By Cajetan Mmuta
Deputy Governor of Anambra Dr. Nkem Okeke on Friday urged residents and people of the state to look up and vote for the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate for the November 6 governorship election Senator Andy Uba so that they can benefit immensely from the center the greater opportunities the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) failed to provide for them and the state since the past years.
Besides, he disclosed that he resigned from the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the state because he hadn’t the ears of Governor Willie Obiano and was never allowed to make positive contributions in the government of the day in the state.
Dr. Okeke stated this while speaking with selected media executives in Awka, the state capital.
Okeke also dismissed rumor making the rounds of plans by members of the state House of Assembly to impeach him following his recent defection from APGA, to the APC, adding that he was confident that lawmakers in the house would not initiate impeachment action against him as “Nobody will find anything against me for such action”.
In addition, Dr. Okeke said that he holds Governor Willie Obiano in high esteem, stressing that he would not resign from the APGA led government and would remain in office as deputy governor till the end of their tenure on March 17, 2022, saying that his resolve to leave APGA for the APC was because of his strong desire to offer services to humanity and the country.
According to him, belonging to the APC and at the epicenter of Nigeria’s politics in decision-making processes have placed APC Governors Forum on core vantage positions than those of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), APGA, and others who are floating on basic National issues.
The Deputy Governor said Anambra state and Ndigbo stand a better chance under the APC with the provision of infrastructural development strides of President Muhammadu Buhari in the Southeast geo-political zone such as the ongoing Second River Niger bridge and other key projects that would bolster the economic viability of the state and the geo-political zone in general.
On likely threats to his life, he dislocated that there had not been any form of threats to his life since he defected to APC, pointing out though that a lot of people close to him, including his family members have been expressing fears that he may be harmed by political opponents for leaving APGA to APC.
On why he didn’t consider leaving APGA till the end of their tenure in government, Okeke said it was his plan to defect to APC as soon as they hand over on March 17, next year, but that his defection eventually happened because the APC leaders eventually came for him on their own, adding that he only yielded to the pressure because they insisted that he should join the party immediately.
He insisted that for the state to experience real development and even the South East in 2023, they should join the ruling party at the center.
While urging Ndi Anambra to cast their votes for Senator Andy Uba on November 6 election, the Deputy Governor said the APC candidate, has all the required credentials to lead the state as governor.
“Senator Uba has a listening ear, and, such would run a successful administration if people who have ideas are selected to assist him.”
“When they (APC leaders) came for me, I made three requests: the first was that they should present me to Mr. President (Muhammadu Buhari, the second was that they should give me a bullet-proof jeep, and, the third was that I should be given appointment, either as a DG (Director-general) of a parastatal or as an ambassador. They have fulfilled the first two, remaining the third one”, Okeke explained.
“I refer to myself as an accidental politician, of course, some of you know my story; when I served Mr. Peter Obi for six months I resigned my appointment when I saw it that I didn’t have the ears of the Governor, as a commissioner of you don’t have the ears of the governor then you are wasting your time and that’s why I resigned and I went back to the university to continue my lecturing.”
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“Of course, the Deputy Governor thing came up and I was on holiday in the US, when a call came in, that the chairman of the party at the time Chief Victor Umeh wanted me to serve as the Deputy Gubernatorial candidate and of course I came, back we won the election.
“Second tenure, the governor invited me, I never asked him to be his running mate. He said that I would be his running mate and that information there was no communication between me and him until the day he was making this announcement at the Women Development Center when he mentioned my name as his running mate.”
“Of course have I been happy, no I haven’t been happy. The story of what transpired and why I find myself where I am I said it’s going to be taken for another day. Simply said I have not been happy, I have not been carried along; I have not been treated well I have been in the back. I have been treated as of I didn’t exist,” he said.
“I don’t have anything against APGA as a party but instead of a party moving forward to gain ground in the region we lost ground and we have lost ground. We need to be at the center. The party politics in Nigeria is not based on any ideology,” he stated.
