The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), the third largest political party in Nigeria, is conducting its Governorship Primary Election today. The election is the final of all the stages towards a successful nomination of a candidate that will fly the flag of the party in the November 6, 2021 Governorship Election in Anambra State.

The stakeholders should, therefore, bear in mind that the contest will determine the future of the party in particular and Ndigbo in general. Thus, they should trade with utmost caution, not allowing the infiltration, wishes and aspirations of the opposition, who would wish to wrestle away power by all means, to prevail. They should always remember the motto of APGA, Be Your Brother’s or Sister’s Keeper.

In every contest, destiny and hard work go hand in hand. And in every election, there must be a winner and a loser. If elected, be thankful, if not; let it be all the same. As members of one family, good sportsmen and women and, above all, descendants of Eze Ndigbo Gburugburu, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, we must be magnanimous in victory and gallant in defeat.

Peaceful conduct of the primary is synonymous with victory at the general poll. A peace loving person should not let the behavior of others destroy his inner peace, which will in turn affect the contest. Peace can challenge us to discover ourselves and perhaps, allow us to surrender to our circumstances.

Let us drop our individual ego and selfish interest and accept the will of the greater number of the people.

Anambra has known peace since our great party, the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, took over the mantle of leadership in the state on March 17, 2006. Today, we can collectively agree to sustain the tempo and shame the detractors, traducers desperadoes, destabilizers and merchants of mayhem.

By our conduct, we should not let Ndi Anambra to go back to the darks days of history when despondency and brigandage were the order of the day. Hitherto, the state was in a gory and sorry situation. Anambra was in a state of anomie. The state was destroyed. Anambra was on its knees; in a mess then.

Violence, mayhem, and criminality were synonymous with the state, to the extent that a sitting governor was abducted. Schools closed for almost one year due to nonpayment of workers, teachers and pensioners, while extra judicial killings by a formal organization and brazen burning of public property were the order of the day. If there was no divine intervention, the state would have degenerated to a state of emergency.

By the grace of God, once APGA took over the mantle, everything died down. In fact, APGA brought Anambra to the status of being the most peaceful state in Nigeria; for the party believes that peace. Let us continue to toe that part of peace today, vis a vis our conduct, before, during and after the primaries.

Always vote for principle and with a sense of maturity, knowing that victory for one today is victory for all tomorrow. APGA is a big ocean that accommodates every kind of fish and government is like a chicken that lays many eggs. Anyone that loses today can surely win tomorrow.

Hence, APGA has excelled so much in the past few years of its existence. APGA has ever remained a violence-free political party because its idea is that violence is immoral, which seeks to humiliate rather than win understanding. Violence thrives on hatred rather than love. It destroys parties and makes brotherhood impossible. It leaves one in monologue rather than dialogue.

The party has, over the years, remained faithful to its covenant with the people, in accordance with its constitution and manifesto, as well as the spirit and solemn directives of its supreme leader, the late Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu. And that is why APGA is succeeding where others failed. Let us uphold that legacy today.

WRITTEN BY DR. NNAMDI NWADIOGBU

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