The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members in Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State have rejected the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, ahead of the 2023 general election.
The PDP members stated this recently when coordinators of the party from the 21 local government areas of the state met with the Presidential Management Committee in Awka, the state capital. Ugochukwu Adilieje, the PDP coordinator in the Anaocha council area, affirmed that the PDP members in Mr. Obi’s council area said the LP candidate did not consult them before exiting the party.
“We were in the party before Peter Obi joined us when he left APGA. And PDP was already formidable and winning elections. His decision to leave after many years of benefiting from the PDP and to pursue his personal ambitions cannot impact the party negatively.”
The party members met to fashion out ways for the victory of their presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and his running mate, Ifeanyi Okowa, in next year’s poll. The members described Mr. Obi as a “social media candidate,” insisting that the council area has always been a PDP stronghold and that the former governor of Anambra would not change the situation with his ambition.
Recall that Mr. Obi was the governor of Anambra State between 2006 and 2014 under the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) platform. In October 2014, seven months after handing over to Wilie Obiano, he defected to PDP. The former governor was a presidential aspirant of the PDP this year. However, he announced his resignation from the PDP a few days before the party’s presidential primary, saying some practices were inconsistent with his belief and persona.
READ ALSO: 2023: Peter Obi quits PDP, withdraws from Presidential race
Adilieje asked his party members not to be afraid of candidates from other political parties, maintaining that the PDP members would support the party’s presidential candidate, Mr. Atiku, and other party candidates to win next year’s polls. “Our mandate is Atiku, and we will crush anyone in our way. We cannot allow our people to continue to be victims of emotions and sentiments.
“We are members of the PDP and must own up to our party and its presidential candidate and ensure that he wins in our local government area and state. Peter Obi is only popular on social media, not in Anaocha (Council Area). “Since he emerged as the LP candidate, Mr. Obi has been enjoying an increased following which later dovetailed into rallies usually organised by his supporters, otherwise known as Obidients.”
But Mr. Adilieje dismissed the rallies, saying such would not influence voters. “Anyone can organise a rally that everyone will attend, but on the day of the election, the real voters will cast their votes,” he said.
Meanwhile, a former PDP governorship aspirant in Anambra State, Obiora Okonkwo, was recently appointed director of the Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) of the PDP in the state. Chuma Ezeafurukwe, the party’s coordinator in the Aguata council area of the state, said Okonkwo’s appointment had rejuvenated the PDP’s confidence in the state.
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