Imo Guber Election: PDP Gets More Formidable As Six Parties Declare Support For The Party

The coast is now clearer for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Imo to clinch the governorship seat as six political parties have declared total support for Senator Samuel Anyanwu.

Senator Anyanwu fondly called Samdaddy is the PDP gubernatorial candidate for the November 11, 2023 governorship election in Imo State.

His deputy is Rt. Hon. Jones Onyereri.

The PDP membership received a major boost last week when about 150,000 people from six different political parties defected to the party in Imo State.

The parties include the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the Young Progressives Party (YPP), Labour Party (LP), All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Action Alliance (AA) and the All Progressives Congress (APC).

All the new converts to PDP unanimously and unequivocally endorsed the candidacy of Senator Samuel Anyanwu for November 11, 2023 governorship polls in the state.

At an event organised by the PDP to welcome the defectors into the party at its state secretariat at Okigwe Road, Owerri, the state capital, Prince Marshall Okafor-Anyanwu who led the SDP contingent disclosed that they decided to join PDP having seen that its governorship candidate is the most qualified for the position.

Hon. Okafor-Anyanwu who is the past immediate Chairman of Imo State SDP stated that Sen. Anyanwu represents the best choice when equity, experience and competence are considered

Former YPP State Chairman Hon. Victor Diala speaking on behalf of his group said that their decision to defect to PDP was informed by their desire for a better Imo State.

He expressed their implicit confidence on Senator Anyanwu who is a grass root politician and therefore will run a people-oriented administration.

Same goes with Hon. Charles Okuchie led APGA members, and Hon. Alvan Opara, a former state publicity secretary-led Labour Party members.

The All Progressives Congress and Action Alliance were led by Former State Executive members Hon. Iwuamadi Chika and Augustine Echebiri respectively.

The defectors demonstrated their loyalty and sincerity of purpose when their party cards and flags of their former parties SDP, YPP, LP, APGA, AA and APC, were destroyed by burning them.

Thereafter the PDP flag was raised.

Addressing the defectors, the governorship candidate, Senator Anyanwu assured them that they are on the winning side. He urged them to work assiduously for the victory of the party.

The governorship hopeful said that his administration will conduct Local Government elections within six months on assumption of office.

He also promised to rebuild the educational sector and the dilapidated infrastructure in the state.

Senator Anyanwu expressed great optimism that Imo State will work again under his watch.

He declared that insecurity would be a thing of the past when by the grace of God he assumes office.

The State Chairman of the PDP, Engr. Charles Ugwuh commended the decision and courage of the thousands of people that joined the PDP.

Engr. Ugwuh urged the defectors to work hard and assured them of equal rights and privileges with other members of the party without any discrimination.

The Salvage Imo Project, a group committed to enthroning good governance in Imo State spoke to some of the decampees, who commented on the development.

Chief Ekemezie John said that Gov. Hope Uzodimma’s flopped campaign flag-off strengthened PDP’s electoral chances.

Chief Ekemezie, a former member of SDP, said that if there was anything the PDP expected Governor Uzodimma to fail at, it was certainly not a flagoff of his campaign with all the resources of state at his disposal.

He said that with regards to the APC poor outing, PDP is now better assured of easy victory than expected even as within Governor Uzodimma’s closet circle there is neither peace nor cohesion.

In a statement, an APC decampee Mr Chukwu Eke urged the Owerri Zone people to vote for their son Senator Anyanwu noting that the Charter of Equity favours Owerri Zone.

Another decampee from YPP pointed out that Rt. Hon. Jones Onyereri is the overwhelming choice of Orlu people adding that Onyereri is not in competition with anyone in the choice of Orlu people as his ambition to become the Deputy Governor of Imo State, at this time, is both legitimate and fair.

Also, Chief Williams Okorie an Orlu indigene and former member of Action Alliance regretted that the consistent governorship seat in Orlu Zone has not brought any good dividend to Imo in the last three years.

He lamented that Orlu Zone has suffered what he called “untold debasement and underdevelopment.”

Commenting, a notable public affairs analyst and commentator said that from observations while Gov. Uzodinma has been grumbling and groaning in apparent knowledge of an impending trouncing at the election, the PDP’s candidate Senator Anyanwu and his deputy Rt. Hon. Jones Onyereri are finetuning their victory dance steps and getting ready to put Imo back on the map of prosperity and civility.