Tag: Anambra 2025

The All Progressives Congress (APC) Elders Forum has endorsed the zoning formula introduced in Anambra State by the former governor, Mr Peter Obi.

 This is coming ahead of the Anambra State governorship election in 2025.

 They chorused that the governorship zoning was generally agreed upon by all the political parties in the state when Obi announced it.

 Anambra State Chairman of  the APC Elders’ Forum, Sir,  Innocent Obi, declared that anybody who tried to scuttle the zoning arrangement would be doing so at their own risk.

 Obi spoke at the Ahocol Estate in Awka, after the meeting of the Forum, which attracted the members from all the 21 local government areas.

  He assured that the elders were mobilizing daily at the grassroots level in readiness for the upcoming governorship election.

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 He said that the forum was busy proffering solutions to knotty issues that could bring problems to the election.

 Obi said, “We’re there, we’re working and we have a cordial relationship with the state executive of the party.

“Whatever you do, you have to face the court of public opinion. There was an agreement to the effect that this is the way things should be going in Anambra state.

“In Imo State all the political parties gathered together for what they, I think, called equity charter. The idea is if you take, I take. If you take all, you know what it means.

 “For me, an agreement is an agreement whether written or not. There’s a system already at work in Anambra state.

” Anybody who denies that is not telling the truth. As elders, we should say it the way it is.

“An arrangement is on the ground. During the 2022 election, the party that pretended that zoning was nonsense suffered for it. 

“They suffered because someone who contested under their platform did not come from where that post should go.

“Whatever decision our party comes up with, the elders must go with them because we’re under them. There’s an arrangement on the ground, if the party touches it, there’s nothing the elders can do.”

Labour Party (LP) governorship hopeful in the 2025 Anambra state gubernatorial election, Valentine Ozigbo, said the former presidential candidate of the party, Peter Obi can’t install him as governor in the state.

He also said he would dwarf Obi’s achievements in four years if given the chance to rule Anambra state by the people.

He said: “I’m not relying on LP presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Mr. Peter Obi to install me as governor of the state.”

Speaking weekend in Onitsha at a meeting with LP stakeholders from Anambra north senatorial zone, Ozigbo who officially informed his audience of his ambition to run for the poll, appealed to the party faithful to support his ambition.

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Ozigbo, who was the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the 2021 governorship election before he jumped ship, said he would be Anambra state candidate and not Peter Obi’s candidate.

“Although I’m a great believer and supporter of our leader, Mr. Peter Obi, I’m not relying on him to install me as governor

“I don’t want to be Peter Obi’s candidate, I want to be Anambra state candidate.”

Meanwhile, no fewer than 100 members of the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), in Anambra state have left the party and joined the labour party.

They said their actions were to ensure the incumbent governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo was not re-elected for a second term as governor.

The decampees, mainly APGA members in Ogbaru local government area of the state were received at the Onitsha Holiday Resort field at the weekend by LP chairman, Ogbaru local government area, Chief Emeka Nwosu.

Others at the occasion were member representing Ogbaru federal constituency in the House of Representatives and leader LP caucus in the House of Representatives, Hon. Afam Ogene and several other party stalwarts in the local government.

Leader of the APGA decampees and former aspirant for Ogbaru 1 constituency of the state House of Assembly under the party’s platform during the 2023 general election, Ndubuisi Igwilo re-echoed that their decision to dump APGA was to frustrate Soludo’s second term bid.

He flayed the governor over what he described as poor performance in the past two years of his administration.

He said: “I was formerly in APGA, but currently in the Labour Party. I led the decampees into the LP. 

“We decided to leave APGA to join the LP because as you can see the LP is the party for the people and most of the elected members are at the center too. 

“We left APGA because the slogan, ‘APGA bu nke ayi’ has become a mere statement and the promises they gave us in Anambra last time are not being fulfilled and that is why the people are disillusioned. He has failed in his promises, he did not even do one. 

“He promised us he would conduct local government elections after two years as governor in office, but this is going to three years, he has failed to do that, and, he is looking for another tenure, it doesn’t make sense.

“Any politician that made promises during election and failed should not be giving another opportunity.

“I think it’s high time for Ndi Anambra to try another party and see what they can do because nothing tangible is happening in Anambra. The roads he is building are things a local government chairman can do if election is conducted.

“It is not an achievement that a governor will come and do borehole and be announcing it all over the places, I, myself I can do borehole for the people. These are things individuals can do.

“My expectations are high as we joined the Labour Party, the Labour Party elected officials are really doing well, those at the house of Assembly forfeited their six months salaries for the people, all across the country, LP officials are really doing very well.”

Receiving the decampees, Ozigbo expressed joy over the action of the decampees and said that he had been vindicated in his assessment of Soludo as having failed the state.

Also speaking, Member representing Ogbaru federal constituency and caucus leader of LP lawmakers in the House of Representatives, Hon Afam Ogene commended the decampees for their courage and act of patriotism in joining the party.