All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the November 16 Anambra gubernatorial election, Senator Chris Ngige, was conspicuously absent as the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) flag bearer, Chief Willie Obiano, and his campaign stole the show at this year’s Idemili Day held over the weekend at Nkpor.

The celebration organised by the Nzuko Imeobi Idemili under the theme, “Ogu ide, maka odimma Idemili” was originally conceived to raise funds for the building of a Secretariat and a Skill Acquisition Centre, estimated at N150m but it soon turned into a political theatre as the gladiators in the November 16 gubernatorial election in Anambra State arrived the venue with their various campaign teams.

APGA candidate, Chief Obiano’s team led by the National Chairman of the party, Chief Victor Umeh, stormed the Nkpor venue with pomp and pageantry and drowned out the noise coming from the opposition candidate, Mr. Ifeanyi Ubah, whose team had hitherto maintained a sparse presence on the ground.

Meanwhile, the APC candidate, Chris Ngige who is from Alor in Idemili, was nowhere in sight.

“It is Judgement Day for Chris Ngige,” declared Tony Onwuchekwa, an Onitsha based human rights lawyer, adding: “Senator Ngige has taken enough for the owner to notice. We were just recovering from his betrayal over the deportation saga when the man led his APC gang to desecrate the tradition of Onitsha people on the Ofala day. That was a handshake across the elbow. We hope that this should teach him a lesson that no man who holds his people in absolute contempt can turn around and rule them in absolute comfort.”

On her part, Theresa Onwughalu, a Principal of Girls High School in Idemili, said: “We are really tired of that man and his many troubles. His name is never mentioned except there is trouble. Why did he hold a rally on the Ofala Day? Ngige is already paying for his sins. The Obi of Onitsha’s curse on him is already taking effect. That is why he was shut out from this celebration today.”

The 2013 Idemili Culutural Day was chaired by Senator Annie Okonkwo who was also the chief launcher. Senator Okonkwo who doled out the sum of N10m to kick-start a torrent of donations also assured the people that a Skills Acquisition Centre would most certainly play a role in equipping the youth with life changing skills and redirecting their energies away from kidnapping, armed robbery and other such vices plaguing the society today.

Also speaking at the event, Engineer Emeka Nwabueze, an Ogidi indigene who was a former adviser to US President George Bush on Information Technology implored the youths to redirect themselves to a life of meaning and sacrifice and shorn the get-rich-or-die-trying tendencies in the country today.

Using himself as an example of what a positive lifestyle can bring, Engineer Nwabueze observed that like the local youths, he attended Ogidi High School and had the same humble beginning as most rural youths but overcame his limitations to become an adviser to the US President on technology.

“If I can do it, then you all can also do it,” he said, pointing to the youths.

The event which attracted who-is-who in Idemili also had prominent traditional rulers of the zone rooting for Chief Obiano, the APGA candidate. The traditional rulers including High Chief Obiaora Okonkwo who is also the leader of Nzuko Idemili Association as well as Chief (Dr.) Emma C. Chikaodili Emelumadu who was also Chairman of the occasion all gave Chief Obiano and his team a warm reception.

One of the highlights of the event was the conferment of a Chieftaincy title on Tony Onyima, the Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief of The Sun Publishing Limited.

•Photo shows Chief Obiano.