By Anayo Okoli
Umuahia—THE All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, will soon make an official and categorical statement on some national issues, including its unity government marriage with the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

This came at a time the party said it had embarked on a nation-wide tour to sensitize its members and supporters on the need to register in the coming voters registration by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

New National Chairman of the party, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, who said these in Umuahia while on a visit to Abia State chapter of the party, stated that the party’s position on all issues on the nation’s front burner would be made known to Nigerians.

According to Onu, who was accompanied by other national officers, including  former Edo State governor, Dr. John Odigie-Oyegun, Deputy National Chairman, South; Chief George Muoghalu, Deputy National Chairman, South East, ANPP is on a mission to create a new personality in Nigerian politics play issue-based politics.

Obviously worried by the level of insecurity in many parts of the country, Onu said ANPP condemned it and expressed the fear that if it was not properly and urgently checked by the government, it could breed thugs during next year’s election.
He also reiterated the party’s abhorrence of violence and thuggery.

“All Nigerian are worried over the level of insecurity in the country. Security is very important. ANPP is worried. We have lost some of our top members who were assassinated.

We have been victims. We are exceedingly worried that people no longer go to bed with two eyes closed. The situation is getting worse, we are not happy. We don’t believe in violence and thuggery”, the ANPP chairman said.

Onu expressed the hope that the party would do well and capture many more states, in addition to regaining lost states, saying the current interactive tour embarked on by the party’s leadership was aimed at achieving this objective.

“The tour is to interact with party members to know their problems, share ideas, and give our members the opportunity to know the direction of the new ANPP and brief them on the decisions so far taken by the new leadership.

“We want those who left our party for one reason or the other to come back. We have set up a committee to reach out to them and ensure that they return to the party.

“We are mobilizing our members. We want to create a new political personality in Nigeria. Our manifestos are being looked into, we want to play issue-based politics and we believe that Nigerians will give a chance.

“ANPP believes in competition in the political arena. With that Nigeria will have the best of its people to give quality service to the nation and this will open up the country.

“There can not be one party rule in Nigeria. Democracy can’t work without opposition. It is unacceptable to Nigerians to have one party system,” Onu said.

Onu also said ANPP was practicing internal democracy very well, just as he announced that the party had given women and the physically-changed, who are interested to contest for any position on the platform of the party, complete waiver, and would not pay any kobo.

“We are leading the nation in internal democracy. INEC wrote to us to repeat our congress in 8 states, which we have since done, and they were free and fair, but the other parties the commission also wrote on the issues are still not able to comply,” he said.