By Gabriel Chy Alonta
Few days to the November 6 gubernatorial election in Anambra state, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) standard bearer, Mr. Valentine Chineto Ozigbo, has urged electorates to avoid selling their votes. He also enjoined electorates to religious sentiments and vote him as the most qualified candidate.
Ozigbo, a former chairman and chief executive of Transcorp, who made this call in Awka, the Anambra state capital on Monday, warned other political parties in the contest to avoid buying electorates over against their will.
He also denied the claim that he has Mr. Peter Obi as his godfather, saying that the only godfather he would have had were the same ones he fought and defeated in the court to retrieve his governorship ticket.
Ozigbo said, “A godfather is a person you cannot say no to and I do not have that kind of person around me. I do not have a godfather.
“Godfather is one who will tie your hands and tell you to share the state’s resources. I know those ones and I battled them in court and I defeated them well. So I’m in the race to give value to Anambra people.
“Obi is not my godfather, and if you noticed, while I was still aspiring for the ticket of the PDP, he (Obi) never followed me to anywhere, but only came immediately I won the ticket of the party.
“He (Obi) was never with me when I was not a candidate, but when I won the candidacy, he also came all out. I associate with him because I know he did well. If I’m not proud to associate with Peter Obi, who else will I be proud to associate with in Anambra PDP. I want to be more popular than Peter Obi after my tenure because I’m ready to consolidate on his achievements and even to do more”, he enthused.
Ozigbo then said he is confident of winning the election, but expressed worry about the level of rot he will meet in office when he assumes. He described himself as being on a huge advantage in the election, having three qualities that all the other candidates lack – Content of character, ability to listen and his youthfulness.
He added that he has so far taken his campaign to six governorship debates, when his counterparts in the All Progressives Congress (APC), and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Senator Andy Uba and Prof. Chukwuma Soludo respectively, have both attended only one hosted by the Arise News Channel.
Speaking on Chief Willie Obiano led APGA government, the business mogul faulted the present administration for stalling growth and development in the last eight years, which, he said, brought the state to bad light.
“This is most appalling and a problem by the current government. I wish I’d taken over immediately after Mr. Peter Obi, but I’ll still fix this brokenness of our dear state”, the PDP standard bearer added.