Tony Okafor, Awka
The Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, has expressed optimism that the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) will win the governorship elections in Enugu and Ebonyi States in the 2023 general elections.
Soludo stated this when a campaign delegation of APGA faithful and their Governorship Candidates from Enugu and Ebonyi States paid him a courtesy visit at the Governor’s Lodge, Amawbia near Awka, the Anambra State capital.
The Delegation from Enugu State comprised : Frank Nweke Junior (APGA Governorship Candidate), Dr. Edith Ngozi Ugwuanyi (APGA Deputy Governorship Candidate), Chief Casmir Ugwuishi (APGA Senatorial Candidate), Mr Ndubuisi Enechi Onyia, Mr Nonso Nnamani, Mr Francis Onyemenam and Ms Uche Ezeugwu.
Those from Ebonyi State were made up of ; Prof Benard Odoh (APGA Governorship Candidate), Dr. Nkata Chukwu (APGA Deputy Governorship Candidate), Sen. Onwe Emmanuel (APGA Senatorial Candidate, Ebonyi Central), Charles Otu, Boniface Ogbu and Amaechi Nwenewo.
Restating that APGA is one family, Soludo said , “When I look at you all, I’m looking at a team. We must forge together to begin the journey to get this country to work.
“It is time for true progressives to come together to move this party forward.
As flag bearers of this party, you must understand APGA is more than a political party. It is a movement that I believe in.
“My purpose at this moment is to fix our land. I started from the International scene to Abuja and now, I am at Awka. I am on a journey towards retirement.
“Our individualism is our greatest strength but also our greatest weakness. We want to succeed alone but we forget about collective power on which our founding fathers thrived on.
“APGA is the address of Ndigbo. We need to organise ourselves and bargain for others. There are governing alliances and where these votes are. We must organise and bargain in a more serious manner for people to take us seriously.
“There are basic infrastructures that give you electoral victory. You look at the demographics of those voters, what drives them to vote. I am hoping and believing that after the election post-march, Ndigbo will start having serious conversations.
“Alliance is the politics played in the first and second republic. I feel very passionate because I am talking to members of my family. We must turn our anger positively and have a long term view of this matter.
“Our people must go back to the drawing board. Zik and his team understood our society and we must instil the new Zikism.We have lots of work. I must encourage you strongly that we must work and understand the power of organization.
“We must change the system to become an economic powerhouse and nations will find and come to us.”
Prof Oddo, while speaking earlier said, he had been anticipating the opportunity to meet with Soludo, restating that the motto of APGA was hinged on Onye aghana nwanne ya(Be your brother’s keeper).
He reminded Soludo that when he was campaigning, he talked about regional geo-political economy, stressing that people were tired of PDP and APC politics.
Oddo disclosed that in Ebonyi and Enugu, APGA billboards, posters and vehicles were being destroyed by detractors, enjoining Soludo to make a speech as APGA Governor in that regards in a joint conference.
For his side, Frank Nweke(Jnr) hailed Soludo for his ( Soludo’s) great work and focus on security and road infrastructure, adding he had worked together with Soludo in the past under a former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, recalling the amount of work Soludo did nationally as Chief Economic Adviser which he said drove the transformative agenda under President Obasanjo
“And because of these works, President Obasanjo didn’t hesitate to nominate you as CBN Governor where you transformed the banking sector.
“From the depth of my soul, I want to assure you that I have imbibed the spirit of Onye aghana nwanne that’s why I’m in APGA.”
