Anambra State Association of Town Unions (ASATU) has dismissed an online publication by a group purportedly led by one Chief Olisa Ezeadi which calls itself “Coalition of Town Unions Leaders (COTUL)” and reportedly comprises one hundred and eighty-one town unions said to have” adopted a particular candidate Hon. Chukwuma Umeoji as a sole candidate for the November 6, governorship poll in Anambra State.
A statement jointly signed by the National President Anambra State Association of Town Unions (ASATU), Chief Titus Akpudo and Dr. Dozie Felix Nwosu, National Secretary, ASATU, stated that the leadership of ASATU would not have bothered to join issues with the group but for the misleading fallacies and lies contained therein which alluded that the said group consists of Presidents General of town unions in the State among others.
The statement reads that Anambra State Association of Town Unions (ASATU) is the only officially CAC registered and government recognized umbrella body of all the one hundred and seventy-nine Town Unions in Anambra State as the twenty-five year old body provides a veritable platform for the elected President General of each of the 179 communities in Anambra State to sit and represent the interest of their communities.
It explained that the only known representative of the town union in each of the communities in Anambra State is the President General of the town who shall be a member of ASATU led by the National President of the association.
According to the statement, the records of ASATU show that Chief Olisa Ezeadi is not a President General of any community and therefore has no locus in any form to speak for any community, town Unions or ASATU in the State, therefore, the purported statement by Chief Olisa Ezeadi did not emanate from the leadership of ASATU.
The statement made it categorically clear to the general public that ASATU under the leadership of the National President, Chief Titus Akpudo, did not hold any summit over the weekend with the intention of adopting or endorsing any candidate or for any other purpose and has not in any way adopted any political party, candidate or the said candidate mentioned therein as its official candidate for the governorship election in the state.
It further urged the general public to disregard the said online publication as it is merely a product of faceless popularity seekers while assuring that ASATU shall continue to play responsible roles towards the enthronement of true democracy in Anambra State.