Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday presented Certificates of Return to thirty (30) candidates who won the party primaries under the platform of PDP into the National Assembly and State House of Assembly including six National Assembly NASS members and six others from the State House of Assembly.
Speaking after receiving the Return Certificates, Chris Uba who expressed gratitude to God and the people of Anambra, reiterated commitment towards ensuring victory for the PDP at all levels during the 2023 general elections.
He said: “It has been a long journey but God has helped us to get to this place and we are promising Anambra people that we are ready for the election and we are going to succeed. We have the capacity and everything to run and win this election.
“PDP has no problem. We are one united family. The Labour you are talking about is our brother. Obi is our brother. He is even going to support us because he knows our capacity and we are ready to succeed.”
While responding on the existing relationship between Governor Charles Soludo who was voted into power on the platform of All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Uba said: “Our Governor is very close to us. He is the Governor of our State. He is our father. We respect him. We are all his children. He has to support us and we are going to succeed. We are cooperating with the Governor. We do not have a problem. We are one family.
For the presidential election we do not have any problem. You are talking about Obi. Obi is our brother. If God says Obi is going to be President, he is going to be President. Anybody God says is going to be we are going to support the person.
On her part, Senator Stella Oduah applauded the delegates for voting en-masse during the primaries, vowed that the PDP candidates are adequately equipped with “strategies and of course put it down and be able to combat the other political parties. What we want to assure them is definitely the victory is ours. By God’s grace we are going to win this and in winning this, all PDP will enjoy.
According to her: “About six of us are sitting members in the National Assembly and about six as well for state assembly. The rest are new people but with wonderful antecedents. For those who are already sitting, if you take Hon Lynda Ikpeazu who is representing Onitsha North and South, you have to visit to see the remarkable work that is going and would continue going on,” she noted.
While responding to question on the emergence of the former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi as the Presidential Candidate of Labour Party, she said: “We are not jittery that the Labour Party is coming into Anambra. It is not the first time new parties are coming into Anambra.
“But like I said Anambra is a PDP state. That apart, we have people with capacity and antecedents of performance. When you have those two, what do you have to fear? You don’t have to fear anything. Politics is local. What we are contesting for is to represent our people to ensure that we continue doing the good work we have been doing.
“They know we are performers. So they cannot leave what they know to go to what they do not know. Our campaign is going to be what we have done, what we are doing and what we are going to do. Labour cannot say that. Labour is in anticipation of what they might do. So you do not have a comparison. We are not jittery at all. We are more than capable and we are going to defeat Labour.
“On how we get along with the governor of Anambra State, we get on very well. First of all we are brothers and sisters. He is our Governor no doubt about that. But you are talking about legislative elections. He will support us for the simple reason that he knows our capacity.
“In fact in Anambra North and South today, the jobs, roads, water and light you see are the ones that the legislators were able to attract and the governor knows that in collaboration with us, the state would be better off. So it is not about him, it is not about us, it is about the people we represent. So the governor will work with us and we are working together for the benefit of our people.
“What we want is to have the Igbos participate at the national level. Now the candidate that would take us to that level clearly has to be at the majority party. We are the majority party.
“We were not last time, but 2023 we are going to be the majority party and that is where the Igbos should be. We should be at the centre. So this is not about brotherhood and sisterhood, but what is best for our people and we believe we are best for our people,” Senator Oduah noted.
