2023: House of Reps Aspirant, Ugochinyere, Gives N40m Cash, Items to 27 Wards in Imo

Udora Orizu in Abuja

Ideato Federal Constituency in Imo state was shut down Sunday as thousands of  Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) faithful trooped out in solidarity to welcome home the spokesman of opposition parties, Ikenga Ugochinyere, after his aborted disqualification from the House of Representatives race.
Dozens of party delegates in a move that suggested more troubles for his opponents also stormed the Sam Mbakwe International Airport in solidarity with Ugochinyere ahead of the party primaries this weekend. 
The House of Representatives hopeful at the reception in his honour doled cash and other items worth over 40 million naira to the 27 wards of the Ideato North and South.
The items included laptops, printers, handsets and 5000 PDP membership cards. He said the items were part of his contribution towards rebuilding the party in the Constituency. 
Addressing the crowd, Ugochinyere urged the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stakeholders especially the party  delegates at the forthcoming party primaries in Ideato North and South to be vigilant and resist any attempt by undemocratic elements to hijack the exercise this weekend. 
He described his purported disqualification from the race as another joke taken too far, adding that any  attempt again by anybody no matter how highly placed to either falsify or hijack the party primary this weekend will meet the red eye of his supporters . 
Ugochinyere at his formal reception at St John’s Anglican Church Osina told his highly elated supporters especially the delegates to vehemently resist and deal with anybody who might wish to steal, run away or falsify result sheets again in the  coming primary election. 
According to him, “the PDP does not belong to a single individual, so do not allow anybody to intimidate you in a party you have laboured for. There will be no more name-dropping and those still hanging around Abuja stealing and falsifying results, will no longer have their way.”  
He however commended the bold steps taken by the National Chairman of PDP Senator Iyorchia Ayu to right the wrong perpetuated by some undemocratic elements in the state. 
He assured both the party leadership and his supporters that he was well prepared to lead the party to victory in the general election if elected as the party flag bearer this weekend. 
He attributed the lingering security challenge in the South-East to the perceived sense of marginalization by the people and urged President Muhammadu Buhari to adopt the political option and enter into dialogue with the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB) and leaders of the South-East to find lasting solution to the security problem plaguing the region, just as the Federal Government had done with the Niger Delta Militants and the Boko Haram terrorists. 
Ugochinyere commended Prof.  Chukwuma Soludo for the courage to visit the detained IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu in detention and enjoined other governors of the South-East to emulate his example.