By Nwafor Okafor
Joe Anatune, the Head of Media of the Anambra State Governor-elect, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, has described the loss of Andy Uba, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the Anambra State November 6 ppoll as an Olympian fall.
Mocking Uba in the Igbo Language, Anatune said, “Andy Uba dachalu chinie ukwu enu( had a summersault in the poll).
He alleged that Uba lost because he thought he could buy everybody in Anambra State and beyond.
He wondered why Uba that came distant third in the poll would be going about complaining about the outcome of the election whereas the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Valentine Ozigbo, that came second in the exercise, had since congratulated Soludo and moved on.
Anatune’s statement read in part,” The said election produced the Governor-Elect, Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo as winner with a wide margin over the runner up, Val Ozigbo, the PDP candidate. Ozigbo has since conceded defeat and congratulated Soludo. That’s the proper thing to do.
“Uba, whose campaign strategy was premised on buying political mercenaries and subterfuge came a distant third. If truth must be told, Uba’s public perception rating and that of his party are in the red in the State.
“He lived in denial of this stark reality and did absolutely nothing to improve it. Uba is curiously sour that he lost the election and notwithstanding the position of his party on the matter, is bent on challenging the outcome of the election in court.
“Of course, nobody can deny him of this fundamental right. What is massively against Uba is the court of public opinion. Ndi Anambra are tired of his meddlesome antics and are dismayed that he is preventing progress, because many of his pitches or arguments in support of his actions seem incoherent to the discerning. Many wonder who Senator Uba is actually listening to? Perhaps, he may be listening to a bloke from Imo State, forgetting that Anambra is not Imo State.
Anatune added,”Whoever Uba is listening to, is certainly not the likes of Senator Joy Emordi. Emordi, who former Senate President David Mark gave the sobriquet of ‘Joy of the Senate’ for her forthrightness and propensity to call a spade a spade, stirred the hornet’s nest by telling Uba the home truth.
“In a trending video, Emordi bluntly told the world what they knew and discussed in their closets. One, is that Uba sold the dummy that he had the November 6 election results in his pocket in his favour long before INEC blew the whistle.
“Two, is that Uba performed very poorly in the election despite the huge financial resources at his disposal. Finally, that Uba should blame himself for his contempt for the voters who in turn showed absolute contempt for his ambition. Uba and his handler’s are calling for Emordi’s head but it is possible that if at all, he has moments for introspection, he will accept that he bungled things and allow Anambra move forward.
“The reality today is that Ndi Anambra have gone beyond the retrogressive antics of Senator Uba and his likes. Instead, they are anxiously waiting for the day they will sit pretty in the comity of Livable Megacities in the world. This is where Soludo is taking Anambra to. This is going to be gritty, fascinating and rewarding journey. Everyone including Uba is invited”, Anatune stated.
