A head of the November 16, 2013, governorship election in Anambra State, Prince Leonard Uchendu, a businessman, has emerged as the governorship candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP, for the election.
Uchendu, who was the only aspirant in the party’s primary election held on Friday August 30, 2013 at the party’s state secretariat in Awka, polled more than 95 percent of the votes to emerge as an acceptable candidate of the party.
In a statement released in Lagos yesterday and signed by the party’s publicity secretary, Dipo Olayoku, the voting exercise was monitored by officials from the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, both from Abuja and Awka.
National chairman of NNPP, Dr. Boniface O. Aniebonam who spoke through the party’s national secretary, Major Gilbert Agbo, informed the delegates from all the local government areas in the state that although Prince Leonard Uchendu is the only candidate cleared by the screening committee of the party, in line with the constitution of the party, the sole candidate will have to be subjected to acceptability test by the generality of the party, hence, the need for the day’s primary election.
On his part, the chairman of the state’s electoral panel, Chief Okey Obi said voting would be by secret ballot and that the ballot papers have been serialised for easy identification to ensure that only the ballot papers that originated from the panel are counted.
In his acceptance speech, Prince Uchendu thanked the leadership and the entire members of the party for the confidence reposed in him and promised not to disappoint them and the entire people of Anambra State.
“As the president general of Umuawulu town in Awka South Local Government, I am in consultation with other president generals of over 80 percent of towns in Anambra State who are to work with me to deliver Anambra State in 2014. I am convinced that they will deliver their towns during the election”.
Prince Uchendu promised to make job creation, sound and affordable education and profitable health delivery system, as well as security among others his focus.
He also promised massive rural development and infrastructural development spread across the 21 Local government areas of the state to check rural/urban migration.