UMUAHIA – The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and political parties in Abia have been charged to step up voter education and mobilisation in the area ahead of the 2015 polls.
Chief Uchenna Okogbue, a Chieftain of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the South East of Abia, gave the charge in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Umuahia on Wednesday.
Okogbue expressed worries that ‘’nothing is happening in Abia’’ contrary to the increasing wave of political activities in the neighbouring states of Imo, Enugu and Ebonyi. [eap_ad_2] “Abia needs to open up politically; I have travelled round and you can easily feel the political activities with billboards and posters adorning strategic locations in the state, but this is not so in Abia’’.
He said that as a multi-party state, Abia should be a beehive of political activities with voter education, sensitisation and mobilisation by political parties ahead of the 2015 polls.
“Regrettably, nothing is happening here, public awareness is very low and I am not impressed.
“It is not that people should start campaigning now, but the electorate should be adequately sensitised and educated by INEC and the political parties,’’ Okogbue said.
He also spoke on former Gov. Peter Obi’s defection from APGA to PDP, saying that the action would not change APGA’s political fortune in Anambra.
He said that APGA would continue to win elections in Anambra because of the people’s belief in the founder of the party, late Chief Odimegwu Ojukwu and the ideals of the party.
“The people believe in him even in death because what he saw in the 1960s is what most Nigerians are seeing today,’’ Okogbue said.
He described APGA as “a platform with which Ndigbo should negotiate the entity called Nigeria’’.
“It is laughable for anyone to think that Obi’s exit from the party would lead to the collapse of APGA in Anambra.
“APGA is not just a political party, but a movement of Ndigbo.
“So, if it is a movement of the people, how will it collapse because of the exit of one person,’’ he asked.
Okogbue said that the defection was rather a blessing to the party, pointing out that it would help to reposition APGA for better politicians.
He further spoke on the party’s adoption of President Goodluck Jonathan as its presidential candidate for the 2015 general elections.
He said that the adoption was based on Jonathan’s landmark achievements and transformation agenda which, according to him, had put Nigeria on the path to greatness. (NAN) [eap_ad_3]
