As the profile of the Labour Party (LP) in Anambra state and the entire South East geo-political zone keeps rising, one of the zonal leaders and the only elected lawmaker on the platform of the party in the zone, Hon Emeka Anohu has vowed that they would produce the next governor of the state on the party’s platform.
More so, he disclosed that the events of last week where he received new members who decamped from the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and the People’s Democratic Party PDP, into the party signposted greater things to come. He saw the constant attraction into the party as the benefits of all the restructuring efforts of the state executive led by Chief Sam Oraegbunam.
Anohu who is the Deputy Minority Whip in the Anambra State House of Assembly expressed satisfaction that LP has remained the beautiful bride of the state’s politics because of its peaceful disposition in the face of constant bickering in other parties like the PDP and the APGA, etc.
Thumbing up and acknowledging the hard work of the party’s state officers which has seen no fewer than six top contenders in the 2014 governorship race in the state now being linked to LP, the lawmaker stated they were now very ready to install the next governor.
According to him, “the party’s doors were constantly open to new entrants round the clock. We are open-handed to receive all new members. We are also now very ready for the 2014 Anambra governorship election whenever the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) comes out with the timetable and guidelines. But do not want anyone without good intentions for the party or the electorate, who could destabilize the party. Every governorship aspirant and any such new comers must be subjected to the strict screening and due process principles of the party”
The party had at its well-attended State Executive Council (SEC) meeting last week received cheerful and heart-warming reports from all the 21 Local government areas. The council executives had rendered account of all their efforts at grassroots mobilization, consultations and appeal which have culminated in the daily trooping of new members into the party.
Also, the party resolved to keep all options on the table for the governorship candidates who have indicated interest in the party. They however declined to deny or acknowledge who among them have picked the party’s membership ticket. But the party was quick to admit that key members and officers of these top politicians’ campaign teams have already registered and picked LP membership cards long time ago.
Anohu was happy that the reorganization efforts in the past one year are now bearing good fruits and has shot the party to the number one position in the state’ polity. In response to a reporter’s question, the lawmaker said that the quality he wants in the governor who would replace Mr Peter Obi is one who would replicate all the good works and carry the party’s ideals like Chief Olusegun Mimiko has been doing in Ondo state, in Anambra state.
He listed other expected qualifications for the new governor to include being a thoroughbred grassroots politician with heart and feelings for the yearnings and needs of the people. That he must be someone with intellectual capacity to absorb and shoulder the weighty complexities of the state. He must be very accessible and a good listener. That it was one of the reasons why the party put up structures in all nooks and crannies of the state to ensure every citizen have direct and easy access to the party to air their views, make contributions or even register objection on any issue at will.
On his assessment of the Obi administration so far, Anohu said he has put in his best and has visibly tackled the needs and challenges facing the different sectors of the state commendably. He therefore wished another high achiever succeeds him so as to be able to keep the flag flying. But when taken up on the snag created by Obi’s failure to conduct council elections for so long, which has been widely blamed for directly and indirectly creating social problems in the state’s polity, the young lawmaker reiterated the governor’s promise to conduct the election before he eventually leaves office. Pointing out that structures to facilitate the smooth conduct of the election were already in place, he also excused the delay to a battery of law suits that have remained bottleneck towards efforts to organize the election in the past. He blamed the absence of the third tier of government for the lack of widespread democracy dividend to the electorate and said he was convinced that Obi would make good his promise to conduct the council elections very soon.
The state Assembly, he added was willing and ready to do everything legally necessary to enable the executive arm of the state discharge its duties effectively without hindrance. He noted that both arms have had a fairly smooth cooperative relationship so far, other than intermittent minor differences that were easily and almost immediately rectified.
