TheCable

Osita Chidoka, former minister of aviation, has congratulated the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on the end of its leadership tussle, but he says his party – the United Progressive Congress (UPP) – is already preparing for the Anambra governorship election.

Chidoka was a member of the PDP until June when he defected to the UPP, citing the crisis in the party as the reason for his decision.

It was speculated that the former minister, who had served in the PDP governments of the late Musa Yar Adua and Goodluck Jonathan, might return to his old party.

But in a statement he issued on Thursday, Chidoka said his party was already preparing for the Anambra governorship election scheduled for November 18.

He advised the PDP to present their “best face” to the people, “foreclosing” any chance of being the party’s candidate.

“We welcome Wednesday’s verdict of the supreme court, which we believe, has ended the leadership tussle that confronted the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),” he said.

“While we sincerely congratulate the PDP for this development, we do hope that this time around, they will leverage on the opportunity to present their best to face the people in the November 18, 2017 Anambra governorship election.

“We in the United Progressives Party (UPP) have already started our preparations and we are working hard to ensure that we present our best for the election because ndi Anambra deserve only the best.

“Already, the UPP has proven to be one political platform that can deliver the wishes and aspirations of the Anambra people; a fact that informs its soaring grass-root popularity in all the electoral wards across Anambra state as the platform that genuinely offers them a voice and where their interests only, drive the policies and ideology of the party.

“The time has therefore come for the political class to jettison all unnecessary anti-people and selfishly motivated political crisis and focus only on presenting credible options for the people to make their choice at the polls.

“It is on this note that we in the UPP are desirous of a clean, robust and issue-based contest that affords the citizens the opportunity to make informed decisions at the polls. In this election, the verdict lies solely with the people; every political party must therefore work hard to present its best and brightest to face the electorate at the polls.”