From Aloysius Attah, Onitsha
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Modestus Okechukwu Umenzekwe, has said that the minister for Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige was right that all Anambra governorship aspirants on the platform of the party should discuss and give the party a consensus candidate.
He advised the numerous contenders to emulate what happened in the defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN) in 1978 noting that it would be counterproductive if all the aspirants who have purchased forms all continue to spend money and dissipate energy in slugging it out at the primaries.
“We should remember the position of Anambra State in the South- East geopolitics. I would wish those able qualified contestants to do as was done in NPN then. Our great party, All Progressives Congress (APC) is greater than any member; therefore let us join hands without drawback to oust the outgoing present government of Anambra State.
“On the forthcoming Anambra State gubernatorial election, I stand on the platform on which Dr. Chris Nwabueze Ngige is standing that those contestants should be able to within themselves give the party the support of one person amongst themselves. Everybody cannot be governor and deputy governor at the same time. Such a thing happened in 1978 in NPN. Then, there were three qualified contestants namely, Mallam Adamu Ciroma, Danmassanin Kano, Alhaji Yusuf Maitama Sule and Alhaji Aliyu Shehu Shagari. The thing became so hard for any of them to step down for the other. Fortunately, on the day of the convention at Rowe Park Yaba, Lagos, Alhaji Maitama Sule first stepped down unconditionally followed by Mallam Adamu Ciroma.
“At the end of the day, Alhaji Aliyu Shehu Shagari was left and supported to face the UPN led by the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo and NPP led by Rt. Hon Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe. The rest is now history’’, he declared.