"Willie Obiano’s Opponents Only Fit To Be Catechists" – Prof. Soludo

A former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, on Monday, said he supported the re-election bid of Governor Willie Obiano because he had yet to see a credible person to replace the incumbent.

Soludo said this during the inauguration of Obiano’s re-election campaign at the Dr. Alex Ekwueme Square, Awka, on Monday.

The ex-CBN helmsman said Obiano had the best blueprint to sustain and consolidate the achievements put in place by the All Progressive Grand Alliance in the state since 2006.

He added, “I have not seen a credible opposition in Anambra State; not in 2017. I have heard some names running for this election; but I ask myself, ‘are these people running for a catechist’s position, because such names can only be good in such job, not for governor.

“We don’t want anybody to learn on the job on the Anambra State governorship seat. We don’t want to go back to Egypt.”

Soludo said he was called upon by many stakeholders to run for the November 18 poll but he told them that “if it’s not broken, why mend it.”

He alleged that some of the candidates contesting the November poll were doing so to pursue vendetta, while others were counting on the support of police, army and the Independent National Electoral Commission to win the election.

Soludo believed that the re-election of Obiano would sustain the zoning formula that had been entrenched in the political system of the state.

He argued that the candidates, who had promised to serve one term, in the spirit of the zoning formula, were either naive of how power worked, dishonest or fraudulent.

Obiano urged the people of the state to re-elect him, promising to turn excellence into a habit if given another chance to consolidate his works.

He noted that APGA had, for the past 11 years, impacted positively on the lives of the people, pledging to sustain the achievements of the party in memory of the late Igbo leader, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu.

The governor stated, “It’s unfortunate that a certain person Ojukwu handed over this party to has dumped and abandoned Ojukwu’s ideals and vision for our people. But as an Aguleri man, I will carry this great masquerade with dedication and candour.

“Anybody, who stands on my way, will be crushed. That’s the character of an Agulueri in a battle.

“Today is our own Pentecost day. As you receive the spirit of APGA today, we charge you to go out and propagate the message to the far ends of the state.

“Our leader gave us the mandate to keep the APGA spirit alive, but the man who the mandate was handed over to, has run away. But as an Aguleri warrior, I am exhibiting the Aguleri in me, and l’m determined to keep APGA alive.

“We have defeated godfathers, and we will defeat them again.”

The governor said his greatest achievement was providing security to the people of the state, stating that he had instituted N200m health insurance scheme for the people of the state, especially for the indigents.