Abia PDP to flag off campaign Thursday
* Optimistic of victory in 2023 to reciprocate Ikpeazu’s performances
By Steve Oko
The ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Abia State,says it will tomorrow, Thursday, December 25, formally flag off its campaigns for the 2023 general elections.
Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, and all four Governors in his G-5 Integrity Governors group, are expected to grace the event to be held at Umuahia Township Stadium by 10:00am.
PDP Vice Chairman, Abia North and the Acting Publicity Secretary of PDP, Elder Abraham Amah, who disclosed this at a press conference, said the party was very optimistic of landslide victory in the forthcoming elections.
Elder Amah who was flanked by former Secretary to State Government, SSG, Elder Ralph Egbu; and the Secretary of the PDP Campaign Council, Chief Stanley Ojigbo, said that all the PDP candidates for various elective positions would be unveiled during the event.
The PDP Spokesman told Wawa News Global that Abians would reciprocate Ikpeazu’s sterling leadership qualities and performances with continuity vote for the ruling PDP.
“The good work of the PDP in the 16 years it was in power at the centre and the exemplary leadership displayed by our indefatigable and irrepressible governor is enough evidence for Ndi Abia to know that the operational word in the 2023 Abia election is continuity at the governorship level, reinstatement of all PDP candidates at the legislative level including returning PDP to the power at the centre.
“It’s an article of faith for us that they will choose the PDP that rescued them from the shackles of poverty in the past seven years despite the economic decline foisted on them by the APC government at the centre due to its inability to formulate sound economic policies for the growth and prosperity of Nigerians.”
Amah said that while PDP-led administration was busy working in Abia, the APC-government at the centre was busy destroying Nigeria.
He further said that the presence of the G-5 Governors at the event would be in solidarity for Gov Okezie Ikpeazu who is one of them, adding that Abia remains a strong base of the PDP.
“The Integrity G5 PDP governors namely; His Excellencies Barr. Nyesom Wike of Rivers State; Dr. Samuel Ortom of Benue State; Chief Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State; Mr. Seyi Makinde of Oyo State; and the host governor Dr. Okezie Victor Ikpeazu would grace the occasion in person as a mark of respect and solidarity with their brother governor”.
He expressed strong support for the party’s governorship candidate, Professor Uche Ikonne; his running mate, Hon. Okey Igwe; and other PDP candidates for the 2023 elections, describing them as champions.
Amah scored the PDP-led administration very high in the security sector, describing Abia as the most-peaceful state in the South East.
“In the area of security, Abia has been judged as one of the five most peaceful states in Nigeria and the most peaceful in the South East despite the high level of insecurity that has enveloped the entire country”, Amah noted.
“It is to Dr. Ikpeazu’s credit that there has not been a single case of political assassination in Abia State in the last seven years even as members of the opposition have always exercised their rights to freedom of expression and association without molestation”, he added.
He also said that the recent report by the bureau of statistics had confirmed that the PDP-led administration in Abia had performed creditably above many states with higher incomes.
His words: “2022 National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, Multidimensional Poverty Index, MPI, report released on Thursday last week bears testimony to the fact that the PDP-led government of Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu delivered on the promises he made to Ndi Abia in 2015 that he will make their lives better as Abia State came out as one of the five best States in Nigeria and the best in the South East, ahead of Anambra, when measured against deprivations in the key four sectoral indices of health, education, standard of living and security.
“The NBS report vindicated Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu and the Abia PDP but embarrassed critics and detractors who never bothered to fact-check records before slandering the good works of an honourable man, the government he leads and the Party that supports him. It is now up to the good people of Abia State to decide on the continuity or otherwise of the PDP in Abia State. “
On the stand-off between the presidential candidate of PDP, Atiku Abubakar and Gov. Wike, Elder Amah said Abia PDP is not working against Atiku’s candidature.
He explained that although Abia PDP believes in the capacity and competence of Atiku, there was need to get the interest of Abia secured in Atiku’s Government.
According to him, negotiating for the interest of Abia does not in any way amount to working against Atiku’s presidential bid.
He said that Abia PDP had been campaigning for Atiku but needed to have the interest of the state guaranteed.
Amah also scored Ikpeazu high in the health sector, adding that Abia has the highest number of Primary Health centres in the country.
“In the health sector, the latest NBS MPI report, showed that the Abia government reduced the time to health of Abians by shortening the response time and increasing access to healthcare in by providing critical health infrastructure and facilities within the reach of Abians.
“Some of the facilities include the Abia Children’s Hospital in Umuahia, the Molecular and Infectious Diseases Laboratory at Aba, the Tuberculosis Reference Laboratory, Amachara and the free delivery package for pregnant women that use government facilities among others.”
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