Boniface Okoro in Umuahia
The 2027 Governorship Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abia State, Dr. Kelechi Anosike, has said the party will win the next election because Abians have lost patience with poor welfare and want a government focused on people’s well-being.
Addressing journalists at the PDP secretariat in Umuahia during a thank-you visit after his INEC documentation in Abuja, Anosike said the 2023 defeat happened because of lack of internal cohesion in the party.
“PDP has found new energy in Kelechi Anosike. The crowd you see here is a loud and eloquent testimony of our effort to take over government in Abia State,” he said. “This is not campaign yet. This is a thank-you visit to our delegates, stakeholders, and the 17 LGAs to reactivate our party machineries.”
He said PDP’s strength lies in its structure across all wards and polling units. “There is no other party that has structure in all the wards, all the polling units. So, PDP membership strength is strong and unbeatable,” Anosike stated.
On governance, the candidate, who described himself as “a welfarist,” said his administration would prioritize workers’ welfare above infrastructure. He decried unpaid promotion and leave allowances, and civil servants earning N40,000 to N50,000.
“There will be a holistic salary structure review from local government to state civil service and judiciary. We will start with N90,000 minimum wage, and within two years, the lowest level will be N100,000,” he promised. He added that pensioners would also get a review and health insurance.
For job creation, Anosike announced plans to establish the Abia Labour Global Opportunities Agency (ALGOA), to train youths for remote international jobs. “You can be in Arochukwu, Bende, Ohuhu, or Obingwa, working for a company in Asia or Germany and earning dollars from the comfort of your home,” he said.
He also proposed the Abia State Informal Sector Development Regulatory Agency (ASIDRA) to certify and license artisans such as electricians, mechanics and plumbers to boost their capacity and to enable them to access global markets. “Money follows value. When you license them, they price their jobs well,” he explained.
Other programmes include: “Operation Feed Abia” for agriculture, a sports academy to revive talents like Enyimba FC’s past glory, functional primary healthcare centres, and an Abia health insurance scheme where government will cover 70 per cent of premiums for civil servants.
Anosike said justice delivery would be prioritised to end prolonged detention without trial. “We will not deny anyone justice and we will not delay justice,” he said, adding: “Tell any civil servant, pensioner, youth, or farmer that salvation has come with a welfarist package.”
