The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday expressed confidence that its candidate in the November 11 Imo State gubernatorial election, Sam Anyanwu, will be elected the next governor of the state judging by the amount of goodwill he enjoys among the electorate.
The national publicity secretary, Debo Ologunagba, who stated this in a chat with reporters at the party national secretariat in Abuja, said the incumbent, Governor Hope Uzodinma does not stand any chance against the party if the election is free, fair and transparent.
According to him, Uzodinma, who was declared governor of the state by the Supreme Court for his present tenure, “cannot win a single Polling Unit in a free, fair, transparent and credible governorship election in Imo State.”
The PDP asserted that all electoral indicators in the state show that the governor and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) “have been rejected by the people and have no fighting chance before the more popular PDP candidate, Senator Samuel Anyanwu.”
Ologunagba also observed that Uzodimma has never won election in Imo State and had never enjoyed the support of the people.
The PDP spokesman added: “The APC knows that it does not have the mandate of the people. Governor Uzodimma has no visible organic support base in any part of Imo State. He has never won in any election in the State because he is detached from the people, including in his home, Orlu zone.
“The indicators are clear and the November 11, 2023 election will not be different. Governor Uzodimma will not win in any Polling Unit in a free, fair and transparent election because Imo people have found a credible, sincere, humane and approachable leader in Senator Anyanwu.
“That is why the APC has been resorting to violence and intimidation of innocent citizens, destruction of property and devising various means to frustrate opposition parties in the electoral process and to compromise institutions of democracy, having realized that it cannot win in a peaceful, free and fair contest.
“But I can assure you that the people of Imo State are bigger than the APC and they are resolved to resist the APC particularly in the coming election.”
While noting Anyanwu enjoys the highest spread of support across Imo State, the PDP counseled Uzodimma and the APC to perish the thought of rigging the governorship election as the people will never allow their mandate “which they have decided to give to Senator Anyanwu to be stolen by anybody.”
Ologunagba restated PDP’s demand for the immediate removal of the Imo State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Prof. Sylvia Agu, as a guarantee for an impartial, free, fair and credible governorship election in the state.
The party cautioned that the continuing stay of Prof. Agu as Imo REC despite outcry by the people of Imo State, political parties and Civil Society Organizations is a recipe for crisis.
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