EZEEMO HOLDS FIRST APC RALLY IN AWKA, APC SUPPORTERS: GIVE US EZEEMO OR PRIMARIES

The Anambra governorship race took a different dimension on Friday 23 August  when all the who is who in the Southeast All Progressives Congress (APC) gathered in Awka the Anambra state capital for the biggest rally so far organized in the southeast by the new party. The APC rally in Awka which was named an interactive session of APC stakeholders was sponsored by the Godwin Ezeemo Campaign Organization and had supporters coming from all the 326 electoral wards in Anambra state. The supporters who started arriving venue of the event as early as 10 am overfilled the Hall and even spilled into the grounds and the adjoining streets.

In a road show that started effectively from the Ezeemo campaign headquarters at Udoka Estate, Awka,  included a marching band, a well known DJ from Awka, students from Unizik and ANSU all adorned in white Tee shirts and white Peak caps with pictures of Ezeemo and APC logo. The students and supporters were waving brooms the trademark of APC as they moved around all the major streets of Awka singing and dancing. The highly politically aware city of Awka had never witnessed an APC rally in Awka before.

The APC unbeatable aspirant in the Anambra governorship election, Mr. Godwin Chukwunenye Ezeemo was highly visible in the parade as he acknowledged cheers from the teeming supporters of Awka residents  who said their messiah has finally arrived.  At the Marble Arch Hotel, venue of the APC rally in Awka, scores of speakers addressed the supporters, they all had one message: APC will not adopt any candidate, rather all candidates will test their popularity at the polls; while urging them to support Ezeemo for a better tomorrow for all.

The gathered supporters sang and chorused either Ezeemo or no APC in the southeast; and Ezeemo we will follow  to the end. In  his speech, the aspirant, Mr. Godwin Ezeemo (Achinagbaraoha Anambra State) thanked the supporters who came for the APC rally in Awka. He debunked the rumours making rounds that he had stepped down from the race. He stated, restated and emphasized that APC has not chosen any candidate either by anointing or consensus; while urging them to be steadfast, he promised them victory in the primaries slated for 1 and 2 September, 2013. He urged them to go back to their various wards to mobilize and educate the people on the upcoming primaries.

Another highlight of the APC rally in Awka was the recognition and special welcome given to supporters of Annie Okonkwo, and members from All Nigeria  People Party (ANPP) and Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) (the other two parties in the merger with ACN that metamorphosed into APC) who all promised to work doubly hard to ensure Ezeemo becomes the next governor of Anambra State.

A supporter who came for the APC rally in Awka from Aguleri, but did not want his name in print said that the problem that APC faces is the selfish ambition of the short man to control everything and everybody. He wondered why somebody who goes by the slogan tested and trusted will want to get a governorship ticket through the backdoor. He questioned : doesn’t tested and trusted mean that you are 100% sure the people will vote for you; and if that is the case, why shy away from primary election? Primaries should be held so that Anambrarians will have the opportunity of sifting the wheat from the chaff.

At the end of it all, a ten point communiqué was jointly issued by all the stakeholders in Anambra APC, and it is reproduced below.

1.     We frowned at the rumour being spread in the various media that APC has selected gubernatorial candidate for the 16^th November 2013 Election in Anambra State without going through the Party Primaries. We saw this as a calculated attempt to mislead the teeming supporters of our Aspirant - Mr. Godwin Ezeemo.

2.     Our Aspirant Mr. Godwin Ezeemo was falsely reported to have stepped down. This is not true, as that never emanated from the National leadership of APC. Also the APC Executive meeting that took place in ABUJA and its communiqué never presented this.

3.     Our Aspirant Mr. Godwin Ezeemo: being a true democrat, a gentleman of repute and highly disciplined person has refused to join issues with the mischief makers but resorted to communicating the true position of the Party Leadership to the public. The Party Leadership has not anointed any Aspirant.

4.     The truth of the matter is that only Chief Annie Okonkwo stepped down, that does not mean that an Aspirant has been anointed; the stepping down of one Aspirant does not mean the anointing of one since they are now three Aspirants remaining.

5.     We call on the National Leadership of APC to ensure that due process is followed as Anambra State Election is the litmus test of the success or failure of the Party in the forth coming 2015 General Election.

6.     If the leadership of the Party has fixed 1^st and 2^nd September 2013 for conducting the Primaries, why then are mischief makers in the Party circulating rumours that an anointed candidate has emerged?

7.     We believe that APC being a new baby that is highly democratic in nature, should stamp out this falsehood completely.

8.     Our Aspirant Mr. Godwin Chukwunenye Ezeemo is in the Race and seriously concerned in the general well being of Anambra people.

9.     We thank the Leadership of the Party for their proactive step in fixing the date for Primaries, and also request them to ensure that the Primaries is not hijacked in any form.

10.                        Finally, we thank all APC family and Anambrarians for their support for our Aspirant – Mr. Godwin C. Ezeemo.