By Cajetan Mmuta, Awka.
National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje and South East Governors Forum have agreed that the zone is marginalized in the scheme of things and agreed to work towards addressing the mistakes in the past
Specifically, they also noted that Anambra state has been in political limbo for the past 25 years and therefore must be lifted from its current comatose status.
The APC National Chairman and South East Governors Forum represented by the Governor of Imo state State, Senator Hope Uzodinma accused the state of playing lone ranger politics with its All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) status, adding that the party is not a key player in the political arena.
Besides, they blasted APGA for not showing any visible or outstanding achievement compared with other states across the country.
Both Alhaji Ganduje and Senator Uzodinma spoke during the APC South East Colloquium and Empowerment on the De- De-Marginalization of the geopolitical zone held in Nnewi the commercial town of Anambra state.
Ganduje stated, “Anambra is not making progress needed, Anambra has had Peter Obi, Willie Obiano and now Prof Charles Soludo who is my friend and brother all from APGA as its governors and that is 25 years of political isolation for the state”
He said, “They (APGA) need to join the ruling party and they will be happy and better for it. Why should Anambra continue to live in isolation? If there have been any superlative performance, on that isolated platform it would have been a different thing and this is a valid case of selfish politics.”
Senator Hope Uzodinma on his part said, “It is a thing of joy that the National leadership of APC had acknowledged that the South East is marginalized today and having established that sickness, the question is who is the doctor that would prescribe the drugs and I think the National Chairman and his medical team will prescribe what drug should be applied.”
But the National Publicity Secretary of APGA, Mazi Ejimofor Opara in a quick reaction said, “There is a fundamental reason to believe that the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje is a man living behind time and disconnected from the political reality of the era.”
He said, “I do not intend to keep this too long, as the response to Ganduje’s claims that “Anambra is not making expected progress under APGA” is one that is self-evident and does not require further ado to dispel.”
“First, I wonder the level of progress Kano State made under Ganduje’s APC that resulted in a revolutionary and historic rejection of the Party by the people in 2023 as the people opted instead to vote for the NNPP and were ready to stake their lives to defend their votes.”
“This shows one thing, if Ganduje understands the meaning of progress, he would know that the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has remained in winning ways despite deliberate systemic efforts to diminish the totality of Southeast progress from quarters very much familiar to Ganduje. At best, Ganduje’s remarks about “connecting Anambra to the Centre” are an open mockery to the sensibility of the Southeast people.”
The APGA spokesperson noted that “Yesterday’s APC colloquium was held in Nnewi, one of the seven local governments in the Anambra South senatorial district under an APC Senator. Ganduje should commission an independent survey to ask the people of Anambra South how well they have faired under a Senator who has “connected to the centre”?
“The Southeast, nay Anambra, are like old dogs that cannot be caught with new tricks. There is a lot to be said about the message of the APC National Chairman, but given the character and antecedence of the messenger, I and other truly Progressives are not surprised — who would so easily forget a “Gandollar” and his infamous gimmicks as the Governor of Kano State?
“Most remnants of the insignificant APC in the State still wonder how a colloquium turned to a political primary election where the National Chairman of a Party has already declared a candidate for an election whose primary election date is yet to be fixed at a time no one is even contemplating such untimely act. Well, that’s their burden to bear.”
He said that, Ganduje’s reference to the growth of APGA which he defined as “not growing” is a sour reminder of how he and other known Actors cajoled Senator Rochas Okorocha, who became Imo State Governor in 2011 on the platform of APGA, to taking a walk of Shame. Today, they have ingloriously ended his political journey leaving him orphaned on all sides. Remember, Rochas is “connected to the Centre”. What a way to disconnect one from winning ways.”
Uzodinma said, “I want to believe that all of us are craving for a united Nigeria where equity, justice and fair play must be the order of the day it means that we must be in the room where Nigeria is going to be piloted is being discussed and we practice partisan Democracy ”
“The party does not belong to the government rather the government belongs to the party and if so we should be committed to joining the program of De- Marginalization of the Southeast East so you must be part and parcel of the ruling political party and we must go with capable men and women,” he said.
The Keynote Speaker and Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, Prof Charles Okechukwu Esimone called for the enthronement of a Republican System of Governance in Nigeria to help address all the perceived shortfalls in the country’s 1999 Constitution.
He said, “As I said earlier, the 1999 Constitution is grossly inadequate and I commend the members of the National Assembly that are canvasing for a revert to the Republican System of Governance which recognizes the six geo-political zones and there are better chances that it can allow a rotational Presidency.”
“Also, the leadership of the three arms of government, Executive, Legislature and Judiciary should be rotated but I do not agree that excellence should be sacrificed for for mediocrity.”
“Major political parties always win elections and no Igbo man has won the Presidential tickets of these major political parties and political upset is rare in Nigerian politics,” he stated.
The VC noted that “The primaries are the most important process and states like Imo and Ebony states have commenced the process and once the standard bearers are elected the election is half decided”.
Convener of the event, Senator Ifeanyi Ubah in his address explained that the event is the flagship of the move to connect the South East to the centre.
He said that the entire Anambra people should capitalize on the offer being provided by the APC to key into the ruling party in the country.
According to him, “This is the first of its kind in the history of the South East where issues that concern the South East are being discussed and what makes it instructive is that it is being organized by the ruling party with the National Chairman present at this most important occasion.
“And I urge our people to see this offer as one that will bring the geopolitical closer to the table where the well-being of this country is being discussed” Ubah added.
