Lady Chidi Onyemelukwe, front line Anambra 2021 Governorship Aspirant under the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), has hailed the party for making moves to harmonise competing interests ahead of the upcoming party primaries.
Onyemelukwe made this known shortly after the confidence-building unity meeting of Anambra 2021 PDP gubernatorial aspirants held in Nnewi on Sunday. The meeting, convened at the instance of Chief Olisa Metuh, former Vice Chairman (South-east) of the party, was aimed at offering PDP’s gubernatorial aspirants the platform to talk to each other and agree on modalities even as the party approaches its primary election.
Addressing a press conference shortly after the meeting, the convener, Chief Olisa Metuh said all participating aspirants agreed to throw their weight behind whoever emerges after the primaries to ensure that the PDP wins the general election come November 6. He furthermore announced that the aspirants agreed to limit their campaign expenditure.
In her remarks, Onyemelukwe, first daughter of second republic Vice president, Late Dr. Alex Ekwueme, lauded the party, the convener of the meeting, and her colleagues for coming together, speaking with one voice and agreeing to work together as a team to ensure that PDP produces the next governor of Anambra State.
According to her, “the upcoming primary election is purely an intra-party affair and it is going to be conducted with all due process and civility. We have committed to working together as a family unit to ensure that all competing interests are managed in the best possible manner.
“I believe also, that this is the first of its kind, where aspirants have come together and collectively decided to limit what we spend on our intra party consultations. Prior to this point, it had been a highest bidder affair which to my mind, was beginning to make a mockery of the system and indeed of the reason why we are here in the first place.
“Yes, elections are capital intensive, not just in Nigeria but all over the world, yet we cannot lose sight or focus. We need to have our hearts and heads in the right place. This is definitely a good step in the right direction. What we have done as a party is that we have taken the bull by the horns and we have set a good precedent. Let us concentrate on the issues, let us concentrate on how to make Anambra better. In the end when that happens we all, and Anambra will be better off for it” Onyemelukwe concluded.
Of the sixteen gubernatorial aspirants hoping to clinch the party’s ticket, fourteen were present at the meeting and jointly addressed the press afterwards. These include; Lady Chidi Onyemelukwe, Hon. Chuma Nzeribe, Mr. Walter Ubaka Okeke, Dr. Ifedi Okwenna, Dr. Obiora Okonkwo, Sen. Ugochukwu Uba, Hon. Chris Azubogu, Mr. Val Ozigbo, Chief Emeka Etiaba (SAN), Sen. Uche Ekwunife, Mrs.Genevieve Ekwochi, Mr. Godwin Ezeemo, Mr. Winston Udeh and Dr. Godwin Maduka.
