Town Hall Meeting: Candidates in 2023 elections in Abia to participate as OMPAN, Abia sets new date.

Chinwe Ugele, Umuahia

No fewer than 10 gubernatorial candidates from different political parties in Abia state in the 2023 general elections will participate in the scheduled town hall summit convened by Online Media Practitioners Association of Nigeria, Abia state coming up in ten days time.

Also, candidates of the National Assembly from political parties are billed to also take the stage at the summit.

A new date has been set aside for this all important event to accommodate all those who desire to reach a wider audience using the OMPAN platform.

To this end, November 30 and December 1, 2022 have been announced for the Abia Town Hall Summit for the National Assembly candidates and gubernatorial candidates respectively in the 2023 General Elections.

Online Media Practitioners Association of Nigeria OMPAN Abia on Monday explained that the event was rescheduled in order to perfect logistics and tactical plans even as fourteen Gubernatorial and several National Assembly candidates confirm their willingness to participate.

In a Press Statement by the Chairman of OMPAN Abia state, Paddy Anyatonwu, he explains that the Summit date has been extended by ten days in order to accommodate all the Gubernatorial and National Assembly candidates whose confirmation of participation came after arrangements for earlier confirmation had been concluded.

OMPAN and it’s partners propose the Summit in order to provide a formal platform for candidates of political parties to share their mission, vision and motives for seeking elective political offices from Abia citizens and the general public.

Anyatonwu says the difference between the Town Hall interface and the open air campaigns is that the atmosphere of the Town Hall session would provide Abians and the general public opportunity to closely interrogate the candidates by asking specific questions and seeking clarifications on how they intend to implement their proposed manifestoes and campaigns promises.

“The campaigns in the open is more like carnivals with party supporters singing and dancing. And the people do not get the opportunity to ask questions of those seeking elective offices, but during the town session, the candidates would provide explanations how they would execute the proposals in their manifesto, and their campaigns promises,” he said.

The breakdown of the new dates is as follows:

DATE: (National Assembly candidates)- Wed, Nov 30, 2022

TIME:- 9 am – 1Pm

2pm – 6pm

DATE: (Gubernatorial candidates)- Thursday, Dec 1, 2022

TIME: 9 am

The Town Hall sessions would be broadcast live on major radio stations across Abia and over 34 Online newspaper platforms reaching millions of Abians world wide.