Business activities in Alaba International Market, ASPAMDA, Balogun Market (Trade Fair Complex) as well as Ladipo Market, all in Lagos State ground to a halt as traders trooped out en-masse to receive the APGA candidate for the November 16, 2013 gubernatorial election in Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano and his campaign team.
The traders, wearing APGA branded clothes, T-Shirts, Fez-caps and wrappers exploded into rapturous songs of solidarity whenever the team led by the National Chairman of APGA, Chief Victor Umeh, arrived at each market, in open demonstration of support to the party and its candidate in the coming election.
The APGA campaign train which had the governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi in the entourage made colourful speeches on each stop and drew applause from the traders who all chanted their enthusiastic support for Chief Obiano and his running mate, Dr. Nkem Okeke.
Introducing the Campaign Team to the traders, Chief Okey Ezeibe, Chairman, Board of Trustees, Balogun Business Association BBA (Trade Fair Complex) explained that it was in the tradition of the party to consult widely and seek the support of Igbos wherever they live, on issues concerning leadership in the South Eastern states.
According to him, the party considers every Igbo man or woman an integral member since the party’s aspiration is to take its model of governance which has transformed Anambra State to other states in the South East and beyond.
In his opening remarks, the National Chairman of APGA, Chief Victor Umeh told the traders that it was time to appropriately position Ndigbo as masters of their own destiny, wondering how politicians from outside the South East could impose a leader on the people of Anambra State.
“Have you ever heard that an Igbo man went to Kano or Ibadan to raise someone’s hand up to Kano or Ibadan people and ask them to vote for such person?” he asked and the crowd roared in the negative.
Chief Umeh urged the traders to support the candidature of Chief Willie Obiano and Dr. Nkem Okeke as they were the best team to carry on the tradition of responsible and responsive leadership that the party has entrenched in Anambra State.
In a brief speech, peppered with songs and catchy anecdotes, the APGA candidate, Chief Obiano offered a rare insight into his Blueprint and what would be the quick-wins of his administration. According to him, the state would offer free education from Primary to Secondary schools as well as vocational schools where young people would be made to acquire life-changing skills.
“There will be free medical care for pregnant women as well as the aged from 70 and above. We shall upgrade our hospitals to check the movement of our people to India for medical checkups,” he declared.
Chief Obiano’s speech drew warm responses from the traders who were quite surprised that contrary to the impression they had been given the APGA candidate could speak fluent Igbo and had in fact addressed them in Igbo Language.
“We have seen what Obi’s administration has done in Anambra State. No other governor has done that before. We see a similar potential in Obiano whom the party has chosen to succeed Obi. That is why we came out en-masse to receive them today. We shall all return to Anambra to vote for Obiano and his deputy on the Election Day,” declared Chief Felix Orakwue, Chairman, Balogun Business Association (BBA)’s Founding Fathers Forum.
For Chief Okey Okoye, Chairman of Ogbu Community in BBA, the race is already over for other opposition parties with the grand entrance of the APGA team. “We satisfied with the great work that Governor Peter Obi has done in Anambra State and we are concerned about how that can be sustained now that his tenure is coming to an end. We were anxious to know who will succeed him. Now that we have seen Chief Obiano, we have no doubt that he will perform as well as Obi if not better. That is why we are calling on our people to vote for him. Other parties should forget Anambra State for now. We are happy with APGA, he explained.”
BBA Women Affairs leader, Mrs Lilian Anachusi also declared the unalloyed support of the business women for Chief Obiano. According to her, “we mobilized our members to show support to Obiano because we found out that Obi’s government gave women a great chance to prove their mettle in Anambra State. We are looking forward to an increased involvement of women in governance in Anambra State and we believe that Obiano will give us even a better deal. That is why we are out here to support him and tell our fellow women to vote for him,” Mrs. Anachusi explained.
The youths were also not left out in the race to offer support to the leading candidate as Ifeanyi Nwadiogbu, President, Great Youths of BBA revealed that his association had been waiting anxiously for the Election Day to cast their votes for Chief Obiano.
Said he: “We have seen that Chief Obiano is a lover of the youths. He has a good plan for the youths in Anambra State. We have read his Blueprint and we can see that he means well for us. That is why we are out here in our numbers to support him and we shall travel home to vote for him on the Election Day.”
Leaders of other associations like the Omambala Forum led by Obi Nnacheta as well as the Chairman of Wiper Motors Ltd, Hon. Uchenna Okafor all expressed support for the APGA candidate.