Labour Party (LP) candidate and winner of Ogbaru Federal Constituency in Anambra State, Mr. Victor Ogene, has praised the electorate in Ogbaru who voted for his victory. 232, 696
At the end of the rerun held last Saturday, April 15, Ogene polled a total of 10,851 votes to beat two other formidable contenders – the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate and incumbent representative of the constituency, Mr. Chukwuka Onyema, who got 10,619 votes and the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance, (APGA) in the state, Mr. Arinze Awogu who received 10,155 votes.
He won by small margins of 232 and 696 votes respectively.
In a statement issued yesterday, Ogene commended his opponents in the election and inviting them to work with him for the good of the people.
Besides, he expressed appreciation to the presidential candidate of LP, Mr. Peter Obi, the senator-elect for Anambra North, Dr. Tony Nwoye, the deputy director general/general manager Obi-Datti campaign organisation, Mr. Oseloka Obaze, personal friends and party leaders.
He attributed his victory to the favour and grace of God and the magnanimity of the Ogbaru electorate, who he said freely, gave him the mandate, adding that God alone gives power to whosever He chooses.
He noted that the slim margin from the final results of the polls clearly underscores the fact that the three major contestants were all eminently qualified to represent the constituency.
“I, therefore, congratulate my brothers, Rep. (Prince) Chukwuka Onyema, Ikenga Ogbahu, and Comrade Arinzechukwu Awogu, Omekaodinma Ogbahu, for standing out in the quest for a better homeland for our people. I assure them of my desire and commitment to work with them and other well meaning ndi Ogbahu, for the good of our people.
“The ties that bind us as umu Ogbahu are ultimately stronger than any loose strings that tend to divide us. I salute their tenacity and abiding love for our people. Across our various communities in Ogbaru hinterlands and Okpoko, the clarion call revolved around the betterment of our people.
“From the outset, we were deeply conscious of our brotherhood and the fact that we are one people, of a common heritage and destiny, hence our campaign mantra, Ogbahu: ‘Anyi Bu Ofu!’
“During the campaigns, some of our supporters crossed the borderline of decency, in spite of our admonitions to the contrary. On behalf of my Team and I, I accept responsibility for all infractions, real or imagined, that emanated from my camp.
“Going forward, we must join hands to steer Ogbaru away from conflicts that have neither rhyme nor reason and farther away from narrow, cultic interests.
“The man who wills, resolves and perseveres can do almost anything!’
“For us, Ogbaru can and must be a better place, taking strength from adversity.
“Power belongs to God and He freely gives it to whomsoever He wills per time; We can only be privileged custodians of His delegated authority.
“In total commitment to the guiding principles of the Obedient Movement, which is total transformation of our society, we pledge, by the Grace of God, to press forward from a sense of hope and reality to make Ogbaru great again.
“In this vein, I wish to express our profound gratitude to our global leader, His Excellency, Peter Obi, Okwute Nigeria, my leader, Senator-Elect, Dr. Tony Okechukwu Nwoye, His Honour, Nnanyelugo Oseloka Obaze, and myriad of personal friends, party leaders and members who invested their time, finances and goodwill in the pursuit, and realization of our aspiration. May the Supreme Creator of the universe reward all of you abundantly.
“In a couple of days, we shall be unveiling our legislative framework for the next four years. In the immediate, however, the urgency of NOW demands that we must, as a People, seek an end to the divisive fault lines that clog the progress of ndi Ogbahu. We cannot attain meaningful progress standing on different sides of the aisle. For me, uniting our peoples is a task that MUST be accomplished.
“We remain eternally grateful for this rare opportunity to serve you again. Across party lines and group interests, we shall work in tandem with all of our people,” Ogene said.
