Kelechi Anosike Wins Abia PDP Governorship Ticket, Pledges “People First” Agenda

Dr. Kelechi Anosike has emerged as the governorship candidate for Abia State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Anosike beat two other contenders for the PDP governorship ticket during last Sunday’s primary election after polling 16,543 votes. His closest rival, a former Commissioner for Information in the state, Chief John Okiyi Kalu, secured 3, 145 votes to place second; and a former Deputy Chief of Staff, Chief Olugu Kalu Ugba, came last with 961 votes.

The result was announced at the state party secretariat in Umuahia by the state Chairman of PDP, Elder Abrahma Amah, with the mandate of the Hon. Chris Nnadi-led seven-man panel that conducted the primary election.

“Kelechi Anosike scored a total of 16,543 votes and is hereby returned as the PDP gubernatorial candidate for the 2027 Governorship elections,” Amah declared, explaining that the primary election took place in all the 184 wards in the state, withh 179 wards turning in their results while five failed to submit theirs. “Those five wards do not have the capacity under the laws to override the results of 179 wards,” he clarified

Reacting to his emergence, Anosike, said he felt “deeply humbled, profoundly grateful and overwhelmed” by the confidence the party placed in him to fly its flag in the 2027 governorship election in Abia State.

“I am immensely grateful to Almighty God for this moment. I thank the delegates, I thank the stakeholders of the party for this opportunity and privilege to serve the party at this capacity,” he said.

The PDP candidate acknowledged the contributions of other aspirants, saying the contest had one winner but a shared mission.

“We have a collective mission, which is to reposition our great party to be able to take back government in Abia state and put Abia state on a positive and forward-looking path,” he said. He promised to reach out to his co-contestants in the coming days to unite and consolidate ideas for the party’s comeback.

Anosike also extended an olive branch to party members who had left, saying his candidacy represented a new direction.

“For those who left the party for one reason or the other, my candidacy represents a new mindset, it represents a new direction for the party and it’s time for them to come back home,” he said.

Outlining his priorities, if he wins the Abia 2027 governorship poll, Anosike said he would run a welfare and care-driven government, with policies centered on the people.

“It’s going to be a welfarist mindset and it will reflect in all we do. And we are saying that we’ll build infrastructure and we’ll build lives,” he said.

“We are sponsoring an operation called Feed Abia. It’s a back-to-farm state policy so we need to generate enough food that will sustain our people,” he said.

He pledged a “civil service care” policy that would pay above the prescribed minimum wage, and a “pension plus” scheme for retirees. He argued that Abia’s challenge was not lack of resources but poor management.  Abia is not poor. But Abia is poorly managed,” he said

The PDP candidate said his administration would focus on youth opportunities, women’s inclusion, and microcredit for small businesses, alongside infrastructure development.

Responding to questions about defeating the sitting governor, the international oil and gas commercial solicitor from Umukabia Ohuhu in Umuahia North, dismissed assumptions that the incumbent had delivered for the people.

“Assumption is not always a reality. So the situation and facts on ground, they are opposite to that assumption,” he said.

He said his campaign would run on a “people first” policy where no Abian in need would be treated as a problem but as a priority.

“If you’re an Abian and you are in need, the next government will see you as a priority,” he said.