By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

The Social Democratic Party (SPD) in Anambra on Tuesday said that it has set machinery in motion to reclaim the governorship seat of the state come 2021.

Addressing journalists in Awka, the state party chairman, Dr. Webster Okonkwo, said that the party was the first to constitute a civilian government in the state with Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife.

He expressed delight that the party, having bounced back after a protracted court process, was prepared for the 2021 election.

“The people of Anambra State voted massively for the then SDP governorship candidate, Dr Chukwuemeka Ezeife, during the 1991 gubernatorial election. "That sacred mandate remains unfulfilled and as we draw closer to the 2021 Anambra governorship election, I want to express the readiness of the party to reclaim its mandate at the polls.

“The faces and personalities may have changed, but the core message, the ideology and the manifesto remain the same. We believe in our people and we invest on our people.

“In a nutshell, SDP was, is, and will remain people-driven, people-focused and people-oriented. Our capacity to move the state forward was never in doubt. That trust remains intact 30 years after.

“The think-home philosophy of the Ezeife administration signposted the foundation of the then new Anambra State and today, the renewed quest for accelerated development is driven by the think home mantra,” Okonkwo said.

While stating that SDP is determined to partner with the people to ensure the emergence of a new, credible, functional and deep-rooted leadership for Anambra State with a view to harvesting in full the dividends of democracy and putting in place a socio-economic system that will be of benefit to all, the chairman added that an “SDP-led administration will promote a production and export based economy that will ensure a clear departure from the consumption economy in place today.

“I wish to announce that SDP will actively participate in the 2021 Anambra State governorship election by the special grace of God. Machineries are already in motion towards that.

“The state leadership of the party has already completed the tour of the 21 local government structures of the party and the tour of the 326 wards of the State is in progress."