Oghenevwede Ohwovoriole in Abuja
Former Senate Chief Whip and Deputy National Leader (south) of the Action Democratic Party (ADP), Senator Roland Owie, has accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of introducing kidnapping in Nigeria by kidnapping a seating Governor, Dr. Chris Ngige of Anambra State.
He said this after the inauguration of the committee on election for the Anambra State governorship election coming up in November by the National Chairman of the ADP, Engr. Yusuf Yabagi Sani at the party’s national Secretariat in Abuja on Friday.
Owie is the Chairman of the Anambara election committee stated that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) laid the foundation for kidnappings in Nigeria with the kidnapping of a seating Governor of Anambra State, Dr. Chris Ngige, saying till date those who committed the act are still walking freely.
He also said despite producing great men, the state is still being subjected to ridicule by a few illiterates who see politics as a cash and carry business.
According to him, “Anambra State has produced great Nigerians like St. Iwene Tansi, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Dr. Alex Ekweme, Sir Odumegwu Ojukwu, Chinua Achebe, Chuba Okadigbo and a host of others.
“‘Since the inception of the fourth Republic, have been subjected to ridicule by a few illiterates who see politics as cash and carry business to the extent that a sitting governor was kidnapped.
“That was the foundation laying ceremony of kidnapping in Nigeria by a PDP Government and up till this day, nobody has been punished for that heinous crime.
“The real shame of the matter is that, the party and their collaborators are still going about wanting to rule Anambra. We in the ADP are going into Anambra in the name of God Almighty and we shall emerge victorious.”
The party also inaugurated the finance committee, which has one time Minister of Agriculture, Rajeem Odewale as its Chairman. The committee will see to how the party will raise funds for its operations and to also set up an in-house auditing mechanism so that their financial records will be made available for external auditing and public scrutiny.
The chairman while inaugurating the committees stated that the party wants to do things differently from all other political parties and set a standard for others to emulate.
“Our aim is to make sure that money bags don’t hijack the party. We want Nigerians to own the party; that is why we have put in place a committee of competent Nigerians who will set the standards for others to follow’, he stated.
The members of the Anambra election committee include Sen. Owie, Chairman; Dr. James Okoroma, Secretary; Hon. (Bar) Solomon Onwe, Chief (Mrs) Nike Jones, Hon. Kingsley Nnalue, Bishop Stella Sheidu, Prince Edobor Oghosa, Dr. D D. Kokong and Col. (Hon) Ben I. Aboho, Hon. Iboro Ige-Edaba, and Chief Kanayo Obidigbo.
