By Cajetan Mmuta
The National leadership of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has said that the governorship ticket in the forthcoming November 6 election in Anambra state has not been zoned to Anambra South Senatorial district as being claimed by the state executive.

National Vice Chairman, southeast of the party, Chief Arinze Ekeleme disclosed this to newsmen on Monday in Awka, the state capital.

He said the ticket was opened to all persons from the three zones in the state.

It would be recalled that the state chairman of the party, Dr. Wesbter Okonkwo had after a meeting with the 21 Local Government chairmen and state executive officers of the party on April 20, 2021, announced that SDP had zoned the ticket to Anambra South Senatorial zone.

But Chief Ekeleme maintained that the decision of the ticket zoning remained the prerogative of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the SDP and not the state executive, local government chairmen, or any other individual.

He frowned that the national and zonal leaderships were not consulted before the decision was taken.

According to him, “I was in the meeting on April 20, to brief the party members on the party preparation for the election and the issue of zoning not in the agenda not to talk of discussed.”

“I only discovered that they had zoned the party governorship ticket to Anambra South in our WhatsApp group and I immediately forwarded it to the national and they were not happy about it,” he said.

Ekeleme stated that “Any interested person can contest on the platform of the party because we’re open to all. Whoever that says the ticket is zoned to Anambra South or any other place is not saying the position of the party.”

He explained further that, “Before such decision can be taken, the national must know about it, it is not what one man or group will just wake up one morning and declare. Many people are seriously showing interest in picking the ticket and the party cannot close its door to anybody.”

“In fact, some people who had already declared interest to contest the election on the platform of SDP are not even from Anambra South.”

Ekeleme pointed out that the sale of nomination form which commenced on April 5 was expected to close on May 5, 2021, stressing that the fee was N10million, while the expression of interest form was N1million.

On the party’s chances of winning the election, Ekeleme said the SDP remained strong and united, unlike the other parties which are riddled with problems in the state.

“We are strong and confident about ourselves to go to the election and win. SDP has changed to good. There are no problems in the party again and every court case in the party is settled.

“I hope that the problem in Peoples Democratic Party PDP, All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, and All Progressive Congress APC will be an added advantage for us to win the governorship election in the state,” he said.

The National Vice Chairman however praised the national chairman, Dr.Olu Ogunloye, and the secretary, Musa Daban for their maturity and fatherly intervention in resolving the error.

If zoning presidential ticket to North will make PDP win 2023 election, I will back it-Gov Wike

“Party members in the zone and Anambra state are grateful to the leadership of the party for the peaceful management of the party and more so resolving all crises in the party. As of today, the party does have any case anywhere in the court.

“We will work according to the directive of the national working committee in the zone for the betterment of the party,” he said.