By Our Correspondent
A former governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Anambra State, Chief Valentine Ozigbo, has accused Governor Charles Soludo of of Anambra State of attempting to subvert the democratic process in the upcoming local government elections.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Ozigbo, who is also a governorship aspirant in the 2025 Anambra governorship race on the platform of the Labour Party ( LP), alleged that Soludo’s actions are designed to install his allies and control the Federal Allocation Account Committee (FAAC) funds allocated to local governments.
Ozigbo criticized Soludo for failing to fulfill his promise to conduct local government elections within his first year in office, despite intense criticism from stakeholders.
He noted that Soludo made this promise during his inauguration over two years ago but only organized a poorly planned LGA election after facing criticism from key stakeholders, including himself.
Ozigbo accused Soludo of enacting laws inconsistent with the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act 2022, regarding election timing, party nominations, and election dates.
He described Soludo’s actions as “autocratic” and designed to rig the election in favour of his allies.
The LP chieftain emphasized the importance of legitimate local government leadership and administration in delivering the dividends of democracy to the people.
He vowed that the people of Anambra State would reject Soludo’s alleged assault on democracy.
Ozigbo’s statement coincides with the Labour Party’s consideration of boycotting the September 28 local government election, amid allegations of irregularities. The party, led by Peter Obi, is threatening to withdraw from the polls due to concerns over the electoral process._
Other political parties, including Edozie Njoku-led APGA, APC, and PDP, had also boycotted a stakeholders meeting convened by the Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission (ANSIEC) over the alleged illegal amendment of the ANSIEC law.
