Ahead of the Anambra State governorship elections coming up later this year, major political parties have elected their flag-bearers.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), the All Progressives Congress (APC), and the Labour Party (LP) picked their candidates during primary elections held on Saturday at various venues in Awka, the state capital.
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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is set to elect its flag-bearer on Tuesday, 8 April.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had set a 10 April deadline for political parties to complete their primary elections.
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The electoral body scheduled the governorship election itself for 8 November.
APGA candidate
The incumbent governor, Chukwuma Soludo, emerged the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) at the primary election held on Saturday.
The primary was held at the Dr Alex Ekwueme Square, Awka, amidst tight security and under the watch of the officials of INEC.
Mr Soludo being the sole aspirant standing for the primary election, delegates expressed their choices through a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ vote.
In the end, the governor, who is seeking a second term, polled 3,171 votes from the 3,175 accredited delegates across the 326 political wards in the state.
While presenting the party’s nomination certificate to the governor, the chairperson of APGA Primary Election Electoral Committee, Uchenna Nwegbo, said the process was in compliance with the Electoral Act, 2022.
Mr Nwegbo said Mr Soludo’s unanimous adoption as the sole candidate of the party for the governorship election also adhered to the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022.
Reacting, the governor praised APGA officials for organising what he called a well-structured exercise.
Labour Party’s pick
The Labour Party (LP) elected George Moghalu as the flag-bearer for elections coming up later this year.
During the party’s primary election held on Saturday in Awka, Mr Moghalu, a former managing director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), secured 573 votes to defeat his only opponent, John Nwosu, who garnered 19 votes.
In his acceptance speech,Mr Moghalu extended a hand of fellowship to his opponent, saying that unity among party stakeholders would be crucial to securing victory at the polls.
“I am ready for the challenge ahead. With my experience in public service and politics, I am confident in my capacity to defeat the incumbent, Governor Chukwuma Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA),” he said.
He thanked the LP for conducting a transparent and credible primary and expressed appreciation to the delegates for their support.
“We must now get to work to sell the LP agenda to the people of Anambra. Our goal is to reach every nook and cranny of the state with our message,” he said.
“Anambra is a blessed state with abundant human and natural resources.
”All that is required is visionary leadership to harness these potentials for the benefit of our people.
“I will restore confidence in the party as we move forward in this race.
“The LP remains a formidable force, and we are moving like a train with a clear destination: a better Anambra,” he said.
Bennett Etanabena, the returning officer for the primary, praised the peaceful conduct of the election and urged all party members to unite and work toward success at the polls.
“Anambra is a Labour Party stronghold,” Mr Etanabena said.
APC’s candidate emerges too
Meanwhile, Nicholas Ukachukwu, on Saturday, clinched the APC’s ticket for the governorship elections.
Mr Ukachukwu, a former member of the House of Representatives, defeated his closest rival, Valentine Ozigbo, and other contenders by a landslide in the primary election held on Saturday.
Mr Ukachukwu polled 1,455 votes while Mr Ozigbo secured 67 votes.
In his victory specch, Mr Ukachukwu pledged to deliver the state to the APC.
“We shall deliver Anambra to the APC. One thing I want to say here — nobody has won the governorship of Anambra without my support; it has never happened before,” he said.
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PDP postpones primaries
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which had earlier scheduled its primaries for Saturday, 5 April has postponed it till Tuesday, 8 April.
The Anambra State chairperson of the party, Chidi Chidebe, said the National Secretariat approved the shift to complete necessary administrative processes and ensure a smooth exercise.
