By Gift Chapi Odekina
A Member of the House of Representatives from Anambra State on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Hon Vincent Ekene Ofumelu, has said that hard work, performance and good representation of his people were responsible for his return ticket as a PDP candidate for the 2023 National Assembly election in the state.
The lawmaker who thanked the PDP delegates in Oyi and Afamelum Federal Constituency for finding him worthy of a return ticket assured them of working harder the ensure that the party wins the House of Reps election.
He stated this after being presented with his Certificate of Return on Wednesday in Abuja, saying that the ticket which he also credited to God Almighty has provided the needed impetus to do more and face the battle ahead.
“I would start by saying I am glad and I want to let you know that the Almighty God has done successful in our life today. I would start by thanking Almighty God. He who did it today would still do it tomorrow. I want to thank the good people of Oyi and Ayamelum Federal Constituency, more especially the delegates who deemed it fit to vote my very humble self, they call me Talk and Do in my locality.
“You know that politics is local. We are going for this war without fear or favour. We are going there without looking behind. Forward ever backward never. I know that our good people, which we have served very well, would still repeat to assist us and vote us in to succeed again come 2023 election.”
Hon. Vincent is among a few lawmakers with the good fortune of a return ticket in the 9th Assembly, through the delegate system which has thrown so many others out of contention in the coming elections. He however said he was optimistic of victory at the primaries, bearing in mind the inherent drawbacks of system.
“It is not about whether the delegate system favoured us. When they were electing the delegates, I was not there. I allowed them to choose whomever that would be the delegates, but I knew they would vote me. It is the antecedents. It is things I have done for the constituencies and the things I am still doing and the ones I would still do. They know I have them in mind. I know whomever emerges delegates just like I told my people in my locality that whoever they must elect delegate must come from Oyi or Ayamelum. So it is not coming from another constituency. Hence it is from my place, they would vote me. I know they would vote me.
“I would not say about another person or constituency, but concerning Anambra North or South, the election went transparently in the day time. INEC was there and witnessed it. PDP National was there to supervise everything. The state was there. All of them came together to witness the election. It went perfectly and transparently. All I know is that my people would vote me in the delegate election. It has come and gone. I have to pray to God who has made it before to do it again,” the lawmaker said.
On her part, Senator Stella Oduah applauded the delegates for voting en-masse during the primaries, vowing that the PDP Candidates are adequately equipped with “strategies and the goodwill that will enable us to combat the other political parties. What we want to assure them is definitely the victory is ours. By God’s grace we are going to win this and in winning this, all PDP will enjoy.
According to her: “About six of us are sitting members in the National Assembly and about six as well for state assembly. The rest are new people but with wonderful antecedents. For those who are already sitting, if you take Hon Lynda Ikpeazu who is representing Onitsha North and South, and
Hon Vincent Ekene Ofumelu you will see that they have done so well, Hon. Ofumelu here has open roads where there was no road before,
you have to visit to see the remarkable work that is going and would continue going on,” she noted.
