**Comprises Obi, Oduah, Udeh, Obiogbolu, Azubogu, Okwena
By Nseobong Okon-Ekong
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has unveiled a star-studded campaign council, advisory council, elders forum, and campaign committee, which will serve as the PDP Gubernatorial Campaign Organisation for Anambra State.
The announcement of the campaign structures was done at a meeting with journalists at Senator Ekwunife Events Centre in Awka on Sunday. Included in the team are eminent personalities like former Governor Peter Obi, Senator Uche Ekwunife, who was named the Chairperson of the Campaign Council, Senator Stella Oduah, a former aviation minister who represents Anambra North at the Nigerian Senate, and serving federal lawmaker, Hon. Chris Azubogu and Dr. Ifedi Okwenna.
Ekwunife will share leadership of the campaign Council with Senator Oduah who will serve as the co-Chair; Dr Winston Udeh, a lawyer and former governorship aspirant will serve as the Vice-Chairman; as well as Dr. Alex Obiogbolu, a seasoned public administrator and politician who has been involved with several successful electoral campaigns, who will serve as the Director-General of the PDP Gubernatorial Campaign Organisation.
Other notable appointments into the PDP Anambra State Campaign Council are Hon. Tim Egboka, a former member of the Anambra State House of Assembly, who will serve as the Deputy Director-General for the campaign; Chief Tony Offiah, a prominent PDP stalwart who will serve as Director of Financial Services; Chief Ugochukwu Okeke, who will serve as Secretary to the State Campaign Council; and Hon. George Ozodinobi, a former federal lawmaker who will serve as the Secretary to the Chairman of the Campaign Council.
Zonal Directors of the campaign are Hon Chris Azubogu (South), Hon Gabriel Onyenwife (North), and Dr A. A. Anagu (Central).
In his remarks, Ozigbo expressed gratitude and delight at the open arms with which these political leaders have received him and said that history was being made as the PDP in Anambra has not been as united and strong, leading up to an election as it is today.
Senator Ekwunife, in her comments, said that the November 6 election was the PDP’s to take and that she is wholly committed to leading the PDP team to a landslide victory at the poll. She came on board the campaign following a high-powered reconciliation effort by the PDP Governors’ Forum.
In his remarks, Dr. Obiogbolu, the campaign’s Director-General, said that there was abundance of hope and opportunities for the story of Anambra to change for good if the people embraced the PDP, saying that the campaign organisation represents the best collection of talents and experience in the state’s politics.
Other distinguished persons appointed as Directors in the PDP State Governorship Campaign Organisation are the first female state speaker in Anambra and a former federal lawmaker, Rt. Hon. Eucharia Azodo (Religious Groups); a former guber aspirant, Barrister Emeka Etiaba (Legal); the PDP’s 2017 Deputy Governorship candidate, Mrs Chidi Onyemelukwu (Women Mobilisation); Mr Obinna Ufudo, a former President and Group CEO of Transcorp Plc (Finance); Chief Don Onochie (Contacts and Mobilisation); a former state and federal lawmaker, Hon Barr. Valentine Ayika (Strategy and Planning); a media guru and communications expert, Ms Aziza Uko (Media and Communications); a former PDP state chairman, Mr Ejike Oguebego (Intra and Intra Party Affairs); and Dr (Mrs) Rose Nwankwo (Support Groups).
Others are a former gubernatorial aspirant, Barrister Joe Martins Uzodike (Publicity); Chief Chudi Akude (Research, Statistics, and Training); Ogom Izukanne (Youth Mobilisation); Fab Ozoigbo (Campaign Operations); Benji Uba (Transport); Chikaodili Obiefuna (Welfare); Chinelo Ofoche (Protocols); and Hon. Chuba Oranusi (Non-Indigenous Groups).
At a PDP town hall meeting in late July, Valentine Ozigbo announced Mrs Azuka Enemo, a respected administrator and a two-time Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, as his running mate. Her appointment has been praised by several prominent quarters, including a group of over 100 PDP elders in a communiqué published on August 10, 2021.
Valentine Ozigbo is a multiple-award-winning global CEO who won the keenly contested PDP primary held on June 26, 2021, after his Ka Anambra Chawapu message sparked a movement regarded as one of the most inspirational stories in Nigeria’s recent political history.
