Anambra guber: Coalition purchases, presents N50m APC nomination forms to Obiora Okonkwo

• Aspirant declares readiness to wrest ticket from Soludo

• Accuses Anambra governor of sponsoring to deny him ticket

From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja

A professional group under the umbrella of Anambra Coalition for Progressive Change, has contributed and purchased the N50 million All Progressives Congress (APC) expression of interest and nomination forms for business tycoon, Obiora Okonkwo, to contest for the November 8 Anambra State governorship election.

Speaking after purchasing the nomination forms and presenting them to the immediate past chairman of United Airlines, in Abuja on Wednesday, the group described him as the right person eminently qualified to wrest the ticket from the incumbent governor, Charles Chukwuma Soludo and occupy the Agu Awka Government House next year.

The leader of the group, Cyril Ndubuisi Ezeani, while defending the choice of Okonkwo said: “We are a composition of professionals from all works of life. We mobilised ourselves, raised N50 million to purchase the nomination forms. It is simply because we have the interest of our State Anambra at heart.”

“We have looked around, Governor Soludo has failed to give us what we want and the search to get us somebody that is capable of providing for us as the best State in the country, Obiora Okonkwo fits into that person after a careful analysis. He has the track record and pedigree to get our State to that position and he is the right person to occupy that post come next year,” he said.

Responding after the presentation of the nomination forms, Okonkwo claimed that having failed and disappointed indigenes of the State with his cluelessness, it will be an easy ride for him to muscle the ticket from him.

The board chairman of several companies, including Solicom Engineering Limited and Rokada Security Company Limited, among others, accused Governor Soludo of spending so much to deny him the ticket of the party.

He said: “I am full of smiles because it is such a huge amount of money. I would ordinarily say, I did not expect this, but knowing that I am not in this race alone, knowing that I still have a whole lot of Anambra friends that still believe in me, there are still other people who already made up their mind that whatever is going on in Anambra State today is not the way to go.

“With the issue of security, the issue of almost zero economic activities, I know that these people will never let me go on this journey all by myself. I am aware that you have been informed that those here to present the form are just a fraction of thousands of men and women that contributed to purchase this form, I am encouraged.

“If there is any doubt I had before now, you people are going to match words with actions, to tell me to keep on going because you are solidly behind me. You have proved that strength is power. I am calling on those angry with what is going on in Anambra State and those that have not joined the coalition that this is a wake up call.

“In all my interviews, I had mentioned that this should be a journey of coalition not a journey of one political party.
We will not do justice to this struggle to rescue Anambra State from an incumbent governor, Pontificia leader, an emperor, the man who knows all, the man who takes no advice, the man who is already boasting that he will match any Kobo for Kobo, any Dollar to Dollar, in any currency, yet we are aware that he is not receiving salary as the governor of Anambra State, we are aware that, having been a Professor, retired CBN governor, whatever his family benefits or pension is, is not enough for him even to buy this form.

“Yet, as an incumbent governor, we are aware of all the moves being made in Abuja here, huge amount of money that are thrown around just to ensure that my humble self did not get the ticket of the party because he is very much afraid, not only to meet me on campaign field, let alone squaring up with me on the election day, but I want to announce to him that I have picked the form and I am ready for the battle,” he boasted

Speaking further, Okonkwo said: “I am urging every Anambrarian to join in the struggle to rescue the State. We may not have the control of picking the ticket, but once the ticket is in our hands, we will have a landslide victory.”

“I am from Anambra Central senatorial zone with seven LGAs which accounts for the over 60 per cent votes of Anambra State. The votes are domiciled in Idemili North where I come and even more from Ogidi, the headquarters. I am the leader of Idemili North and South. Votes are guaranteed for me.

Still insistingthat he is the best man for the job, he said: “And for the records, I am a member of ACN up to the point it merged into the APC. I lead the campaign that produced the first ACN senator in the entire South East in the person of Chris Ngige of Anambra Central. I did the same for House of Representatives and State Assemblies and nobody else had achieved that feat since I left the party.”

“It is in record that when they talk about APC in Anambra, Idemili North and South is the home of the party. Tinubu even scored the highest number of votes in Idemili North and South. We have less work to do in those zones and going into this race, I already have secured seven LGAs.

“The rest we will rely on our political partnership with Anambra North with seven LGAs which we definitely clear and extend hands of partnership with the South which already exists and cherry pick whatever LG we need to add up to the 15 LGAs we plan to win.

“I will not do it without your support but I know that this is going to be the most interesting and exciting election and with the APC ticket in my hands, the majority of Anambrarians will come out to demonstrate their disgust and disenchantment with this clueless government in power.

“I urge Anambra people to be patient because we are going to rescue from the hands of this government and their bad policies. We will secure Anambra with the latest in IT security equipment domiciled within the control of State actors,” he assured.