Amby Uneze in Owerri
As the November 11, 2023, governorship election in Imo State gears up, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the February 25th presidential election, Mr. Peter Obi, flagged off campaigns with an assurance that the party would be victorious.
Obi, who spoke in Owerri, the Imo State’s capital alongside the National Chairman of LP, Mr. Julius Abure, to flag off the governorship campaign of Senator Athan Achonu, said that the party has overwhelming support base in the state coupled with its performance and excellence.
He described Athan Achonu as the only governorship candidate of the party in Imo State, and Julius Abure, as the only dully recognised and authentic national chairman of the party.
Obi urged the people of Imo State to come out en mass and vote Achonu as the next governor of the state on November 11.
He said that the process that produced Achonu as the party’s governorship candidate in the state was credible.
Obi said: “Abure is the national chairman of our party. We don’t have another chairman. LP will win Imo State. Athan Achonu is the only candidate of the party and he is the best in Imo State. I am happy nobody has changed the process. I believe in process.
“LP wants to change Nigeria. We are asking Nigeria for the opportunity. Give us chance in Nigeria and there would be change. In Abia State today is hope. That is what is called governance.
“We want Nigeria to have leaders that will do want they preach. We know what it takes to change Nigeria. That is why we are here. We know what it takes to change Imo. In Abia today, there is hope that is what is called governance. This is because a first class brain who knows what he is doing is the governor there.
“I believe in process. Achonu emerged through the right process. Vote for LP and things will start happening.”
The Governor of Abia State, Mr. Alex Otti, said that he was the chairman of the panel that conducted the primary election that produced Achonu as the governorship candidate of LP in the state.
Otti urged the people of the state to vote for Achonu, the governor said that he was not even up to one hundred days in office and good things were already happening in the state.
He said: “Distinguished Senator Athan Achonu is the only governorship candidate of the party. I was the chairman of the panel that conducted the primary election which produced him as the winner of the election. I am here to bear testimony that he is our candidate for the November 11 governorship election in Imo State.
“We have not even started in Abia but the noise is everywhere. We are less than 100 days in office in Abia. Labour party is known for governance. Vote for the Labour Party.”
Abure, who is the national chairman of the party, said that he was confident that LP would form the next government in the state.
He said that the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) had failed Nigerians and the people of the state in particular.
He said: “We will change the economic narratives of Imo State. Athan Achonu is the only governorship candidate of Labour Party in Imo State.
“LP is founded on integrity, performance. PDP and APC have failed. We have tried PDP and APC and they failed. Their results are insecurity, poverty and infrastructural decay. Labour party has come to change the narratives. Vote Athan Achonu, vote LP come November 11.”
Speaking after the party’s flag was handed over to him, Achonu who is the governorship candidate of the party, promised to fix the state if he wins the governorship election.
He maintained that on assumption of office as the next governor of the state, he would conduct local government’s election, fix the roads and the electricity, end insecurity and ensure that the civil servants and pensioners are promptly paid.”
Achonu promised to make history by becoming the first physically challenged person to emerge a governor.
“Labour Party will rescue Nigeria. We will win Imo state, Enugu, Kogi and Bayelsa States.”
He assured that there would not be bloodshed in Imo State again from November 11 when “I become governor, the peoples’ houses won’t be burnt again. Once I become governor I will implement the autonomy of the local government areas.
‘I will do LGA election. I will not tamper with the local government funds. I will ensure Infrastructural development. I am known for Human capital development. Imo people are suffering. The civil servants and pensioners are suffering. Once I become governor, they will be taken care of properly.
“I will invest in the health sector. APC government is the more you look, the less you see.”
The highpoint of the event was the handover of the flag of the party to the governorship candidate of the party and flagged off the campaigns in the state by the national chairman of the party.
The running mate of the governorship candidate, Hon. Tony Nwulu, also promised to work hand in hand to give Imo the best of governance.
Recall that some members of the Labour Party are still in court contesting the outcome of the process that brought in the governorship candidate of the party during her primary.
