Okonkwo said it is an initiative to take the recovery plan of the Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, to the grassroots and win majority votes in Anambra State.
He spoke to journalists in Awka on Monday and added that it is intended to help the party reach every electorate in the state, with a view to winning 1,000 votes per ward.
He explained that the party was working to “win as always,” which, according to him, is the theme of the state campaign.
Okonkwo said the PDP and its presidential campaign committee, had for months gained significant converts to the Atiku-Okowa ticket and recovery plan, including critical stakeholders, adding that they are confident of victory for the party in the forthcoming presidential elections, as Anambra had always delivered for the PDP.
He said, “We are taking the ‘One ward, minimum of 1,000 votes’ campaign to the 326 wards in the state in order to make the campaign’s theme ‘Win As Always’ practical and impactful.
“With the inauguration of ward and polling booth canvassers, which will be launched officially on January 18, our gospel of recovery will be preached to every available Anambra voter for them to key into the Atiku-Okowa agenda.
“The canvassers will serve as the apostles of Atiku-Okowa and preach the gospel of the recovery and rescue agenda to every Anambra electorate.
“The Atiku-Okowa presidential management committee in Anambra State has won over many converts for the party and is still making inroads in the state, which is necessary for the victory of the party and the presidential candidate.”
Okonkwo said that the PDP in Anambra would not only win as always, but this time with wide margins, as the campaign committee is targeting a significant per cent increase from previous victories in the state.
He added that the Atiku-Okowa campaign is looking to harness popular votes from the about 2.5 million registered voters in Anambra state, according to INEC figures as of today.
“Since the inauguration of the campaign council and management committee—both led by Senator Ben Ndi Obi, CON, and my humble self, respectively—we have put together a template called ‘Win As Always’ to inspire PDP supporters and stakeholders and to increase the party’s acceptance in Anambra State and the surrounding South-East.
“With the ‘Win As Always’ template’s success, we believe it’s time to increase awareness among our people in rural areas (grassroots) in order to capitalise on the appeal and popularity that the PDP and our party’s presidential candidate enjoy among Idi Anambra and Igbos at large.
“We are confident that Atiku Abubakar, and Senator Ifeanyichukwu Okowa, will be victorious in Anambra. Our ‘One ward, minimum of 1,000 votes’ campaign project, which is expected to complement the Win As Always theme, aiming to launch in the wards and polling booths from January 18 to January 22, 2023, from where our apostles for Atiku-Okowa would spread the ‘One Ward, Minimum of One Thousand Votes’ gospel and ensure its penetration across the entire 326 wards and 5720 polling booths.
“Looking at the figures and total votes cast for Anambra State in the 2019 presidential election, where about 625,035 votes were cast and the PDP amassed over 84 per cent of the total votes cast in the state, polling 524,738, hopes are high that the state will witness a 10-15 per cent increase if the security situation in the region permits.
“Nigerians across every divide are yearning for the PDP to return to power; we in Anambra State and the South-East are not left behind, we want the PDP back, and the recovery plan of Atiku Abubakar,” Okonkwo added.
