The Chairman of the panel on the Anambra State Ward Congress, Governor Yeson Wike of Rivers State and his counterpart from Ekiti State, Chief Ayo Fayose said yesterday in Awka that unlike what was happening in the past, Anambra politicians would never buy members of their committee. Addressing the governorship aspirants and their supporters who turned out in large numbers to find out modalities for yesterday’s Ward Congress of the party, the two governors reminded politicians in the state that it was only by working together and putting aside their differences that PDP could take over the government in Anambra State. Wike said:
“We must work together and put our differences aside and make sure that PDP comes back and takes over Anambra State. And whether you like or not, power comes from God. You can take the ticket and you may not be able to win the election. All of you know that some of us passed through this exercise, but God said we are going to be there and we are there. “Not because we are stronger; not because we have money, but because God said at His appointed time, you are the one to be there.
“It is only agents of other political parties that would want to cause trouble, but if you are a true believer of PDP, you know that we have to work as a family. “I want to say that nobody can buy this committee. We have told the aspirants that if any of their supporters makes trouble, the person will be disqualified. And with two of us, the chairman of the PDP Governors Forum and with me as chairman of this panel, no money can change our decision.
“That is why I said, let us respect ourselves by doing the right thing. We are going to do a transparent election. If you are popular, go to your Ward. You cannot be popular at the party secretariat here.
“Nobody can hijack the election and that is why we advise everybody to go to his Ward and participate in the election. “We have seven agents here who were nominated by each of the seven aspirants and we also urge the spirants to go to their Wards and prove their popularity.
“I can tell you that if you like to hijack anything, before you hijack, we have cancelled it. Nobody can meet us in any hotel and beg that we should accept their result; everything must be done in the party secretariat. ‘For the party to have sent two of us here shows the seriousness of the exercise. So, I want to beg everybody in the name of God, let us work as a family. Nobody can influence us, let PDP be strong and win the governorship election.
“If we could struggle in our states and won, who is here in Anambra State to stop PDP from winning? Nobody can stop us here because PDP owns Anambra State, but because of our carelessness and fight, we lost the Government House.
“Those representing the state at the Senate and House of Representatives are from PDP, but we don’t have the governor. Without the governor, it does not make meaning. So, let everybody work together. I know that everybody aspiring wants to emerge, but it is not possible for everybody to emerge at the same time. One person must emerge in a transparent way. “PDP has just come out and we must do something that people will say, truly PDP is on the right track.”
On his part, Fayose appealed to PDP members to have the interest of the party in mind in whatever they do, adding that it was not good for any aspirant to be linked to violence, (because some are already saying it now that if it does not work in their way, they will scatter the election). He said: “APGA has done their own and I watched it on the television. I know APC will still do their own and whether na kolo kolo or kulu kulu, they will still do it and in their style of the more you look, the less you see.
“But this PDP election should start with orderliness. We have men who have proven themselves to be reliable leaders contesting, but with the desperation of the people, we will not allow them to mess the party up. “Our position is that if you are linked to violence you are disqualified, not only in that Ward, but in the whole process, you are gone.
“Our report will show it that you an enemy of the party. So, it is better to go into this election peacefully, than to start fighting each other because we are not prepared for that.”
After addressing the party members, members of the panel went into a marathon meeting with the aspirants and later adjourned, while those to conduct the congress at the 326 Wards of the state later left with the election materials.
