Guber polls: Onitsha Anglican diocese offers equal campaign support to political parties in Anambra

By Cyprian Ebele, Onitsha

As the Anambra State gubernatorial election billed for November 8th this year gathers momentum, the Diocese on the Niger, Anglican Communion, Anambra State, disclosed that it has designed a new and neutral strategy for assisting and giving all political parties in the state equal campaign opportunities.

The paradigm shift said to be unprecedented in the electioneering history of the state is currently driven by the Directorate for Civic and Political Affairs (DCPA) of the diocese.

The over 10-year old DCPA was said to have rethought and rather taken the novel turn in order for it to give sound political education to the grassroots as well as allow all parties in the state solid platforms for electioneering.

Recall that the directorate organized a one-day brainstorming session at the All Saints’ Cathedral, Onitsha, during which new members and executives of all political parties in the state articulated a blueprint for the November, 2025 election.

In his brief opening speech, the pioneer Coordinator of the directorate, Emma. Ukpeke, explained that the essence of the brainstorming was for the directorate to create what he described as political awareness among the grassroots.

“This is one of the programmes of this directorate: to build strong structures in time in readiness for the 2025 election in the state. These are what the coordinator and his executive are trying to articulate here, today”, the venerable remarked.

He reminded the people that political power rested in their hands, the  reason for which he encouraged them to take political activities seriously by actively identifying with any parties of their choice and voting accordingly.

Ukpeke advised the people not to sell their votes, saying that the sale of one’s vote amounted to deliberate sale of one’s birthright.

The Coordinator of the directorate, Ifeanyi Aniakor, had in a brief chat shortly after the gathering remarked that the session was a veritable leverage platform of the DCPA for the political enlightenment of the grassroots.

“The directorate is a grassroots mobilization for Christians, especially, the Anglicans, through the church and the streets.

“It is also a means through which we give the people political awareness, civic rights and responsibilities. DCPA is a grassroots mobilization platform for all political parties in the state”, he said.

According to him, ” Diocesan and archdeaconry political coordinators of all the political parties are assisting to develop the parties so that politicians and their parties can make judicious use of the directorate”.

The DCPA Coordinator passionately appealed to the people of the state, particularly Anglicans, to sit up and stop being apathetic to politics.

“Definitely, it’s time to sit up. The Church, especially the Anglican, is losing out.

“We need to come in and know what is going on in the political arena. We should take advantage of existing political assets in and around us, because we are losing out”, Rev Canon Aniakor lamented.

Earlier the Director of Communications, Diocese on the Niger, Oselloka Offoh, had in a short speech commended the DCPA for its invaluable political assignments, urging the coordinator and his executives not to relent.