The Candidate of Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) for the Nov. 6, Anambra governorship election, Dr Obiora Okonkwo, on Wednesday said that the state had yet to recover from the 2003 politics of godfatherism.
Okonkwo stated this during his unveiling as ZLP flag-bearer for the state governorship election by the party’s National Chairman, Chief Dan Nwayanwu, at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.
He said that the state needed an independent candidate that would serve the interest of the people and the state not that of god-fathers.
“We don’t need a governor that wants to impose a successor. Anambra state has not recovered from the encounter we had in 2003 from the issue of god-father and god-son.
“Some people might be saying you stoop to conquer, when you win you fight them back. When two elephants fight the grass suffers.
“We still have the sketch of what happened in 2003. We need no god-fathers. We are independent, ZLP is free.
“Any vote for us is just for me and my deputy, not for people you don’t know what the outcome will be at the court by the time the cases between the two major parties in the court is determined,” he said
Obiora Okonkwo described his emergence as the candidate of ZLP as divine saying it did not matter where I was before because this is where God has prepared for me to run for this election.
He said although the road would not be an easy one, he was more than prepared “to make all the needed sacrifices not for himself but for the good of others and to the glory of God”.
He said while many of the candidates in the race were qualified, what Anambra requires is “the best of the best.”
He said while some might considered themselves as Goliaths, he was happy to answer David in the race.
“One thing I can assure you is that at the end of this only the will of God will be done. This is a tactical game. It is not a usual politicking.
“We understand that most of our political opponents have multitude of issues. Those things will continue to manifest along this journey.
“Be rest assured, we are not relying on the weakness of our opponents. We will be prepared to win based on our own strength. We have what it takes to win Anambra state.”
He said that his team had 10-point agenda that would be implemented if elected.
This according to him includes security, quality and technical education, employment opportunities, diaspora engagement to increase investments and revenue of the state.
“We are creating special Ministry of Diaspora Affair to engage the people of Anambra and people around the world,” he said.
Obiora Okonkwo also pledged to build modern government lodge and secretariat in Awka, rural development, and infrastructural development.
“We have also written a letter of commitment to the people of Anambra that within 12 months of our swearing-in we will conduct local government election.
“We do not believe in developing Anambra state relying on budget from Abuja.
“By the time we will be finishing our four year tenure we will have got our budget close to a trillion naira. That is the only way you can achieve infrastructural development,” Okonkwo said.
He also advised stakeholders in the state election to play politics by the rule and accept defeat if it came through free and fair election.
Nwanyanwu, while presenting the party flag to Okonkwo stressed the need to engage the governorship candidates in election debate.
“We want a situation where the first five parties must be subjected to thorough election debate.
There must be debate to tell Anambra people what you have done for yourself, the people of Anambra state and your constituency.
“If you have held government position before, you must tell Anambra people how you assisted them with the position you occupied.
“If you were there and you were selfish, then you do not have the capacity to serve the people of Anambra state.
“You must also tell the people of Anambra what you will do about unemployment, money of the state, your contact to bring investors to the state, what would be your position on infrastructure and how you will transform Awka, the state capital, into modern city.
“These are issues that must be interrogated and there should be no proxy candidate,” Nwayanwu said.
He described Obiora Okonkwo as credible candidate with character and capacity to restore the lost glory of Anambra.
“He is coming to change Anambra state positively to what it should have been.”
He expressed optimism that the outcome of the election would be in favour of ZLP.
[Vanguard]
