By Nwoyemezie Okeke
The Progressive Movement for Peace (PMP), a political interest group, has urged electorate in Anambra State not to panic over purported news circulating on social media since some governorship aspirants of the All Progressive Congress (APC) dumped the party.
The aspirants, it was learnt, were DrChidozie Nwankwo, Chief Ben Etiaba and Chief Geff Onyejegbu.
But reacting to the reports in a statement signed by the National Coordinator of PMP, Hon. Emeka Nnebedum, the group stated that the chances of APC and its governorship candidate, Sen. Andy Uba were still brighter because the left aspirants had gone to pursue their ambitions in another party.
Parts of the statements read, "Our attention has been drawn to a fake news making the rounds on some online platform purporting that 12 aspirants that participated in the All Progressives Congress (APC), Anambra State, primary election for the forthcoming state governorship election in November, have defected and were on the verge of joining other political parties.
"According to the fake reports, the said defection comes after series of marathon meetings in the efforts to resolve disagreements between the party and aggrieved aspirants who could not make it, at the party primary election held in June 26, 2021. We, the members of PMP, wish to state clearly and unambiguously that only three aspirants of very little or no political consequence have made such decision.
"They are; Chidozie Nwankwo, Ben Etiaba and Geff Onyejegbu. Other aspirants have chosen to remain in the party as reconciliations are still being worked out. It is also clear why the trio made the desperate dash out of the party given that their purported defection came during the deadline for the closure of substitution window of names by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
"Their intention was never about service. It has always been about what they can get and the APC members saw through that. We also wish to state that other serious aspirants and authentic members of APC in the state are with the Party. As a group for peace and democracy, we the members believe implicitly in the freedom of association and right to dissociate from any political party according to individual choices. Therefore, the defecting aspirants will not be missed."