…pledges loyalty to Onyekwere
By Salvator Amadi
History was made on Tuesday 1st November, 2022 in Owerri, capital of Imo State, at the unveiling of the Peter Obi Presidential Campaign Council headquarters.
“If I was not convinced that Peter Obi is Nigeria’s next president, I would not have accepted to serve as Imo State Coordinator of his Presidential Campaign Council”
Those were the words of an excited Chief Martin Agbaso to the mammoth crowd that stormed the palatial building at the junction of Upe Street and MCC-Uratta Road, Owerri, as the Labour Party stalwart whose governorship victory on the platform of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA in 2007 was curiously annuled, and whose younger brother, Jude Agbaso became Deputy Governor in 2011, held the right hand of Imo LP Chairman, Dr. Sir Ambrose Onyekwere and pledged his loyalty to his leadership of the party in the state.
Agbaso, who conducted the Anambra State APGA governorship primaries in 2014 and who was instrumental to the emergence of Governor Hope Uzodimma but dumped the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC after Obi emerged candidate of Labour Party, assured emphatically, staring Onyekwere in the eyeballs, “I want to assure you of total loyalty to your leadership. Nobody will touch you”
Harping on the need for synergy between the party leadership and the PCC, Agbaso who was favoured for governorship in 2011 till a last minute sell-out to Owelle Rochas Okorocha by one of the APGA chieftains, added, “I want to inform all of us here that Peter Obi has already won the 2023 presidential election. This is so, because he is the most qualified of all the candidates none of whom can boast of his achievements as former governor of Anambra State.”
It is worthy of note that Obi left 150 million dollars in the coffers of Anambra State at the end of his tenure. Here is a man who never got a satchet of pure water or a plot of land from Anambra State as former governor”, he gleefully announced to the party members, flanked at the high table by the party executive committee and members of the PCC inaugurated in Abuja on Friday 28th October, 2022, Chairman of Obi-Datti Support Groups, Prof. Ukachukwu Awuzie and his deputy, Prof. Elvis Ogbonna, Engr. Stan Ukaga, among others.
The event started with a courtesy visit to the party office about 10:45am by Agbaso who was accompanied by Barr. Kingsley Ononuju, Barr. Ngozi Njoku, Engr. Stan Ukaga and other PCC members.
Welcoming the entourage, the party Chairman, Dr Ambrose Onyekwere, moved by Agbaso’s fraternizing camaraderie in paying due respect to the party leadership, decided to cancel his appointment with visitors from Lagos to accompany Agbaso to the PCC headquarters donated by the latter.
On arrival at the PCC headquarters, Onyekwere commended Agbaso’s gesture which is “in sync with the donation of the party office, Agwara Plaza, by United States-based legal icon, Dr Libo Agwara inspired by the spirit of the Peter Obi phenomenon hitherto unknown in the Nigerian polity”
As Agbaso led a tour of the well-furnished PCC headquarters with two conference halls, eleven offices and four service rooms with state of the art equipment, he informed the guests that high technology will be deployed to monitor election results from the office.
He concluded by urging all members of the party to do their best to ensure victory for the party at all levels, adding that “Work starts immediately from today till the next four months when we shall smile to Aso Villa, Douglas House and other elective offices. I will be here for the next four months to contribute my own quota to the success story of our great party financially and other wise”
On his part, Prof. Ukachukwu Awuzie, Chairman of Obi-Datti Support Groups, thanked Agbaso for donating the property to a worthy cause and urged members to be unrelenting in the pursuit of the national goal of berthing a new Nigeria presided over by Peter Obi.
Other personalities present at the event were, State Deputy Chairman, Mazi Excel Ochiama, Secretary, Sir Fab Okochi, Organising Secretary, Chief Joseph Mbama, Treasurer, Dr. Chris Uzowuru, Women Leader, Mrs Amaka Chiegene, Youth Leader, Comr. Chris Okorondu, Financial Secretary, Ms. Glory Ohiri, Deputy Publicity Secretary, Comr. Alvan Opara, Chairman of Media Publicity Committee, Dr. Joseph Ibewuike, Dr. Chris Akubuiro, Hon. Comr. Salvator Amadi, Comr. Val Igwebuike, Orlu Zonal Chairman, Comr. Charles Uzomba, Owerri Zonal Chairman, Chief Okechukwu Adiele, Okigwe Zonal Chairman, Chief Tony Asomugha, Orlu Zonal Women Leader, Mrs Christy Mbanaso, Owerri Zonal Women Leader, Lady Nkechi Manus, Okigwe Zonal Women Leader, Mrs. Favour Nwelue, Orlu Ex-officio, Dr. Ugochukwu Amadi, Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC representative, Comr. Ken Onwuemeodo, Chief Alan B. Onyemaechi, Coordinator of Obi-Datti Support Groups, Rev. Virgilius Anukanti, Chief C. Egbunihe, Chief Mrs. Josephine Udorji, LGA Chairmen of the party, 85 Peter Obi Support Groups, among others.
