- Offers self as better option for 2025
From Aloysius Attah, Onitsha
Labour Party chieftain and former candidate for governor of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Anambra State Mr Valentine Ozigbo has rated low the performance in office of Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo in the last two years.
Ozigbo who spoke during a media parley with journalists in Awka last weekend said Soludo has failed the expectations of Anambra people after 24 months in office.
To that effect, he said he has offered to run for the office of governor again in 2025 so that he can unleash his vision for a brighter Anambra state which was aborted momentarily following the outcome of the 2021 governorship polls in the state.
Ozigbo also pledged to serve for only one term in office as governor when elected so as to respect the zoning principle in the state
He said: “We have seen the leadership of Soludo in two years and some of you may be impressed but I’m not. After last election in 2021, I called and wished him well and moved on and we have never spoken again. My decision was to access him after two years, and having seen it, I’m not impressed and I want to start holding him accountable.
“I’m here to share my thoughts with you, what I think and no matter how you see what he (Soludo) is doing, you will be more proud when I mount the saddle.
“We need to change the narrative and look for a way to survive. We must fight to rescue Anambra. I’m a non transactional politician. I have several things I can do, but my worry is how we can recover the state and put her on the path of development.
“Zoning is a good thing. But it must be combined with competence to make sense. Don’t pick a renegade just because he is from a certain zone, and don’t pick the best, when you know you can pick one that is better.
“I respect zoning, and I will be making a case for a single term of four years. Anyone who sees what Alex Otti is doing in Abia will know that four years is enough time to do a lot of work.
While calling for unity among party members, Ozigbo also urged the people of the state to see the 2025 governorship election in Anambra as a turning point for the next general election in Nigeria.
“I commit to honouring the zoning principle and am open to entering into an agreement to serve just one term. Additionally, I echo the sentiments of Mr. Peter Obi, a highly respected politician in Africa, who advocates for a single term for the southern candidate who emerges,” he stated.