EditorDr. Chinedu Onyeizugbe, AFI National Coordinator.
The authorities of Academic Frontier Initiative (AFI), a non-partisan group, have congratulated the winners of primary elections held recently ahead of November 6 gubernatorial election in Anambra State.
Addressing newsmen in Awka, the Anambra state capital, the AFI National Coordinator, Dr. Chinedu Onyeizugbe, commended all the political parties for organising what he described as “free, fair and transparent” primary elections. He, however, urged parties having internal fracas to urgently constitute an appeal panel to unite aggrieved members.
According to the national coordinator, “AFI is happy to congratulate Mr. Valentine Chineto Ozigbo of People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo of All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Senator Ifeanyi Uba of Young Progressive Party (YPP) and Senator Andy Ubah of All Progressive Congress (APC), who have emerged as standard bearers of their respective parties.
“Although, there seems to be internal conflict within some of the parties, members of Academic Frontier Initiative hope that this will urgently be addressed as the contestants covet the number one seat in the state”, Onyeizugbe, an associate professor in the department of business administration, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, said.
While tasking the candidates on good governance in the state, the group disclosed that it would be organising a town hall meeting in August, where the governorship hopefuls would unveil their plans for the state before the members of academic community and leadership of Students Union Governments across the tertiary institutions in Anambra state.
Onyeizugbe, who is also the deputy director, Unizik Business School (UBS), said through the town hall meeting, the aspirants would address relevant education stakeholders on best ways to chart a new course for the state.
The university don, who reiterated the resolve of intelligentsia towards ensuring that the right person succeeds the incumbent Governor Willie Obiano of APGA, warned that it would not be business as usual for the contestants, who, he said, must have demonstrable track records. He, however, disclosed that AFI had developed a good governance template that would be made available to the aspirants during the town hall meeting.
AFI is a non-partisan academic group of lecturers, having a member-composition from all tertiary institutions in Nigeria. As a good governance advocate group, it is established to promote increased participation, involvement of academic community and scholars in governance across the country.
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