The former Governors of Imo state, Emeka Ihedioha and Chief Achike Udenwa, among other stakeholders on Wednesday shunned the governorship campaign flag off of the Peoples Democratic Party in the state.
The event took place at the Kanu Nwankwo, stadium in Owerri, according to Vanguard.
Also, the Director General of the PDP campaign organisation, and a member of the House of Representatives, Ikenga Ugochinyere, was absent.
Even the current members of the national and state houses of Assembly ignored the campaign.
The acting National Chairman of the PDP, Iliya Damagun, said: “Let me tell you your votes can not be seized this time around. We know their business, which is 419 and we will send them out of the state and back to their business where they belong. But our candidate Senator Samuel Anyanwu loves this state and has stuck out his neck for you.
“He has sacrificed all he has to come out to get you out of this man-made trouble of insecurity that has continued to make the state insecure. I know Imo people to be very enterprising. So, God has given you people another opportunity to take back your state from 419 people and the destiny of the state is in your hands and your own destiny is also in your hands.
“If you want to continue suffering then don’t support Senator Samuel Anyanwu but if you want to come out of this, then come out on the 11 November and cast your votes for Samuel Anyanwu because he has the capacity to bring positive change to Imo. This is a PDP state and you will remember when PDP was in government how the state progressed and the difference today.”
Speaking at the event, the governor of Enugu State, Peter Mbah, described the rally as a road to a successful entry into the government house in Owerri, adding; “I am very delighted to be here today, I am happy to be here today, to flag off this our campaign, this is our story to the Road to Douglas House, this is a new dawn, come November 11 let us come out en masse let us vote PDP, to power.”
Earlier, the Imo PDP governorship candidate, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, promised that if voted into power, he would pay all pensioners in the state and those denied their entitlements by describing them as “ghost workers.”
“I will conduct the local government election as soon as I take over the Douglas House. The local government has suffered a big setback since the administration of APC APC-led government came into power. I will also pay all those pensioners the Governor Hope Uzodimma tagged ghost workers and pay all backlog salaries owed to the workers.
“People, property and businesses must be secured. This is the primary responsibility of government that my administration shall be committed to.
“The present government has totally abdicated its primary responsibility of protecting lives and properties of citizens which has resulted in widespread insecurity, deaths, mass poverty, crippling of our state’s economy, education and overall degradation of growth, development and well being of Imo indigenes. Our resolve therefore is to make Imo state safe again as truly our people deserve better,” he stated.
Among the dignitaries who attended the campaign rally were the Zamfara state governor, Dauda Lawal, Edo state governor, Godwin Obasake, Governor of Delta, Sheriff Oboreveworie, represented by his deputy, John Onyeme among others.
