It is a harvest, says Nnamani, as PDP guber campaign flags off
February 16, 2007

The flag-off, which took place at the Michael Okpara Square, Enugu, witnessed a congregation of party faithful from across the state.

The venue had begun to witness a convergence of people as early as 8am in the morning, with the party leaders and officials from the councils and development centres of the state trooping in.

Addressing the mammoth crowd, the state governor and leader of the party in the state, Dr. Nnamani, enthralled by the presence of the huge crowd, said that it was not only a harvest time for the party that had posted a commendable showing in the state leadership in the last eight years, but a celebration of the string of successes that the party in the state had recorded in the since the onset of the present democracy.

“I am happy with the large turn-out of people. This is a harvest time, a demonstration that our work in the past eleven years has started to yield dividends,” he said.

Governor Nnamani said that the turn-out of the people and their support for the party were a clear manifestation that Enugu State was synonymous with the Ebeano family, adding that the flag off campaign would see the emergence of a new Governor and his deputy, Senators, members of the National and State Assemblies.

“The flag-off will see the emergence of Sullivan and Ejiofor as Governor and Deputy, Chief Ike Ekweremadu, Ayogu Eze and Chimaroke Nnamani as Senators… who will hoist the Ebeano flag in the National Assembly,” he said, amid a thunderous shout from the crowd.

He therefore urged the people to vote for Mr. Chime and his deputy, Prince Sam Ejiofor, stating that they have the capacity to do much better than he did as governor.

According to him, “You should elect Sullivan and Ejiofor, they will do better than I did. Where I did not reach, they will reach there… and also follow the party structure and carrying members of the Ebeano family along as we have been doing before,” he` said.

He noted with dismay the activities of detractors and opposition members, adding that his absolute faith in God was responsible for his success in the past years.

In his speech, the chairman of the party in the state, Chief Onyioha Nwanjoku noted with happiness that despite the activities of the opposition, the Ebeano party structure was still intact, well-focused and waxing stronger.

Chief Nwanjoku, who handed over the party’s flag to the governorship candidate, Chime, and his running mate, Ejiofor, urged the people to continue with their support and vote massively for the party and its candidates in future elections.

Also, the Minister of Information and Communication, Mr. Frank Nweke jnr., in his brief speech, thanked the people for their support and loyalty to the Ebeano political structure in the state.

The minister described the PDP candidates for the 2007 elections as members of the winning team, going by their activities and appealed to the people to give them their votes. He noted that with the landmark achievements of the Governor in the state, PDP would continue to produce leaders in the state and at the centre.

In his speech, the PDP governorship candidate in the state, Mr. Chime promised to continue and improve on the legacies of Governor Nnamani, adding that his administration would not disappoint the faith and trust reposed in him by the people and the party.

Mr. Chime said that the turn-out of the people was a confirmation that the PDP in Enugu State is in fact one family and promised to ensure that the unity was maintained and improved upon.

He thanked the people for their support and confidence reposed in him and appealed to them to crown it up with their votes during the April elections.

High point of the ceremony was the presentation of candidates of the party in the state for the April elections with the party flags.

The four-point agenda of the gubernatorial candidate was also distributed to the people and it includes physical infrastructure development, economic expansion and employment, rural development and service delivery/good governance.