.Top candidates in the Anambra State governorship election slated for November 16, have taken to social media to win over the hearts of the electorate.Candidates of the All Progressives Congress, Senator Chris Ngige; Labour Party, Dr. Patrick Ubah; and Willie Obiano of the ruling All Progressive Grand Alliance are using the platform to announce policy thrusts, building recognition and canvassing for votes.
The micro-blogging service, Twitter, is particularly being used as the key digital battleground by the trio to engage with voters in the state. Each of them is using the online platform to engage their followers in the build up to the polls.
Ngige was the first to register a presence on Twitter as he set the ball rolling on August 22, tweeting via @SenChrisNgige. Ngige, who periodically tweets in both English and Igbo languages, has garnered the highest number of following on Twitter with over 2,000 people subscribing to his daily tweets.
Ngige, who represents Anambra Central Senatorial District in the upper chamber of the National Assembly, got a retweet from Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, who is of the APC, within the first few days he joined the social network.
Responding to the gesture, Ngige tweeted, “I thank my brother Governor, @raufaregbesola, Ogbeni of Osun, for welcoming me to Twitter with his 21,000 followers. Our victory is sure come November 16.”
Also in his early days on Twitter, he aligned himself with the catch phrase — I have a dream — of the late American civil rights activist, Martin Luther King (Jnr).
He tweeted, “I have a dream when Ndigbo shall arise and throw away the chains of slavery and when Anambra shall be the pride of Nigeria. I have a dream when mediocre governance shall be history in our land and all our youths shall be freely educated and equipped for tech breakthrough.
“May God continue to arrest and frustrate every desperate attempt to rig this poll in Jesus name. The Almighty God is our only father; every godfather of Anambra politics shall be disgraced at the polls. The voice of the people is the voice of God.”
On his part, Obiano, candidate of the ruling APGA, signed up for Twitter on September 5. With 320 tweets, he has been able to attract 556 followers on the social network. When he debuted on Twitter, he appealed to a handful of prolific Twitter users on the Nigerian social media space, including award-winning producer and singer, Don Jazzy, to amplify his presence on the social service.
His first tweet stated, “I am Willie Obiano, the APGA governorship candidate for Anambra election. Would you mind following back, please?” However, Ngige lent his opponent at the polls a helping hand as he sent him a shout out few hours after he joined the social network.
Ngige tweeted, “I welcome my brother Willie Obiano who joined Twitter few days after me.” Obiano replied saying, “Good morning, distinguished @SenChrisNgige. Thank you for welcoming me on Twitter. Clearly, it’s a nice place to cross-fertilize ideas.”
When a Twitter user, Perez Tigidam, tackled him on his rationale for choosing to sign up for the social network at the twilight of the election, he tweeted, “Pardon my lateness. My generation’s embrace of technology hasn’t been particularly quick. It’s exciting to be on Twitter, the home of young (at heart) and smart, the place where people aren’t afraid to engage.
“Hope to enjoy here. And if I win — by your help — I will still be here with you.”
But Obiano has of late been battling on Twitter with an allegation that he signed a postdated agreement with the National Chairman of the party, Chief Victor Umeh, in which he was alleged to have used the title of a governor in the said document.
Meanwhile, he has cleared the air on the said document which widely circulated online, saying it was the handiwork of those seeking to discredit his credentials.
Obiano, in a chat with one of his Twitter followers, said, “We are not distracted by documents like this. Am I no longer presumed to be protégé of Gov. Peter Obi? If I did enter into such a laughable agreement, it means I am assuming I’ve won this election even before Anambra people vote. With the desperation on the camp of the opposition, this may not be their last attempt at discrediting us.”
For Labour Party’s candidate, Ubah, who joined Twitter on August 23, making use of the social service to raise volunteers is paramount. He declared on his Twitter page that he would need volunteers for office tasks, to distribute flyers and such other people who would serve as election monitors.
He wrote, “My vision for Anambra is bigger than my fears; my actions are louder than my words; and my word is my bond. Our mandate is to restore people’s confidence in government.
“This election will not be won without the support of all Anambrarians and the help of God. Please, volunteer. Thank you for supporting my campaign!”
With 272 tweets he has been able to win over 715 followers who now subscribe to his updates on the social network.
PUNCH
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