By Tony Adibe
As Nigeria prepares for next year’s polls, a support group in Enugu State, “Ebeano Volunteer Movement for Peter Mbah, (EVMPM)” has begun its street-to-street, door-to-door, ward-to-ward, and market-to-market campaigns aimed at reaching out to grassroots electorate to vote in the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Barr. Peter Mbah, and other PDP candidates vying for different elective offices.
The EVMPM, which started its consultations across the 17 local government areas in the state soon after the PDP primary elections in May, has been “advancing dynamic and robust electioneering as well as political education of the electorate since the Independent National Electoral Commission lifted ban on political activities in the country.”
In recent times, the support group has also inaugurated state, local governments, wards and polling units’ executive members and coordinators geared towards establishing their presence and galvanizing support across board as grassroots mobilizers.
Among the places visited by the EEVMPM included Asata ward 1, China Town ward 9, New Haven ward 10, GRA ward 7, Independence Layout ward 2, Umunevo ward 2, Onu Asata ward 4, Ogui New Layout ward 3, Ogui Township ward 13, Ogbete East Ogbete West, Abagana Street, Hill Top, Iva Camp 1, Ugwu Aaron, Udi Siding, New Haven ward 10, Independence Layout ward 11, Ihewushi ward 3 among others where they urged the crowd to vote for the PDP.
Addressing the people, the Chairman of the support group, Hon. Chidera Odo, said they were driven by the core policies and developmental programmes of the PDP gubernatorial flag bearer for the state, adding that with Mbah, a new Enugu State is possible.
Odo said Mbah has been able to show, over the years through the successes recorded in the private sector, that he has the leadership qualities and transcendental values to move Enugu State away from the normal pace of development to a level of development unprecedented in the history of state.
He urged the people to key into the development programmes of the PDP, stressing that Mbah did not only come prepared for the job, but also understood the existential threat posed by the economic crisis bedeviling the nation.
Describing Mbah as the only candidate with the solutions to Enugu State hydra-headed problems, Odo noted that Mba’s comprehensive manifesto has a far-reaching implication for the state.
He said: “Mbah had envisioned an Enugu State where water reticulation would be taken for granted; where 10,000 kilometers road will be constructed across all the towns, villages and communities; where the youth will be engaged through innovation and technology; where 100 billion naira revolving seed capital will be made available to encourage entrepreneurship; where people will no longer grudge over the state of the healthcare system; where skills acquisition and vocational training centres will be built to eradicate unemployment and poverty; where the state will leap from civil service economy to private sector- driven economy, and where new industries will be built and the moribund ones resuscitated.”
The Chairman further assured the people that with their votes for Mbah, Enugu State will be safer, peaceful, and driven by investment-friendly policies where both local and foreign investors will be willing to partner with them to grow their business. He also called on the people to vote for Senator Chimaroke Nnamani for Senate, Hon. Nnolim Nnaji, Hon. Ofor Chukwuegbo for House of Representatives, and other PDP candidates, saying that they’ll not disappoint them.
On his part, the patron of the group, Hon. Chika Igwesi, thanked the people for coming out en masse to show their support and solidarity despite their busy schedules. Hon Igwesi urged them to get their voter’s cards ready for the election, maintaining that PDP has done well over the past years and will continue to give quality representations.
“We are appreciating you for leaving everything you’re doing behind to show us support and solidarity. We are here to remind you the words of our principal, Senator Chimaroke Nnamani that politics is a serious business.”
” What that means is that whatever decision those we elected to represent us take, will affect almost all the spheres of our life including education, social life, standard of living, businesses. This is why all of us have to get involved and vote for the candidates of the PDP in the forthcoming elections,” Igwesi said.
Also, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Hon. Friday Nnamani, appealed to the people to continue to identify with the PDP and the EVMPM as victory for the party would mean victory for the general populace.
He said: “The people you’re seeing here today are the members of Ebeano Volunteer Movement for Peter Mbah. This is where we should all belong, and I’m assuring you that you’re all going to be bonafide stakeholders of this movement. You’ve been enjoying the good governance made possible by the PDP, and we are reiterating that voting our party will continue to afford you opportunity to have access to the dividends of democracy the party is bringing in. It’s important that you have your Permanent Voter’s Cards because that’s your power.”
