Dr Ifedi Okwenna, a former Commissioner for Environment in Anambra state has declared his intentions to contest Anambra 2021 Governorship election under the platform of People Democratic Party PDP.
Just as Dr Okwenna while clearing the rumour that he is being promoted by the former governor of the state Mr Peter Obi , said he would be delighted to be promoted by Obi.
Ifedi spoke while declaring his intention to run for Anambra state governorship race at the PDP secretariat in Awka.
He noted that if a person in the calibre of Peter Obi should support his governorship ambition , it would an added advantage because nobody comes out for such contest without wishing great men to support him.
Ifedi said he consulted all the stakeholders in the state PDP including Mr. Peter Obi and got their supports.
His words: ” I am just hearing that Peter Obi prompted me to come to contest for governor in the state for the first time. How I hope it is true because if he is my sponsor, I will be very happy. I consulted my former boss, the PDP stakeholders before coming out for the race. Every politician going out for such a contest must need big person to support him. I will be happy if he is sponsoring me” he said.
He also said that he is the most humble and qualified person to lead the party to government House and pleaded with the PDP to give him the ticket.
He said the state has been denied good governance because PDP has been out of the government House for a very long time. Ifedi said that it is only the PDP that can change the fortune of the state to greatness, saying that he needs PDP ticket for the party to take over Agu Akwa. Ifedi also assured the people of Anambra for positioning the state to attract the best brains.
He said the state has the potential to be the best in sub-sahara Africa but that poor governance is pushing out businessmen to develop other places.
According to him, many people have lost confident and trust in the government hence they are moving out of the state to invest in others parts of the world.
He said there is need to rebuild governance for people to have confident and trust in the system for the rapid development of the state.
He explained that Anambra State has the potential to be the best but that poor governance has been the obstacle.
“Less than 21 Percent of Anambra people have trust in the government and it is affecting the state development. Because of lost of confidence and trust in government our people are now preferring to invest in other places because of lack of infrastructure and enablement. Our people are using their resource to build other people’s economies because government there provides enablement.
“We need to build government that partner with people especially the youths who are running away from the state due to lack of infrastructure and conducive environment to survive” he said.
He vowed that if he emerges governor of Anambra State, he would restore the lost glory of Onitsha main market, saying that the market which was best in West Africa has gone so bad that those trading there are suffocating.
According to Okwenna, Onitsha main market which provides employment for over two million Nigerians, regrettably is in a sorry state.
“Our people build markets in other places, build other cities across the world because home government has not provided conducive environment for them to build good markets and survive” he said.
Earlier, the PDP State Chairman, Chief Ndubisi Nwobu assured that the party under his watch will conduct the most credible primary election to select the party flag bearer for the 2021 governorship election.He said he will not allow any person or group of persons to hijack the primary in the state because credible elections made him local government chairman in 1999.
He advised Dr Ifedi to canvass for support ahead of the primary, stressing that executive of the party does not have special interest in any aspirant. He said further that the executive will only be an umpire in the elections.
He advised all aspirants not to attack themselves so that whoever emerges would be supported by others to enable the PDP get to the government House.
