By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

Ahead of the November 6, 2021 governorship election in Anambra State, women leaders from the 21 Local Government Area chapters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Anambra State have thrown their weight behind the aspiration of Lady Chidi Onyemelukwe.

They described her as well-refined and better suited to offer purposeful leadership if elected governor.

Onyemelukwe, who is the first daughter of Second Republic Vice President and one of the founding fathers of the PDP, late Dr. Alex Ekwueme, is contesting the governorship ticket under the platform of PDP.

Speaking after a meeting with the aspirant at Nnewi, the women group said the aspirant was chosen above two other female contenders based on her humility and home training.

The women said: “You know we have other women also aspiring to clinch our party’s ticket. But Lady Chidi Onyemelukwe is remarkably different. She has home training. She is polished and she carries herself with decorum, dignity and poise befitting of a woman and a public office seeker.

“Her beauty is easy to see, but much more important than that is her character. Chidi is virtuous. Hardly will you see this kind of virtue, administrative experience and beauty packed into one human being. My only appeal is for fellow delegates to prayerfully consider our options before casting that primary election ballot come June 26.”

On whether a woman can govern Anambra state, a woman who gave her name simply as Victoria said: “The time is ripe for the state to dismantle all gender-based barriers and engage the best of hands to manage its affairs.

“If you look around, you will notice that we are having an off-season election. It is so because Anambra blazed the trail on election litigation in Nigeria. Mind you that we have also had the first female governor in Nigeria. Also, two out of three serving Anambra Senators are females. Anambra, I am sure, will once again lead the charge on dismantling undue gender-based barriers so our women and indeed the whole society can blossom fully,” one of the women enthused.

In her speech, Onyemelukwe thanked the women for their kind words. She reiterated her commitment to implement political and gender-based equity in elective and appointive positions based on a 60:40 ratio.

She assured the women leaders that she possesses requisite street and administrative experience to drive her broad vision of restoring Anambra on the right path to progress. She then sought for their prayers and support even as she intensifies consultations ahead of the upcoming party primaries.

Onyemelukwe’s first walk on the political arena of Anambra State was in 2017 when she was picked as the running mate to party’s governorship candidate, Oseloka Obaze.

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