The All Progressives Grand Alliance has told the Senator representing Anambra South Senatorial District, Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, that he cannot deliver Anambra to the All Progressives Congress in the 2025 governorship election in the state.
The spokesman for APGA, Tony Olisa-Mbeki, stated this on Sunday, while reacting to calls by Ubah that Anambra must connect to the centre to start making the needed developmental progress.
Ubah had during the distribution of palliatives to members of his constituency on Sunday, insisted that it was time for Anambra to join national politics to start making the expected progress.
The distribution of the palliatives came at the end of a colloquium themed, ‘De-marginalisation of South-East zone and integration into national politics’, which he hosted in Nnewi, Anambra commercial nerve centre, on Friday.
Ubah used the palliatives distribution to reaffirm his resolve to be part of the reintegration of Anambra State and the South-East into national politics as a member of the APC, adding that the party meant well for the Ndigbo and should be joined by others who have not done so.
He said, “Anambra has stayed too long in the opposition party. It is now time for the state to connect to the centre and I would use my powers to ensure that smaller political parties in the state collapse its structure for the APC.
“I urge all the beneficiaries of these palliatives to put them to good use. This is just the beginning. The empowerment programme is part of the effort to ensure the people get the dividends of democracy.
“The time has come for Anambra to connect to the national politics to start making expected progress. I want to be part of the reintegration of Anambra into mainstream politics as a means to fast-track development in the state. Come 2025, we will deliver Anambra to APC.”
Also speaking, the Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, epresented by his deputy governor, Patricia Obila, said the party was solidly behind Anambra State, noting that the mammoth crowd present at the stadium was an indication that Anambra will be victorious under APC in the next election.
In his remarks, the Imo State governor, Hope Uzodinma, said he was happy to be present at the event to witness the empowerment programme as part of the effort to ameliorate the suffering occasioned by the removal of the fuel subsidy.
Uzodinma commended President Bola Tinubu for taking bold steps in removing the fuel subsidy and also stabilizing the naira, saying that the previous government had tried to take the bold step and failed.
He said, “We realised that these policies came with temporary hardship, and the President has commenced distribution of palliatives to states to cushion the effect of the hardship.
“I encourage other leaders to see their political opponents as their brothers during these hard times. What I have seen in this field today, is as good as a capital project, we have a party that is interested in the welfare of the people, de-imagination of the South-East is now a national project.
“I want to encourage all our leaders to align with the political principles of our great party.”
In his speech, the APC national chairman, Ganduje, commended participants and beneficiaries of the empowerment for gracing the occasion, noting that issues of marginalisation and de-imagination in the region were discussed at the colloquium.
He said that the South-East geopolitical zone was initially connected to local grid and he wants them to be reconnected to the national grid as a means to fast track development in the region.
He said, “The mammoth crowd that turned up for this empowerment programme is a symbol that the people have accepted to benefit From the national grid and APC will offer them the platform to do so.
“I urged those who benefited from the empowerment programme to make use of the equipment well. I am happy that the people of Anambra and the South-East are queuing into the national politics.”
But reacting, Mbeki, insisted that APC and Ifeanyi Ubah cannot dislodge APGA in Anambra because the Anambra people don’t reckon with APC.
Olisa-Mbeki said, “People that will vote are Anambra people and they are not going to import voters from anywhere. APC has not even won any election in Anambra since since inception till date. In fact, as we speak, APC is non-existent in Anambra State. Forget all this propaganda of empowerment, anybody can do empowerment and gather people, but when the chips are down, the people know where to stand.
“Which business has Ubah managed successfully that he wants to rule Anambra? Soludo is the man of the moment, when you look at his achievements in infrastructure, what he is doing in education, the giant strides he is making in the state and the people are happy. Anambra State is bigger than an individual, Anambra people are happy with APGA.
“Anambra is making progress under APGA. Right from the time of Peter Obi to Willie Obiano and now to Soludo, everybody can see the development. Then you ask, is Anambra State not doing better than Imo State which is connected to the centre in terms of security and everything?
“The most important thing to note is that Anambra State is not fighting the centre, we have always been on the same page with the centre as far as development is concerned. They have been shouting ‘connect to the centre…connect to the centre’ as if we are fighting the centre, nobody is fighting the centre.
“APGA is not jittery, we are solidly on the ground. Let me tell you one thing, APC cannot win even in Nnewi North LGA come 2025 governorship election in Anambra, forget all the noise they are making.
“One thing for sure is that President Bola Tinubu is not going to rig the election in their favour. We are optimistic that the president will conduct a free and fair election in Anambra State where the people are allowed to decide who rules them.”
