From BONIFACE OKORORO, Umuahia
The G5 Governors, otherwise christened Integrity Group are due in Umuahia, Abia State capital, on Thursday, November 24, 2022, to witness the flag off ceremony of campaigns for the 2023 general elections by the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The G5 Governors which emerged following a crack in the PDP after the nomination of its Presidential and Vice Presidential Candidates, include Governors Nyesom Wike (Rivers State), who, unarguably is the leader of the group crusading for fairness and justice in the distribution of positions in PDP; ‘Seyi Makinde (Oyo State), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu State), Samuel Ortom (Benue State) and the host Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia.
Abia PDP spokesman, Elder Abraham Amah, told newsmen in Umuahia Tuesday that the party was raring to go on its campaigns, as plans have been concluded for the kick off of the exercise at the Umuahia Township Stadium on Thursday, November 24, 2022.
Amah said the kicking off the campaigns would ready PDP to do battle with the other 17 political parties which fielded candidates for the 2023 elections.
He referred to the other political parties as “mushroom political parties” and their candidates as “Lilliputians.”
Briefing newsmen at the party’s state secretariat, Elder Amah who is the Abia PDP Vice Chairman (North) and Acting State Publicity Secretary, said the flag off ceremony was significant in several respects because it would provide an opportunity for the PDP-led government of Abia State to showcase its best squad.
“It would provide an opportunity for the PDP-led government of Abia State to showcase its First Eleven and the finest gentlemen it has assembled to rough it out with Lilliputians from other mushroom political parties in the 2023 polls.
“It will also use the opportunity to present its visible scorecard based on the promises it made in 2015 and 2019 and also renew the promises which it would certainly fulfill.”
According to im: “In the last seven years, the PDP-led government of Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, in concert with other arms of government, deepened good governance in Abia by formulating and implementing policies in the key sectors of Abia’s socio-economic life, notably security, health, education, power, economy and infrastructure and the results are showing clearly, going by results from different rating agencies as the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).”
He cited the 2022 NBS, Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) report released last Thursday as bearing “testimony to the fact that the PDP-led government of Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu delivered on the promises he made to Ndi Abia in 2015 that he will make their lives better as Abia State came out as one of the five best States in Nigeria and the best in the South East, ahead of Anambra, when measured against deprivations in the key four sectoral indices of health, education, standard of living and security.”
“The NBS report vindicated Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu and the Abia PDP but embarrassed critics and detractors who never bothered to fact-check records before slandering the good works of an honourable man, the government he leads and the Party that supports him.
“It is now up to the good people of Abia State to decide on the continuity or otherwise of the PDP in Abia State,” he said.
Highlights of the campaign flag off would include handing over of the party’s flag to candidates contesting for various positions in the state.