Anambra 2021: SDP opens campaign office in Awka, asks aspirants to obtain nomination forms

The Social Democratic Party (SDP), on Thursday, opened its campaign office for political activities ahead of the November 6, 2021 governorship election in Anambra State.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that the campaign office is located at No 200 Zik Avenue, Awka.

Addressing party members who participated at the opening ceremony, the National Vice Chairman of the party (South East), Chief Arinze Ekelem, urged his members not to allow the state ruling-All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), the All Progressive Congress (APC) and the People Democratic Party (PDP) deceive them with their questionable money to vote them in, saying SDP remains the only godly political party that will liberate Ndi-Anambra and Nigeria as a whole from the trending economic hardship.

“I can assure you that with our level of consultation with relevant stakeholders across the 326 political wards in Anambra State and the response we gathered from both APGA, APC and PDP stakeholders is that SDP will constitute the next government in the state come March 22, 2022, when Governor Willie Obiano’s eight-year administration is expected to expire.

“Our campaign office is open for political activities and there is vacancy now for any qualified person aspiring to be the next governor of Anambra State.

“And we are assuring any person who wishes to contest the election under the SDP platform that he/she will win because we have put all the necessary machinery in place to win the guber polls.”

Ekelem blamed the security challenges the country is currently facing on the bad administration of APC and PDP, warning Nigerians to vote out the two parties in the 2023 general elections for peace and unity to reign again in Nigeria.

The State Chairman of the party, Dr. Webster Okonkwo, who spoke on the rumoured merger with one of the major political party in the state, said SDP would not merge or enter into any alliance with any political party ahead of the November 6, governorship election in the state.

He said the party was committed and faithful to the objectives of its founding fathers.

According to him, SDP had never participated in any merger talks with political parties and was, therefore, not involved in any “Third Force Arrangement with any party in Anambra State,” adding that “SDP is still very much around in Anambra and the entire South-East states, and we have not collapsed our structures with political party or parties.

“We are among the 18 political parties, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) listed for the Anambra governorship election.

“So, I don’t know where the rumour is coming from. I wish to reiterate that the issue of merger with other political parties is not on the agenda of SDP.

“SDP leadership in the state was not part of any merger talk to adopt any party outside SDP,” Okonkwo said.

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