The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in Anambra State, Chidi Chidebe, has assured party members that the party is fully prepared for the upcoming governorship election in November.
Chidebe made the statement during a meeting with women leaders at the state party secretariat in Awka, where party insignia for women were unveiled as uniforms. This assurance comes amid concerns that the PDP might not field a candidate, particularly after several former aspirants left the party to join other political groups.
In response to these concerns, Chidebe emphasized that the party had been focused on reorganizing itself and building a solid structure in the past four months to ensure success in the election. He explained that the goal was to establish a strong foundation before entering the race, stressing that preparation was key to winning. “If we put the right foundation before going for election, we will win,” he stated.
Looking ahead to the November election, Chidebe expressed confidence that the PDP would contest strongly, citing the party’s second-place finish in the last election. He noted that this time, the focus should be on securing first place.
Addressing the departure of some former governorship aspirants, Chidebe advised against jumping from party to party in search of solutions. He criticized those who left PDP, including former aspirant Val Ozigbo, for accusing the party of betrayal and later joining the Labour Party (LP) and then the All Progressives Congress (APC). He pointed out the stark differences in development between PDP-led states and Anambra, urging that the state and the country would benefit from a return to PDP leadership.
Chidebe also called on women in the party to mobilize support and form prayer groups to help strengthen the party’s chances in the election. He assured them that many prominent figures were already preparing to contest for the governorship on the PDP platform.
Earlier, the PDP Women’s Leader in Anambra, Mrs. Calista Nkiru Adimachukwu, encouraged female members to start mobilizing for membership drives and rally support as the election approaches.
But reacting to this, Chidebe said: “What we have been doing in the past four months that we emerged is to reorganize the party, set the right structure that will help us to make an impact in the election.
“Our aim is to build a solid party and get the foundation right before going for election. Our aim is not to just win the election because if we go into the election without preparation, we will lose and we may continue to lose, but if we put the right foundation before going for election, we will win.
“As for the for the forthcoming election, we will contest and we will do so strongly. We came second last election, so now we should be talking of coming first.”
Speaking of the exit of the party by some former governorship aspirants, Chidebe said: “I used to tell people, don’t leave your house where you’re a landlord to become tenant elsewhere.
“People should not be jumping from party to party because they think there is a crisis in their party. In every gathering of humans, there must be frictions. What is lacking in PDP today is spirit of sportsmanship.
“When (Val) Ozigbo was here (PDP), he accused us of betraying him, but he joined LP and saw what was more than what he saw in PDP. He has now moved to APC. Today many people who were castigating PDP have seen the difference between PDP and APC.
“If you compare the development in states where PDP governors hold away and compare them with Anambra, you will see that we are far behind. PDP states are way better. That is why Anambra, Nigeria need to return to PDP.”
