By Raymond Ozoji, Awka
The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has addressed aspirants contesting various elective positions on the platform of the party ahead of the party primary elections slated for Friday 29th May, this year.
The hallmark of the meeting which was held at Hilton Leisure Hotel Awka on Thursday, emphasized the need for all the aspirants to eschew violence and all forms of electoral malpractices but go to the field in the spirit of sportsmanship and test their popularity amongst the people.
Addressing the aspirants, former Speaker of the Anambra State House of Assembly and current state chairman of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in Anambra, Rt. Hon. Ikem Uzoezie, said that NDC is the most viable brand at the moment in Nigeria and that the essence of the meeting was to give them the party guidelines for the primary election.
Uzoezie who appealed to the aspirants to shun quarrels, fights and all violent acts at the field, maintained that the primary election is a contestation of ideas and test of popularity not the contrary, stressing that the best candidates should emerge after the contest for next year's general elections even as he assured the aspirants of a level playing field.
Meanwhile secretary of the electoral panel Mr. Chukwudi Igwe, who represented chairman of the electoral panel, stated that they were in the state to communicate the party guidelines to them as well as the expectations of the party from the primaries.
Igwe informed that the party expects that the primary election would be peaceful and that Anambra State would set an example for the entire nation.
Igwe maintained that Anambra State has no reason whatsoever to disappoint the citizenry with the conduct of the primaries because the party's sole presidential candidate is from Anambra, adding that the entire party handed the nomination to him to go and takeover the seat of power in Abuja.
He said it would be very disappointing should the aspirants and their various supporters do not exhibit what the party's presidential candidate stands for, adding that all eyes are on Anambra to see how the party's primary elections would be conducted.
He however admonished the aspirants to conduct themselves in an orderly manner, stressing that it is not a do or die affair but a call to service.
Igwe told the aspirants that those that may not emerge are expected to support those that will emerge as the party's candidates for the bigger contest ahead. He added that the party expects that consensus candidacy would be pursued but where such isn't possible then they would adopt Option A4 for the elections tomorrow; assuring that the process would be very transparent and that the elections would be held designated venues in all the local government areas of the state.
Odinaka Okoroafor, INEC representative from the commission's headquarters Abuja, State Secretary of the party Barr. Arinze Udeze, Senator Victor Umeh, Senator Tony Nwoye, sitting House of Representatives members, sitting House of Assembly members, other aspirants and political bigwigs attended the meeting.
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