Valentine Ozigbo, the governorship candidate for Anambra State from the All Progressives Congress (APC), has said that Governor Charles Soludo is afraid of his running for office in the upcoming gubernatorial election.
Ozigbo confirmed the claims that Soludo is supporting Nicholas Ukachukwu in his attempt to undermine the APC in Anambra State during his appearance on Arise Television’s Morning Show on Tuesday, according to Naija News.
Recall that when the APC’s primary election was held on April 5, Ukachukwu was declared the party’s candidate for governor.
With 1,455 votes, Ukachukwu got the party’s ticket, followed by Ozigbo with 67 votes, Edozie Madu with 8 votes, and Johnbosco with 26 votes.
But according to Ozigbo, Ukachukwu became a willing instrument to undermine the party because Soludo is afraid of him being on the ballot.
He claims that Nicholas is not even initially eligible to run for the primary, and he will demonstrate this in court.
He said, “Going from PDP to Labour, you can say it’s about me. I’m somebody who is careful and very purposeful in politics because I understand the importance of political leadership, because that’s the only thing we have to redeem ourselves as a nation.
“Therefore, I like to insist that things are done properly anywhere I find myself. And this is the reason why I was dismayed over the period from the delegate congress of APC we conducted in Anambra State and where, all of a sudden, we saw a delegate list of people not part of it.
“Look at what happened. Why did the other three candidates withdraw from the race? This was because they were frustrated. Just on the morning of the congress, another list emanated from nowhere, and at some point, they abandoned all other lists. Why not just allow a free and fair process?
“I lost the 2021 election to Soludo and I didn’t go to court or challenge him, so why am I fighting him? I’m aware that this is deeply unfair, and I think we are not doing ourselves any right by just folding our hands.
“My contention in court is to say Nicholas is not even qualified in the first instance to stand for the primary, and I will prove that in court while we go through the process.
“Yes, I made an allegation that Soludo has a hand in what is going on in APC. I say that authoritatively, and I know meetings are being held, but I can tell you that my intelligence is very strong.“The point is that Nicholas Ukachukwu became a willing tool because Soludo was afraid of me being on the ballot. You will see this play out over time as he became a candidate and people began to dissect the APC, from chairmanship to ward chairmanship, and party executives from five local governments left the party to join others. This is why we need to bring this to Mr. President’s attention, because letting it fester will severely weaken and harm the APC for a long time, which is why I must protest.”
About The Author
