By CHARLES IWUOHA

The campaign council of the Enugu North Senatorial District of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, met at its new office in Nsukka.

This is for the commencement of massive grassroots electioneering to ensure landslide victories for Enugu State Governor and PDP senatorial candidate for the district, Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, the PDP governorship candidate in the state, Dr. Peter Mbah, his running mate, Barr. Ifeanyi Ossai, and other PDP candidates in the area.

The structure known as “PDP Enugu North Senatorial Campaign Council” is led by Prof. Simon Uchenna Ortuanya and Dr. Vincent Egechukwu Obetta as Chairman of the Board and Director General (DG) of the campaign council, respectively.

The members are determined and convinced that Governor Ugwuanyi’s senatorial bid will bring immense benefits to the district in addition to the remarkable achievements the governor has brought to the area in the last seven years and seven months.

They said that the good works of Governor Ugwuanyi in Enugu State, particularly in Enugu North Senatorial District speak volumes and are selling points of his candidature in the forthcoming senatorial election, adding that the time has come for them to propagate the governor’s achievements in the district to the electorate ahead of the elections.

Speaking at an event marking the commencement of activities at the campaign office which coincided with the expanded Zonal Executive Meeting of the PDP, the PDP Zonal Chairman, Rt. Hon. (Nze) Michael Onyeze, disclosed that the party, after assessing the six-year achievements of Governor Ugwuanyi’s administration in Enugu North Senatorial District in 2021, gave the governor a pat on the back and asked him to contest for senate in 2023 to enable him consolidate on the laudable achievements.

Rt. Hon. Onyeze stressed that the PDP zonal structure is convinced that Governor Ugwuanyi’s legislative and executive experience, having served as a member of the House of Representatives and presently serving as a governor, will be an added advantage to the fortunes of the people of Enugu North Senatorial District if he represents the district in the National Assembly in 2023.

The PDP Zonal Chairman highlighted some of the achievements of Governor Ugwuanyi in the district, stating the governor’s administration constructed network of roads including the state-of-the-art Opi-Nsukka dual carriageway with underground drainage system and fitted it with street and traffic lights, the 31km Udenu Ring Road with two high-tech bridges, over 22km asphalted RAMP-2 road project along Neke-Mbu-Ogbodu Aba-Obollo Etiti linking Isi-Uzo and Udenu LGAs as well as the 26.66km Ukpabi-Nimbo-Ugbene Ajima-Eziani road in Uzo-Uwani LGA.

Rt. Hon. Onyeze also listed that Governor Ugwuanyi’s administration constructed a 5,000-seat stadium in Nsukka; constructed and furnished a modern court building in Nsukka zone in place of hitherto court buildings built with mud blocks; attracted the Federal Polytechnic, Ohodo, in Igbo-Etiti LGA; established the State University of Medical and Applied Sciences (SUMAS) Igbo-Eno, Enugu State, among numerous others.

He stated that the party leadership will synergise with the campaign council to spread the landmark achievements of Governor Ugwuanyi to the people of the district and ensure that the electorate vote overwhelmingly for the governor, Dr. Mbah and other candidates of the PDP in the state.

In his speech, the Chairman of the Board of the campaign council, Prof. Simon Uchenna Ortuanya, spoke in the same vein, stressing that Governor Ugwuanyi’s administration has benefited the people of Enugu North Senatorial District immensely in terms of empowerments and execution of development projects in the district contrary to erroneous impression and misconception being peddled by a few individuals from the district in a failed attempt to achieve a selfish political end.

On his part, the Director General (DG) of the campaign council, Dr. Obetta, announced that the campaign train will immediately move from ward to ward across the six local government areas in Enugu North Senatorial District, charging all elective and appointive political office holders in the district, PDP faithful, and members of various support groups of the party’s candidates to rise to the occasion and work assiduously to ensure victory for Gov. Ugwuanyi and other PDP candidates in the state.

The DG explained that the campaign will be grassroots-oriented, revealing that campaign office, located along Opi-Nsukka dual carriageway by Enugu Road, Nsukka, is opened for political activities that would guarantee electoral victories for all PDP candidates in Enugu State.

He maintained that Governor Ugwuanyi’s good works, peaceful disposition, popularity and uncommon leadership qualities will guarantee victory for him and other PDP candidates in the state.

Dr. Obetta unveiled the six local government coordinators of the campaign council and enjoined them to work closely with the PDP structures at the zonal, local government and ward levels as well as support groups of the PDP candidates in the state to ensure overwhelming victory for the party at the polls.

In their separate goodwill messages, the lawmaker representing Igbo-Eze North/Udenu Federal Constituency, Hon. Engr. Simon Atigwe, the PDP candidate for Igbo-Eze North II Constituency, Clifford Obeh, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transport, Hon. Ogbons Idike, PDP State Woman Leader, Mrs. Vera Ezeugwu, reiterated Governor Ugwuanyi’s giant development strides in Enugu North Senatorial District, stating that the governor performed creditably well and will be delivered at the poll to represent the senatorial district in the National Assembly.

They went further to urge the electorate to vote for the governor and other PDP candidates in the state, enjoining all members of the council, PDP members and teeming supporters to work harder to ensure landslide victory for the party at the polls.

Dignitaries at the event include the PDP candidate for Nsukka/Igbo-Eze South Federal Constituency, Chief Engr. Vita Abba, Deputy Chief of Staff, Government House, Enugu, Prof. Malachy Okwueze, other Members of the Enugu State Executive Council (EXCO) from the district, Special Advisers to the Governor, Heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), Permanent Secretaries, Council Chairmen, 2022 PDP Senatorial Aspirant, Prof. Godsmark Eddy Ugwu, PDP candidates for State House of Assembly, Senior Special Assistants (SSAs) and Special Assistants (SAs) to the Governor, among others.

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