By Lawrence Nwimo
The Director-General of Nze Akachukwu Campaign Organisation, Dr. Harris Chuma Odili, has stated that Valentine Ozigbo of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP and Prof. Chukwuma Soludo of the ruling All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, are not fit to be elected governor of Anambra state in the November 6 gubernatorial election.
Dr. Odili made this assertion in an interview with Orient Daily reporter on plans of his party, African Democratic Congress, ADC, for the forthcoming governorship poll in the state.
He said that Prof. Soludo and Ozigbo should not be considered taking up governorship position of Anambra State despite their widely acclaimed popularity in the state.
Dr. Odili, a renowned filmmaker and strategic communications expert argued that “Valentine Ozigbo is a journey just come and a virgin in politics. His emergence in PDP has not only caused rifts in the party but also destabilized the party because those people who are behind him are the real problems of the party.”
He described Prof. Soludo’s ambition as a misplaced priority saying, “Soludo is a great man and a good man but he is not electable. Soludo is not electable because the people need someone who can come down to the level of the people, most importantly those at the grassroot.”
“Governance is not about being able to speak grammar and people of the state do not need concepts and theories. Anambra is not looking for a professor to govern them but someone who can connect to the needs of the people and impact their lives positively,” he added.
He maintained that Anambra election has nothing to do with big names and that people who parade themselves as favourites will be shocked with the outcome of the November 6 election.
According to Dr. Odili, “Anambra governorship election is not about big names, big parties or big money. It is about what you have upstairs. It is the ability of the candidate to convince electorates with their manifesto and reach out to the electorates to convince them that you are the right man for the job not the right man to be imposed on the party members and the people of the state.”
He insisted that ADC is better positioned to produce the next governor that will succeed the Willie Obiano, as the party plans to take governance to the grassroots where rural dwellers will feel the impact of governance at its best.
He therefore assured that ADC would establish the Ministry of Umunna affairs where the elders will have a chief officer representing them in the government.
“We are going to empower Umunna affairs system that has been left in comatose. The government will appreciate the Umunna structure in Igbo tradition and we are going to run an issue based campaigns on truths.”
While he decrying the spate of injustice in some political parties, he said that APGA denied his principal and ADC candidate, Nze Akachukwu Nwankpo, a special envoy to former President Goodluck Jonathan, guber ticket owing to the activities of cabals and money bags in the party.
He further claimed that the same injustice was meted on ADC national chairman, Chief Ralph Nwosu, alleging that Nwosu’s mandate was highjacked by moneybags and fed to the former Anambra state governor, Mr. Peter Obi
“Ralph Nwosu’s mandate was stolen by the cabals of APGA those days. He won the gubernatorial candidate of APGA clear in a transparent election but the moneybags who form the cabals took it away from him to favour Peter Obi.”