Peter Obi’s Call To Vote LP Candidates In Anambra Assembly Deceitful – Soludo; Threatens Communities

By Ayodele Oni

The 18th March, 2023, Governorship/House of Assembly election in Anambra state will again be a test of might between Governor Soludo and Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, (LP) Peter Obi.

Obi had roundly defeated Soludo in the Presidential/National Assembly election with LP winning about 92 percent of votes and producing most House of Representatives Members and Senators.

On Friday, in continuation of his thank you and solidarity visit with supporters and candidates of the party and a meeting with the Anambra State House of Assembly ticket holders for the March 18, 2023 election, Obi urged them to vote massively for LP Candidates.

The LP standard bearer charged the candidates to give in their best and get the desired victory because a new Nigeria is possible and is indeed here.

Anambra state Governorship election holds differently following a landmark judicial victory by Obi who sought and obtained positive tenure interpretation in 2007, changing the gubernatorial elections in the state at different dates.

Six other States, Edo, Osun, Bayelsa, Ekiti, Kogi, and Imo states were to follow in Anambra pioneered governorship tenure differential.

At the meeting with the flag bearers in his State, strategies were fine-tuned for their victory next Saturday, March 18, 2023.

In a tweet announcing the meeting, Obi said, “This night, I shared great moments with all the candidates of our great party, LP, in Anambra State, both at the Federal and State levels.

“I reminded them that at the center of our campaigns will be a strong desire for service to the people and a firm commitment to nation-building. We must build a better nation for ourselves and future generations.

While congratulating those who already won the National Assembly election on the platform of the party, Obi encouraged those contesting at the State level to give in their best. “I listened to their challenges and wished them well. They shall succeed. A New Nigeria is here”

Earlier in the day he visited Enugu and Abia states to show solidarity with the Governorship and State Assembly candidates in the two states. Hon Barr. Chijioke Edeoga and Dr. Alex Otti are the gubernatorial flagbearers for Enugu and Abia respectively.

But on Saturday, Governor Soludo reacted to the calls by the LP presidential candidate, for the people of the state to vote massively for his party’s House of Assembly candidates.

In a statement signed by his Press secretary, Mr Chris Aburime, Soludo said the call by Obi  was  deceptive, and meant to lay landmines for him.

Said the statement in part: “That call was meant to deceive Anambra people. Obi can not be talking about development in Anambra and also be talking about asking Anambra people to elect lawmakers from the opposition party to work with Soludo.

“He worked with a legislature that was dominated by lawmakers from the PDP, when he first came in as governor, and he knows that it was not easy for him.

“He even suffered impeachment because of that, and we hope it is not the same thing he wants to set Soludo up for.

“Anambra people should go all out next Saturday and vote for APGA, if they want the developmental strides of Mr Governor to continue.

“You can not be talking of development and at the same time talking of electing opposition politicians into the House of Assembly, it is not done. It is deceit.

“Anambra people supported Obi during the Presidential Election, and besides, Soludo refused to interfere as the people trooped out to vote for Labour Party, and that was even before Soludo made the environment conducive for people to come out and vote.

“We have voted Labour Party in the presidential election, but for the House of Assembly election, we are voting for APGA, and we want Anambra people to know so.”

In a bid to win, Soludo had threatened Communites which will not vote his APGA Candidates on Saturday. He said there will be no development for them all through his tenure as a Governor, because he would never allow the House of Assembly members from another Party to see him to present their Communities’ challenges.

Soludo and Obi have had a running battle on the choice of lawmakers in the next session of the Anambra House of Assembly.

Though there will be no governorship election in the state, Soludo is fighting to have majority, if not all members of the 30-man assembly.

Also, Obi who is the leader of an emerging strong political force in the country, wants to assert himself by using his influence to cause a higher number of lawmakers in the assembly.