Policy Briefs

News Track: I’ll serve just one term, PDP’s Obaze vow ahead of Anambra guber

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Oseloka Obaze, has declared that he would be spending only one term, and go, if he was given the mandate by the Anambra electorate, come November 18, 2107.
He also described as uncharitable the insinuations that former governor of the state, Mr. Peter Obi, was foisting him on the state, adding that Obi, as leader of the party in the state, was only being a good football coach, desirous of fielding his best player, who would secure a win for the PDP, in the state.

He made these known in Lagos yesterday in an interactive session with some Journalists.

Obaze, who said his desire to serve just a term and leave, so as to uphold the zoning principle in the state, further said: “I consulted with former Vice President, Mr. Alex Ekwueme, what is wrong with that? To say that a man who has achieved the highest level by an Igbo man in this state is my godfather; who will put something negative to that?

“I have worked with Peter Obi; Peter Obi got into secondary school the year I was leaving, he is my junior. If he walks into this room he calls me senior, he has never addressed me by my first name. Throughout the time I worked for him as SSG, he has always addressed me as senior.

“Peter Obi is the leader of the party that has been out of power in the last 12 years in Anambra State, so why shouldn’t he fight to bring his party back to power? Look at this way, we watch European league, you have the best players in your team and you play 90 minutes and it is a draw. You go to the bench, you bring a substitute, he scores a goal and your team wins and everybody claps for the coach as the best tactical thing; consider Peter Obi the coach of PDP in Anambra State today, he wants his party back in power. He must put the best striker forward and I am that striker.

“I have said it, it is in my manifesto, I will serve only four years to complete the four years that was given to the North. Next year, I will be 63, I should be grooming young people to take over, I shouldn’t be running office, but you must hand over a solid foundation. If the foundation we handed over to Obiano and the resources we put in place and I don’t recall that there is any governor that has left office and left in the accounts, N75 billion as we did. If that were still in place, I probably wouldn’t have been here. It is because we laid the foundation for the young people to come in and take over and continue in that trajectory.”

In a related development, Obaze, has said he was on a mission to restore the glorious days of the state, vowing that he would not leave any part of the state unattended to if he is elected.

He said this on Sunday at Anambra East Local Government Area (LGA) in continuation of his ‘appreciation tour’ of the 21 LGs since he won the party’s primary election.

Obaze who went along with his running mate, Mrs. Alexandria Onyemelukwe, expressed gratitude to the ward and council leadership of the party for supporting his candidacy and urged them to work hard to ensure victory for PDP at the polls.

He said that in line with his manifesto, he would govern with accountability, integrity and add value while administrating the state.

Obaze said his running mate, Onyemelukwe, a daughter of former Vice President, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, was a woman of immense intellect, experience and ability and that both of them were the best team to rescue Anambra and return her to the path of purpose driven leadership.

In her remarks, Onyemelukwe said what the state needs are God-fearing leaders who understand governance and are sensitive to the plight of the masses.

She assured women of a greater participation in governance and urged them to support the PDP team so that a woman can be where issues that concern them are decided.

http://leaders.ng/ill-serve-just-one-term-pdps-obaze-vow-ahead-anambra-guber/

Oseloka Obaze, MD & CEO

Oseloka Obaze, MD & CEO

Mr. Obaze is the former Secretary to the State Government of Anambra State, Nigeria from 2012 to 2015 - MD & CEO, Oseloka H. Obaze. Mr. Obaze also served as a former United Nations official, from 1991-2012, and as a former member of the Nigerian Diplomatic Service, from 1982-1991.

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