Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abia State, Chief Johnson Onuigbo, has described the forthcoming local government elections in the state as “Operation No Mercy.”

Onuigbo, therefore, charged all the party’s candidates to go all out and mount vigorous campaigns, adding that none of the candidates should come back to the party with any tales of woes as to why he or she lost at the polls.

Flagging off the PDP zonal campaign rally for Abia Central Senatorial district at Okpuala, Isiala Ngwa North local government headquarters, Onuigbo said: “We don’t want to hear any excuse. We don’t want any person to complain that he never expected a tough fight from his opponents (from other political parties) and became complacent and lost. We will not tolerate any one coming to us to complain that he was rigged out.

“This election is tagged ‘Operation No Mercy’. Go all out, campaign and explain to your people on why you want them to vote you in; convince your people to vote for you.

“Go from house-to-house, especially your opponents (PDP members who lost at the primaries) and make up with them and appeal to them to forget the past and support you. Don’t be arrogant; don’t tell them to go to hell because the ticket is already in you kitty. Don’t say I can do without him because you don’t win a war but what you win is peace.

“Go to your opponents, go and court them, bring them to your side to work with you.

Deputies should align strongly with their chairmen and give them all the necessary support and ensure that they win this election.

“If you come to complain that you were unaware that your opponent (from another political party) was strong and that was why you lost, we will not listen to you. This is pass and pass in or fail and fail out.”

He drummed it into the ears of the candidates that to achieve victory was not a tea party.

“Those that have been handed the party’s tickets have a great task to accomplish. We are going into elections, it is not an easy task. Today, we present you with the party flags which means that you will work for the people and provide them with democracy dividends.”

The Abia PDP boss made a passionate appeal to those who lost at the party’s primaries, urging them to remain with the party and work for its victory at the polls.

“Many contested to be candidates but failed. I am hereby appealing to them not to desert our party but to be patient because there is still tomorrow. If you lose today, you may win tomorrow. It is only one person that can go at a time. It is worth it that you made an attempt because if you did not, nobody would know that you are interested.

“That you made an attempt to contest for the party’s ticket is an indication that you love this party and you are concerned about its progress. If you did not get what you wanted, please, don’t destroy or desert this party. No one sacks his wife because she failed to prepare a soup very well. Don’t leave PDP for any reason. Remain in PDP. Those who emerged victorious today may have contested for these positions several times.

Today, they have clinched it because it is their time.

“Everyone has his or her time. Please remain in PDP and assist our candidates to win at the polls because if you are not a good follower, you can’t be a good leader. You should support our candidates to be victorious in this election so that at your own time, others will throw their support behind you. As you do to others, so shall it be done unto you,” Onuigbo said.

Addressing the rally, Speaker of Abia State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Martins Azubuike, expressed happiness over the large turnout of party faithful.

He pointed out that the essence of conducting the council election in Abia at this time was to take the philosophy of the five pillars of development of the Governor Okezie Ikpeazu administration to the grassroots.

“We are very happy that many party members turned up for the campaign rally for Abia Central zone in preparation for local government election slated for Wednesday, December 21, 2016,” Azubuike said.

“This is a good step taken by our governor because the five pillars of development the governor has identified to drive fortunes of Abia State forward, if not taken to the grassroots through the local government, will not work.

“That was why the governor insisted that there must be council election deepen democracy and governance and dividends of democracy at the grassroots level,” he added.

According to him, the candidates who were handed the party’s flags in Abia Central were all qualified and able to lead the party to victory at the polls.

“We know that they have been on their campaigns until the day campaigns will stop. On behalf of the candidates, I want to assure that if there are areas the philosophy of fail and fail out will apply, it will not be Abia Central. PDP will sweep the whole of Abia Central, going forward into 2019 because majority of the candidates in Abia Central have been tested, tried and found dependable and they will continue to achieve for our great party in the district. I urge all PDP members here to go and get their voters card (PVC) and keep it handy for exercising their franchise on Wednesday,” the Speaker concluded.

Speaking on behalf of the candidates who were presented with party flags, Ginger Onwusibe assured the party that they would work hard to achieve victory.

“We appreciate the PDP for finding us worthy to fly the party’s flags in the forthcoming council election in the state. I commend the state governor for deeming it necessary to conduct local government elections now. We have campaigned vigorously. Abia Central is the home of PDP and I assure you that we will deliver all our candidates,” Onwusibe said.

He requested the party to direct the Transition Committee chairmen in the zone to be part of the electioneering process.

“For now, most of them are not part of this process,” he said, adding: “When we win, we are going to be loyal to the party and we are going to do everything possible to advance the party to another level.”

Highlight of the rally was the presentation of PDP flags to the six chairmanship candidates in Abia Central. They are Obioma Ogbulafor (Umuahia South), Ginger Onwusibe, Isiala Ngwa North and Chidiebere Nwachukwu (Umuahia North.)

The rest are Iheanyi Obi Osinachi Mgbeahuru (Osisioma), Elizabeth Ngozi Orji (Ikwuano) and Ifeanyi Isikaku (Isiala Ngwa South).

•Photo shows Onuigbo (left) and Deputy Governor, Sir Ude Oko Chukwu, exchanging pleasantries during the Abia PDP flag off of campaigns for the forthcoming council elections on December 8, 2016.

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