The Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, has appointed Ifeanyi Ibezi, a former House of Representatives member and an ally of Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, as the Anambra State campaign coordinator for the party.
Ibezi, who has been a strong pillar of Governor Soludo's APGA, recently dumped the party at a highly attended rally to join the NDC.
His recent appointment is seen as a move to use his popularity to drive votes for the NDC and also put APGA in check, especially with Soludo's growing resentment for Peter Obi.
Meanwhile, Ibezi has quickly swung into action, calling on all to rally round Obi and give him a resounding victory, saying that merely winning Obi's home state, Anambra, was not enough.
In a press statement he released on Tuesday, Ibezi said: "Anambra occupies a peculiar place in this campaign. As the home state of our presidential candidate, His Excellency, Mr Peter Obi, the expectations are understandably high, and we must rise to meet them.
"Our responsibility goes beyond securing victory; we must work to ensure that Anambra delivers a resounding mandate, reflected in the strength and number of valid votes cast for Mr Peter Obi.
"We must reach those who are undecided, those who feel left behind, those who have grown weary of the system, and those who have withdrawn from the electoral process because they no longer believe their votes can make a difference.
"We must listen to them, earn their confidence, and remind them that the future of our country is too important to be surrendered to apathy. The work has begun, and there is no room for complacency.
"We must take this campaign to the 21 LGAs, 326 Wards, 5,720 Polling Units, Markets, Churches and every household in Anambra State. Our objective is clear: to mobilise the people, secure their participation, and translate their aspirations into votes at the polls. We must also ensure that every valid vote counts and that the democratic process reflects the will of the people," he said.
2027: NDC appoints former Soludo ally, Ibezi to fight for Anambra's votes