Mr Valentine Ozigbo, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the November 6 Anambra governorship poll, has described the supreme court judgment affirming his candidature, as victory for the people.
Ozigbo said this while fielding questions from journalists on Thursday in Abuja.
“It is important that people emerge through free and fair process, so that when anybody becomes a candidate, it will be the choice of the people, not that of some interlopers. So, I thank God for it,” he said.
Ozigbo extended his hands of fellowship to other aspirants who lost out in the race for the election.
”We need everybody on board. I do not practice a policy of segregation, but rather that of inclusion. Whatever I need to do to make them comfortable, I will do that.
“It is one family, one PDP, one umbrella, and it is big enough to accommodate all of us,” he said.
Ozigbo said that he was not much concerned about the defection of some PDP members to the All Progressives Congress (APC) because the party has more people at the grassroots.
“For me, we actually have more people, especially at the grassroots trooping into the PDP. That is the news I need to put out there.
“If you go to Orumba North for instance, over 700 members of Young Progressives Party, APC and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) defected to PDP.
“The entire state leadership of APGA has crossed over to PDP. So, there are more people at the grassroots, saying yes indeed PDP is the more acceptable party in Anambra,” he said.
On security, the PDP candidate said that the situation was worrisome.
“Indeed nothing in life is worth the life of one person. “ So, I am certainly worried, am pained in my heart what Anambra has become. I believe, obviously, it is because of the election,” Ozigbo said.
He appealed to Anambra people not to be intimidated but to come out to vote on election day.
“A lot has been promised by both INEC and security agencies, insisting that there must be free and fair election.
“By the time the number of security personnel throng down to Anambra, it means that we are going to have a safer environment for people to come out to vote,” he said.
Ozigbo expressed optimism that the introduction of Bi-Model Voter Accreditation System by INEC, would make it impossible for an imposter to vote.
“This has already been tested in Delta and it worked handsomely in Isoko precisely. Secondly, with the electronic transmission having been authorised, there is nothing nefarious anybody can do,” he said.
