2027: Abia farmers adopt PDP gov candidate

A vegetable farm to illustrate the story. Credit: Guardian

Over 40,000 farmers under the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, Abia State chapter, have endorsed the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Dr Kelechi Anosike, as their preferred candidate for the February 6, 2027 governorship election in the state.

The endorsement was announced on Tuesday by the state chairman of AFAN, Mike Okezie, who led members of the association’s executive to meet Anosike at his campaign office on Aba Road, Umuahia.

Okezie said the association decided to support Anosike because of his proposed agricultural policies and welfare programmes, describing him as a politician with a clear agenda for the sector.

He said farmers had laboured for years without adequate recognition and expressed confidence that Anosike’s agricultural blueprint would improve food security and farmers’ welfare in the state.

In a resolution read at the meeting, AFAN said it resolved to support Anosike after considering his proposals on food security, rural development and farmers’ welfare.

The association cited the proposed Operation Feed Abia, restoration of agricultural extension services, farm mechanisation, grants and other support programmes, revitalisation of farm settlements and rural development as reasons for its decision.

AFAN also resolved to mobilise its members across the 17 local government areas to participate peacefully in the election, promote Anosike’s agricultural policies in rural communities and engage with his campaign on agricultural value-chain development.

Responding, the Chairman of the Abia PDP Campaign Council, Amb Empire Kanu, said the farmers had made the right choice, describing Anosike as well-educated and grounded.

Kanu said Anosike would draw from the agricultural legacy of the late Dr M.I. Okpara, former Premier of the Eastern Region, while introducing modern agricultural machinery, including Apache farm equipment from Argentina.

The PDP state chairman and deputy governorship candidate, Elder Amah Abraham, said the party regarded farmers as strategic partners in governance and not merely election tools.

He pledged that the next PDP administration would nominate a farmer as commissioner for agriculture.

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The Director-General of the Abia PDP Governorship Campaign Council, Chief Obinna Nwachukwu, also requested the creation of a Directorate of Farmers within the campaign council, to be headed and populated by AFAN members.

Accepting the request, Anosike approved the creation of the directorate, saying it would involve farmers from across the state.

“And as the DG said, that request has been granted. There will be a directorate for the farmers. So in our campaign council, which is being constituted, they give us the name of local government coordinators, we incorporate them into what we’re doing, and the membership spans down all the 184 wards, all the polling units,” he said.

Anosike assured the farmers that they would have a prominent role in his proposed administration, describing governance as a partnership between the state government and farmers.

“As the state chairman said, the farmers will be an integral part of the next government. It will be a partnership between the state government and Abia farmers. They’ll have a pride of place,” he said.

The PDP candidate said his administration would pursue Operation Feed Abia to boost food production and ensure that residents did not go hungry.

He also promised to restore agricultural extension services, promote modern agronomic practices, reduce excessive chemical use in farming and empower local governments to provide tractors for land preparation.

Anosike further pledged to provide farm grants, promote packaging and standardisation of agricultural products for export, revitalise farm settlements and attract young people into fishery, piggery, poultry and ranching.

He said his administration would also establish a Rural Development Agency to improve rural roads and make agriculture a major driver of employment and wealth creation.

Anosike said he was encouraged that Abians were responding to issue-based campaigns, adding that the 2027 election would be a “referendum of ideas, not insults.”