A political association, Anambra Destiny Movement (ADM), has called on political parties planning to field candidates in the 2021 governorship election in Anambra to eschew any form of imposition or risk their chances of victory.
Chief Bennett Chinweze, the National coordinator of ADM, said this at the inauguration of the association in Ogbunike, Oyi Council Area of Anambra on Monday.
Chief Bennett Chinweze,National Coordinator of ADM (3rd left), Chief Ekene Enefe, National Leader/Patron(3rdRight) and other executive members of ADM during their inauguration on Monday
Chinweze said ADM which had no affiliation with any political party would ensure that the best candidate from the pool eventually become the next governor of Anambra after the tenure of the incumbent, Chief Willie Obiano.
He said the selection of candidates would no longer be business as usual for political parties, vowing that ADM would actively involve the masses and ensure that only the one with good knowledge of their plights emerged.
He described Anambra as a going concern which demanded continuity for sustainable developments and decried how successive administrations had underdeveloped the state by abandoning the projects of previous ones.
He said ADM would use its structure and reach out to the grassroots to work against candidates that were unpopular or produced through irregular processes.
Chinweze said: “The objective is to get a credible candidate who we can work for, a candidate that is good, intelligent and at home with the people of Anambra, somebody who understands the peculiarity and leadership challenges of Anambra.
“It is not enough to have a governor from the same party as the outgoing one, we are not interested in the party because membership of ADM cuts across all political parties, age groups and professions, we are a grassroots-based movement.
“A major problem with Anambra is that we lack continuity, we don’t want a government that will come and abandon all what the previous one has done only to begin new ones, we don’t want such people anymore.
“We have presence in every part of the state, from the state to the wards, we have state executive committee, senatorial districts, local government and the wards, we have coordinators at all these levels. Anambra has come a long way, ADM wants it to remain the best.”
On the issue of zoning, he said though it would be a factor but not at the expense of merit or competence.
According to him, zoning is always an issue in any polity, but ADM will not allow anybody to give Anambra a mediocre in the name of zoning, as their collective quest for best candidate in 2021 remains sacrosanct.
Also, Dr Jeff Okeke, National Organising Secretary of ADM, said members of the association cut across the major political parties in the state.
Okeke said the inauguration of ADM had set the tone for involvement of the masses in the 2021 gubernatorial electioneering in Anambra.
“ADM is an amalgamation of grassroots based politicians formed for the purpose of shopping for a candidate that is grassroots oriented, we want to be part of the selection process and ensure that no individual imposes a governor on Anambra.
“ADM will be interested in how the parties produced their candidates, how fair the process is, and who the person is before he joined the race.
“Anambra is not a property of any individual or party, it is our collective responsibility to ensure that only the best emerge from wherever.
“Any atom of imposition knocks the candidate out of favour because ADM will ensure such a person doesn’t govern Anambra, we will use our strength and reach to work against such candidate,” he said.
On his part, Chief Ekene Enefe, National Leader and Patron of ADM, thanked Anambra people for their decision to take their destiny in their own hands.
Enefe urged the inaugurated leaders at the various levels to take the message to their domains, especially at the ward levels and educate the people on the need to have a governor that could identify with them.
According to him, the association is not for any party but interested in who they will field as their candidates; ADM is out to ensure that the next governor will be the one chosen by the people. (NAN)
