From Chuks Collins, Awka
Barely 21 days after the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN) took Awka, the Anambra state capital by storm in its maiden on-going nationwide zonal rallies in South-East attracting thousands of faithful from across Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi, Abia and Imo states, to implore President Goodluck Jonathan to seek a renewal of his mandate in next year?s presidential election, the people of Anambra state under the umbrella of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) again yesterday trooped out in their numbers at the Ekwueme Park Awka where they endorsed and adopted the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, Dr Goodluck Jonathan as their party?s candidate for the 2015 election.
?The party, through its national chairman and its Anambra Central Senatorial Candidate in the coming 2015 election, Chief Victor Umeh used the occasion to extend a warm hand of fellowship to the President and his Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) for ?an accord towards a successful presidential election support in 2015?, Umeh disclosed.
The occasion which was put together by a Non-Governmental Organization, Join Jonathan Journey(JJJ) operating within the party attracted an unprecedented crowd that joined governor, Chief??Willie Obiano to pass their message to Jonathan.
In his welcome address, the director general of the social advocacy group operating in APGA, Hon Ben Oranusi said that JJJ was a vision initiated and executed by Anambra people and the entire Ndigbo who predominantly belong to the APGA.
Hon Oranusi revealed that no singular organization has the capability to pledge the support of Anambra state as they are not on ground and cannot be in control of the army of APGA followers in the twenty-one local government areas.
He urged the governor to take the JJJ message to the other south-east states and indeed the entire nation wherever the Igbos are found to drum support for the re-election of Dr Jonathan. The group also expressed their desire to champion the re-election of the state governor, come 2018, noting that his group is not a creation of the media and has solid base in Igbo-land .
The national leader of JJJ , Chief Ben Obi while speaking at the occasion said emphatically that nobody in Anambra state has the moral right to pledge the support of the state to the president except the governor who has proved to be the messiah the state has waited earnestly for.
The national chairman of APGA who is also an aspirant to the senate, Chief Victor Umeh pointed out that he authorized the formation of the non-governmental organization to carry out advocacy activities within the party.
He recalled that his party in 2011 endorsed president Jonathan and that the party worked tirelessly to ensure that maximum votes was garnered for him.
Chief Umeh noted that APGA is prepared to form an accord with the PDP to deliver Dr Jonathan but not ready to throw the party away as they will contest every other election in 2015 except the presidential election.
The APGA national chairman however warned the state chairman of the PDP to stop making un-complimentary statements about his party which has roundly defeated the PDP in all the elections conducted in the state for the past ten years.
In apparent reference to some politicians who he considered to be unleashing heat on him and APGA in the state, Umeh threatened to reopen the sordid case involving the double murder of the then chairman of the Nigeria Bar Association in Onitsha, Mr Barnabas Igwe and his pregnant wife, Blessing on Sept1, 2001.
Sen Ken Nnamani who represented Sir Emeka Offor the patron of JJJ said that the PDP is happy with any party or groups working towards the reelection of Dr Jonathan.
He said that every democratic setting allows big and smaller political parties to coexist and that what APGA was doing is commendable.
Iyom Josephine Aninih while extolling the qualities of the president said??it is incumbent on Dr Jonathan???to answer the clarion call to take a shot at the presidency for the second tenure.
She stressed the need for collaboration of all lovers of good to ensure a smooth sail for the president in 2015 irrespective of ethnic, political and religious affiliation.
Iyom used the occasion to commend the Anambra state governor for his wonderful achievements since he assumed office most especially in the area of security which has given the law abiding citizens to actualize their potentials.
The governor, Chief Wilie Obiano led the people of the state to endorse Dr Jonathan for his second tenure. He however restated the commitment of the All Progressives Grand Alliance to contest and win every other elective positions come 2015.
He said that the people of Anambra state was taking the step to encourage the continuity of Dr Jonathan’s transformation agenda which has radically impacted every sector of the economy.
Chief Obiano told the crowd that the former governor, Mr Peter Obi would have attended the occasion, but for the Igbo congress he was attending in abroad.
Prominent politicians across political divide attended the rally put together by JJJ to endorse the second term bid of Dr Jonathan.
