APC governorship aspirant in Anambra defects to PPA

The aspirant claimed the APC primaries were not free and fair.
A former governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Alliance (APC) in Anambra State, Godwin Ezeemo, has defected to the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA), claiming that the former was not democratic enough.
He told journalists in Awka on Saturday that he decamped to PPA because APC, under which he had nursed an ambition to contest for the state’s governorship position, lacked internal democracy.
Mr. Ezeemo, who spoke through Okey Nwoke, the Publicity Secretary of his campaign organisation, said that he defected from APC “because of the high level of electoral malpractice at its primaries, which produced Senator Chris Ngige as the governorship candidate.’’
He alleged that APC failed to conduct the gubernatorial primaries on the principles of equity and fairness.
“The National leadership of APC had already made up their mind on who would have the ticket; the primary election was, therefore, a mere formality. APC lacked the internal structure to conduct the primaries; so, they just selected their candidate.
“Equal opportunities were not given to all the aspirants; plans for the programme were vague to other aspirants, while all required information was given only to Sen. Ngige. I considered this as unfair and I decided to leave for another party,’’ he said.
Mr. Ezeemo stressed that it was illogical for APC, which had been advocating fairness and the due process, to turn around and become guilty of what it had been preaching against.
He described PPA as a peace-loving party, adding that he had decided to use its platform to accomplish his goals and vision for the development of Anambra. He said that he had a five-point agenda for the state’s development if elected as governor in the November16 election.
The aspirant said that his priority areas of interest included infrastructural development, security, education, health, rural transformation and agriculture.
Efforts to get reactions from the state APC headquarters over the alleged electoral malpractice during its governorship primaries proved abortive.
However, the state PPA Chairman, Anayo Obidigbo, said that the party would launch its governorship campaign on October 21.
(NAN)*