For Obi’s Sake, APGA Warns Members in Anambra against Campaigning for Other Parties

•No squabble between Obi, Utomi, Abure, says Labour Party 

•Party tells APC to prepare handover note

David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka and Emameh Gabriel in Abuja

The leadership of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Anambra State, has warned its members against campaigning for candidates of other political parties, ostensibly in support of the presidential candidate of Labour Party, Peter Obi.

The Anambra State chairman of APGA, Sir Nobert Obi, who handed the warning in a press release circulated among members of the state working committee members and all the Local government area and Ward chairmen, said it amounted to anti-party to do so.

THISDAY learnt that the warning might have come as a result of the wide acceptance Obi was gaining across political parties in the state.

The chairman said his attention had been drawn to several unwholesome activities of certain members of the party (APGA), who were campaigning for candidates of other political parties.

He therefore, noted that, “You may wish to know that it is wrong for any member to campaign, solicit votes, or attend any activity organised by other political parties or their candidates other than our great party, APGA.

“Such development is considered anti-party activity and an act of indiscipline in breach of Article 21, General Code of Conduct of our great party.

“There are several cases of members belonging to WhatsApp, Facebook and other social media platforms that promote and campaign for candidates of other political parties. Not a few even go as far as sharing posts that promote candidates, who are not APGA members,” he pointed out.

The Chairman emphasised that such action was inimical to the overall interest of APGA, which has the intention to sweep the 2023 general elections especially in Anambra State, where the party is fielding candidates in all elective position.

He said such activity shall be visited with severe disciplinary action as stated the party’s constitution.

No Squabble Between Obi, Utomi, Abure, Says Labour Party

Meanwhile, the Labour Party has described as “epistle of personal bitterness and ignorance,” the news making the rounds of fight between the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi and one of its frontline stakeholders, Prof. Pat Utomi as well as its the National Chairman, Julius Abure.

The party in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Arabambi Abayomi, accused the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) of an attempt to misinform the public to its own advantage. It also advised the APC to write down its handover note, saying its days in power were numbered.

The statement followed reports in some print media of an alleged crisis between Obi and Utomi over campaign funds for the 2023 presidential election and also allegations of Obi’s attempt to sideline the national chairman of the party.

Ayobami said: “The attention of Labour party was drawn to the coordinated attacked launched by agents, miscreants and misfit political characters loyal to the would soon defunct APC led administration.

“According to the said unknown source, he went further to assert that the squabble over who should be in charge of campaign funds, as well as Prof. Utomi’s distrust of Benji Uba, prompted the creation of an alternative fund-raising platform, “tagged” FUND40MB, as inaugurated recently by Prof. Pat Utomi.

“The National Chairman of our great party, Julius Abure, the presidential candidate of Labour Party, Mr. Peter Gregory Obi and Prof Pat Utomi are one united, indivisible political families that enjoy cordial relationship that aims to extinct the present clueless administration of President Buhari led APC and confined them to dust bin of history

“That the National Chairman, Julius Abure has not convened any meeting of the National Working Committee or National Executive Council where the formation of Peter Obi/Datti Campaign Council would be formally discussed before inauguration

“There was never any Labour Party’s campaign donation account in existence nor an alternative fund-raising platform, tagged FUND40MB that was known to Labour party

 “Mr. Peter Obi has never instigated any war through proxies in Labour Party as he was busy with how to fix Nigeria from a consuming nation to a productive one, where Nigerians will take back their country from the present administration that has put our country on autopilot.”

The statement added: “Having set the record straight, it is important that this long empty epistle of calumny written here by this ‘unknown source’ is a manifestation that he substantially lacks the capacity to correctly understand the complexities in rational thinking needed to be a responsible public commentator.

“Finally the tasked of rescuing our country and her people from the hand of oppressors, economy strangulators and decimators is our presence pre-occupation and we hereby advise the outgoing APC administration to prepare their hand over note to the incoming president, Mr. Peter   Gregory Obi come may 29th 2023 rather engaging miscreants to peddle rumors that has no source.”