Anambra 2021: PDP Aspirant Dismisses Calls To Disqualify Him

Ahead of the November 6, 2021 governorship election in Anambra State, an aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr Godwin Maduka, has dismissed calls to disqualify him from contesting the forthcoming party’s primaries, slated for June 26, 2021.

Maduka, while speaking to some selected journalists in Awka, over the weekend, described the allegation as the handiwork of those who did not want PDP to deliver dividends of Democracy to Ndi-Anambra after 16 years in opposition. 

According to him, “I did not violate any agreement. I am a strong PDP member who believes in the vision and mission of the party at any given condition. My mission for the race is to revive the deteriorated economic position of Anambra State, using PDP to achieve it.

“The people that came to Dr Godwin Maduka Foundation, located along Enugu-Onitsha expressway Awka, was a group known as Greater Anambra. 

“The group came to pray and endorsed me to govern the state and at the end of the prayers, the management of the Foundation gave me their praying fee, which any individual or organisation can do the same.” 

He appealed to his co-contesters to desist from politics of bitterness and hate.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that a socio-political organisation, under the umbrella of Independent Leaders Forum (ILF), during a press conference, held in Awka, on Saturday, called for the disqualification of the aspirant over plans to bribe statutory delegates at the forthcoming party’s primaries, slated for June 26, 2021.

The group accused Dr Maduka of violating the already agreement signed by all the 16 aspirants contesting under PDP, that no aspirant should give more than 3,000/5,000 naira to statutory delegates during meetings or consultations with them.

The group threatened to petition the National Working Committee of the party led by Prince Uche Secondus, if the aspirant fails to stop the act of giving more than the agreed sum within 14 days from June 9, 2021.

According to the national president of the group, Obinna Okachukwu Okafor, “there was a meeting convened by Chief Olisa Metuh, the former National Publicity Secretary of the party, in his residence at Nnewi, a few days ago with major stakeholders of PDP including the aspirants, where all the 16 aspirants agreed that between 3,000/5,000 naira should be given as consultation fee to all party delegates. 

“But to our surprise, Dr Maduka, in his quest to get the PDP ticket by all means violated the agreement and start inducing the delegates with a huge amount of money in order to vote for him.

“We condemn in totality and with the strongest terms the unfortunate violation of that resolution by Dr Maduka, within 24 hours by giving the 326 wards chairmen/youth leaders/women leaders huge amount to woo them to himself.

“With reference to Chapter 1,6,2 of PDP Constitution (As Amended in 2017), Character and Ethics” the policies and programmes of the party shall be determined by its leadership, who shall be accountable to the membership.”