Alphonsus Nweze
In a matter of days, about 2.7m Anambra electorate will file out in over 4000 polling units to elect the Governor of Anambra State for the next four years.
He will replace the Aguleri born accountant and corporate player, Chief Willie Obiano who will complete his statutory eight- year tenure on March 17, 2022.
As expected many key political gladiators are in the race for the plum job but three of them, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Senator Andy Uba of All Progressives Congress (APC), and Chief Valantine Ozigbo, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) are in hot contention for the juicy job.
But among the three, Prof. Soludo of APGA seem not only to be the most eminently qualified but also the most popular. The voters however should determine who is the most popular with their voter’s cards.
The open boast and threat by the APC to win the election at all cost, using Federal might is not only worrisome but a threat to free and fair election on November 6.
APC in Anambra State has publicly and privately never hidden their desperation to win this election even when they know the party does not exist in any part of the South East.
The Attorney General of the Federation, Abubukar Malami (SAN), in the midst of contrived insecurity in the state muted the idea of a State of Emergency that was widely condemned by NIgerians . If they had achieved this, it would have given APC unassailable victory in the coming poll.
Just the other day, a representative of Minister of Interior in an occasion hinted that prisoners would be used to elect the next Governor of Anambra State if the voters fail to come out due to Sit-at-Home order by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
That shows the desperation of some cabals in APC and presidency to take over Anambra State at all cost even when the party and its flagbearer are not popular in the state.This amounts to covetousness, longing for what does not belong to you.
There is palpable fear that INEC might be compromised into delivering APC candidate in this election.
The fact however is that power belongs to the people. If people stand firm, reject APC and its candidate in this election there is practically nothing INEC, security operatives and any other body or institution employed to rig the election can do than to surrender to the popular will of the people.
The people of Anambra State have done it before at a period electoral process was at the most crude stage in this country. Unfortunately, the same elements trying to rig this election were the same people who crudely manipulated electoral system in the state in the past, openly falsified and changed results of elections.
If Obaseki in Edo State fought guaguatan APC chairman, Adams Oshiomhole and his cohorts to standstill through the massive support of the people of Edo State, I don’t see why the people of Anambra State cannot teach these people who burnt the state the lessons of their lives in this election.
If Governor Ortom of Benue State, could defect from APC to PDP and subdued APC equally with the mammoth support of the people of Benue State to be elected for a second tenure, I don’t see why Anambra people should hand over their state to Fulani controlled politcians.
Unfortunately, I hear people talking as if they have resigned their fate to whatever machination of APC in this election. No. It should not be so.
The people of Anambra State should rise up to the challenge of this period, not only to ensure that the plot to rig this election fails but also to vote the most qualified and popular candidate in this election, Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo.
Time for the people of Anambra State and Ndigbo in general to have paradigm shift in economy and politics of NIgeria has come and the only candidate who has the capacity, what it takes, who can drive this paradigm shift is no other person than Prof. Soludo.
Anambra State is the melting pot of South East, South South, some parts of North Central , South West and even Cameroon commercially. We need to take the State beyond this pedestrian level to higher and sphisticsted level. And the only candidate who has that capacity, expertise and courage is Soludo.
In this dispensation when Nigerians are talking of restructuring of the polity, Ndigbo need to parade their first eleven. We should wean ourselves of political leaders who cannot stand on their own and defend the interest of their people in Abuja or elsewhere as we have today in South East.
Anambra does not need a Governor imposed on it from outside. A Governor whose manifestoes and progrrmees are externally driven by his god fathers. Before he does anything he has to get clearance from Abuja, Sokoto or Kaduna. God forbid. We don’t need a caliphate Governor in Anambra State.
We also don’t need a Governor who will be carried about like hand bag by a god father. We need a Governor who can look at any person’s face and tell the person the truth as it is, who will without fear or favour say it that for the interest of his people this cannot happen.
It is these qualities that enemies call arrogance on the part of Soludo. It is not arrogance but exeduing of confidence and ability to put one’s feet on the ground and do the right thing to all manner of people at all times as long as he remains the Governor.
It amount to stating the obvious to say that Prof. Soludo has been tested and therefore has the track-record and experience to take Anambra State to higher height. And that is why every Anambra voter should go out to his/her respective polling booth to cast his/her votes for Prof. Soludo.
Anambra people should vote for the philosopher king who according to Plato possess wisdom, intelligence, and reliability. Among the contenders for this governorship position, there is no other person this discription by Plato fits more than Soludo.
