By Ifeoma Ejiofor
A coalition of youth groups in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has reaffirmed their support for Mr Valentine Ozigbo, the party’s flag-bearer in the last governorship election.
The statement, signed by Dr Justin Kingland and Engr. Kissinger Okoye, the coalition’s conveners, condemned the culture of politicians using unknown persons to cast unjustifiable and unfounded aspersions at some of our nationally celebrated party leaders.
“We, a coalition of youth groups of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Anambra State comprising over 8,000 registered active members, consider the statement purportedly issued by a fictitious group led by a faceless Chief P. U. Offorkansi wherein the leaders of our party were attacked.
“We wish to state that as a group of young PDP members, who organised campaign activities and programmes for our party and our candidate, Mr Ozigbo, a globally celebrated business mogul and philanthropist, we find it rather strange that the said Chief P. U. Offorkansi is unknown to us.
“Offorkansi claims to be representing ‘stakeholders’ of our party, just a few weeks after an election in which he played no identifiable role or can show any evidence of contributing to the success of the party in the said election.
“We strongly believe that the faceless Chief P. U. Offorkansi needs to unmask himself by proving to the reading public that he is a card-carrying member of our party and convince us that he is indeed a stakeholder by making public his polling unit result.
The coalition of youth groups called on the National Working Committee (NWC) of PDP led by Elder Yemi Akinwonmi, and all Nigerians to disregard the baseless speculations mentioned in the purported statement by this faceless Offorkansi.
The group went on to extol the virtues of Mr Ozigbo, calling him “a shining light in the dark corridors of Anambra politics” and “a glowing inspiration to a new generation.
“We wish to put it on record that Mr Valentine Ozigbo is the best thing that has happened to Anambra PDP in the last four years. Ozigbo is the new lease of life that PDP badly needed in our state, and we will not stand by and watch the people who have contributed to destroying our party’s chances at winning the governorship drag him into the mud.
“As youths who worked hard in mobilising the voters for our party and who campaigned directly with Valentine Ozigbo in canvassing for votes in the November 6 election, we can say that Ozigbo made substantial personal sacrifices – financially, materially, and otherwise – to see that our Ka Anambra Chawapu dream came to reality.
“Ozigbo conducted himself with dignity, honour, and respect while deploying the best use of media and technology in political engineering.
“A multiple-award-winning global CEO, Ozigbo ran the best campaign we have seen in our lifetimes, and he deserves to be commended and encouraged to lead the way in recreating a New Anambra PDP chapter that would be back to winning crucial elections.
“His inspirational personality, integrity, and humility are why many of us, the youth, were inspired into active politics and why we canvassed for him without expecting recognition and reward.
“For us, Valentine Ozigbo is the Most Valuable Player of the 2021 elections, not just for our party, but for the entire election and PDP must launch an investigation into the role that Offorkansi, if he exists, and his sponsors played in sabotaging our efforts at the poll,” they added.
PDP Anambra Youth Vanguard, Federation of PDP Students Anambra Chapter, United Movement Worldwide, PDP Aguata Youth Forum, PDP Interactive Forum, Anambra PDP Youth Roundtable, Kwado Ozigbo Group, PDP Generation X Movement, VCO Student Movement, VCO’s Mighty Men, Amesi Youth For VCO, Dunukofia for VCO, VCO Champions Forum, VCO Youth Movement, VCO PDP Media Team are among the thirty-five PDP youth groups that make up the coalition that signed the statement.