BY ONYEANANAM EDMUND/CHIDINMA
The outrage over sensational campaigns have taken another dimension, and this time around a reputable leader of Owerri extraction, Chief Hon. Dr. Christian Oweaya Anukam (KSM), Agbawodike Izu Owerre has called on politicians from Owerri Zone to stop campaigning on the basis of zoning.
He also advised such aspirants to reach out to other zones of the state and get their support to emerge as candidates of political parties they want to fly their flag.
Chief Anukam, who has been receiving different delegations of the various political parties seeking his support in his house, stated that campaigning on the basis of zoning had been the force preventing Owerri zone from producing the governor of the state.
According to him, any politician from Owerri Senatorial Zone seeking to become the governor of the state must prove himself worthy of occupying the exalted office of the governor of Imo State and capable of treating every part of the state fairly.
This, he said, is because power is taken and not given, adding that anybody who emerges the governor of the state must be supported to work for the good of the state.
He urged all political parties to stop imposition of candidates and give level playing ground for all aspirants, saying that this is the only way the spate of defections from different political parties would stop.
“What encourages defection from political parties to others is this issue of imposition of candidates and not giving level playing grounds to others to participate. It is only free and fair primaries that will produce popular candidates capable of winning elections and stop defection of politicians because any politician who is genuinely defeated at the primaries will have no option but to support his party to win the general election.
He also advised individuals who claim to be leaders as well as zones to stop adopting candidates in the name of endorsement.
“So, situations where political parties claim superiority over decisions of their members and impose candidates on the people on the strength of the person’s pocket must stop so that party members can select their members as candidates based on their knowledge of the persons vying for positions”, he advised.
He added that instead of saying party is supreme, it should be said that the people are supreme and their decisions should count.
“But if the political parties insist that they are supreme by imposing candidates, at the election day, the people will prove they are more supreme than political parties by voting against such candidates”, he said.
Chief Anukam thanked the political parties for identifying and recognising his position as a trustworthy leader in Owerri Zone, but insisted that he belongs to every political party in the state.
“My reason for belonging to all the political parties is to protect the weak but most credible aspirants who party leaders usually cheat on the basis that decisions of political parties are more supreme than the opinion of the members who have chosen such credible persons” he said.
Chief Anukam expressed happiness over the increasing number of political parties, urging individuals who feel popular among the people to join these parties to test their popularity.
He however recalled that in2017 when Chief Ikedi Ohakim emerged as the governor of the State he was relatively known without office as the candidate of PPA.
It should act as a lesson to all politicians to understand that the party is just a vehicle but the power still belongs to the people.
Speaking on the collective interest of the people, Chief Oweaya said the government house cannot be left unoccupied, adding unequivocally that there must be credible primary elections which in most cases involves the use of option A4. He however stressed the fact that Okigwe zone need Owerri zone to win, on the other hand, Owerri zone need Okigwe zone to win, likewise Orlu zone.
