�seen in this man those things
that would help this State to grow and
move further ahead.
That same day the supporters of
Chikwenze were backing Ezeemo,
another group known as South East
Development Initiative (SEDI) also
endorsed Ezeemo for governor.
SEDI led by Chinedum Chiaghanam in
defending their choice of the PPA
candidate in a statement made
available to journalists said, Our choice
of candidate was based on assessment
and convictions in the interest of the
people. The diligent survey carried out
by our youths in various communities
in Anambra State boosted our
confidence in the choice we have
already made, worthy of note is that
we are not voting party; rather what
we are voting is credible character. We
the Youths of South East Development
Initiative have deliberately waited till
this moment before giving our
endorsement to the preferred
candidate, of all the candidates short
listed for November 16,2013
gubernatorial election, we are please to
inform you Mr. Godwin Chukwunenye
Ezeemo emerged our choice candidate.
Already, SEDI has hinted that they
would on October 19 in Awka make a
public endorsement of Ezeemo as their
choice candidate.
Dr Ifeanyi Ubah, the Labour Party
candidate is another beneficiary of the
ongoing politics of endorsement. So
far, he has been endorsed by sundry
groups, like the Association for
comprehensive Empowerment of
Nigerians with Disability (ASCEND) led
by Cosmos Ikechukwu Okoli.
Speaking when they adopted the
Capital Oil boss as their preferred
candidate in the election, Okoli stated
that their choice was influenced by the
fact that Ubah had in his manifesto
made provisions for the welfare and
interest of people living with disability.
Justifying their support for the Labour
Party candidate, Okoli contends,
ASCEND has resolved that henceforth,
persons with disability will be counted
in any election in Nigeria. We will
mobilise our members and
sympathizers to vote for credible
candidates who are ready to not only
take adequate care of us, but who will
include us in every aspect of the
government, adding that an estimated
200,000 voters will be mobilised to
vote for the endorsed candidate.
As the candidates notch up their
respective campaigns and reach out to
more key groups and individuals with
tempting offers, it is expected that the
spate of endorsement would rise as
the election approaches, with the less
serious candidates collapsing their
structures into the warm embrace of
well positioned contenders.
The Mirror
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