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- Our opponents have gone gaga again — Andy Uba Campaign Organisation fires back
It has been alleged that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) have in the last few days been campaigning for the postponement of the November 6 gubernatorial election in Anambra State, using surrogate groups and citing different reasons.
The Soludo Gubernatorial Campaign Organisation made the allegation in a statement signed by its Director, Media & Communication, Mr. C. Don Adinuba.
The statement reads: “The APC employed an overnight nongovernment organization known as the Save Nigeria Movement (SNM) to purport to hold a press conference on October 17 at 360 Hotel at Utako, Abuja, where it demanded the resignation of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Professor Yacoob Mahmood, and the National Electoral Commissioner for Logistics, Professor Okechukwu Ibeanu, over the ludicrous allegation of receiving a four million dollar ($4m) bribe. The PDP, on the other hand, has claimed through motley NGOs which feed directly from the hands of former Governor Peter Obi that the security challenge in the state makes it necessary that the election be shifted by one month. What is more, the various attempts by Anambra APC to compromise the INEC leadership have proved disastrous.
“Neither the APC nor the PDP is ready for the election. All Anambra people know the two parties are no longer serious with the election. They gave up long ago. For instance, the APC has not been able to flag off the gubernatorial campaign even less than one week to the election. Both President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbanjo bluntly refused to attend its flag-off on each of the three occasions it has been scheduled unsuccessfully. The reason has to do with the fraudulent manner in which Senator Andy Ubani emerged the APC nominee since June 26. Even though no electoral materials were brought to any of the 21 local government areas and not one single person voted at the congress which never held, it was announced that Uba won as many as 321,405 votes in a state where the entire APC numerical strength is not up to 20,000! All other 13 aspirants who sought the APC gubernatorial ticket with Uba are diametrically opposed to him, with Chief George Moghalu, the Managing Director of the Inland Waterways Authority, in court where he is asking the judiciary to declare that the APC has no candidate in the election. There are strong indications that The Presidency shares his view because neither President Buhari, an upright man, and Vice President Osinbajo, an evangelical pastor, wants his name soiled.
“The PDP appears to have given up on the November 6 since September 29 when it announced the suspension of its electioneering campaign ostensibly on account of the security situation in Anambra State. Most Anambra people took the reason with a pinch of salt. The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) candidate, Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, was attacked on March 31 in his hometown of Isuofia and lost three gallant police officers in the process. Yet, Professor Soludo has been campaigning ceaselessly, drawing huge crowds. As he was preparing to campaign in his local government area of Aguata on Friday, October 29, gunmen attacked two security officers helping to provide security at the venue. Still, he continued with the campaign with APGA top leaders, including the wife of the Anambra State governor, Mrs Ebelechukwu Obiano. Earlier on September 26, gunmen had assassinated the APGA chairman in Ward One of Uruagu, Nnewi, Chukwuemeka Nwokenagu. The same attackers had tried unsuccessfully to kill Dr Nelson Omenugha, the coordinator of the Youth Earnestly Ask for Soludo who is also a son of the Anambra State Commissioner for Basic Education, Professor Kate Omenugha.
“By refusing to capitulate to intimidation and violence, both APGA and Soludo have displayed boldness and courage, which are critical leadership requirements. They have gone a long way to restore confidence in the democratic process.
“All Nigerians are delighted that both INEC and security agencies have constantly assured ndi Anambra of their readiness to conduct the election. It is, indeed, gratifying that up to 34,000 policemen led by a Deputy Inspector General of Police will be in Anambra for the election, joined by personnel from the army, navy, State Security Service and the National Security and Civil Defence Corps.
“Anambra people are ready to vote. The election has to hold. It is regrettable that neither the PDP nor the APC is ready for the election. They are hunted by their past.”
Our Opponents Have Gone Gaga Again — Andy Uba Campaign Organisation
Meanwhile, the Senator Andy Uba Governorship Campaign Organisation (SAUGCO) says it has once again become necessary for it to react to what it calls a last ditch attempt by the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA administration to affront the victory march of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in this week’s gubernatorial election in Anambra state.
“It’s a shame that this latest smear campaign is propelled by the projection by leading independent research and political risk consultancy firm, Hallmark International Consulting Company(HICC) that Senator Uba is tipped to win the November 6, 2021 election,” Hon. Victor Afam Ogene, director, Media and Publicity of SAUGCO said in a statement.
HICC had said that “Senator Andy Uba, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress(APC) may win in a hotly contested election with a margin of error of between 3-4 per cent probability ratings in Anambra State governorship election”.
According to HICC, the research and opinion poll was commissioned by a US-based ‘Power to the People Foundation’ – an NGO with an interest in the sustainability of democracy in Africa and around the world.
Although HICC stated that it only polled six major candidates – Dr. Godwin Maduka of Accord, Prof. Charles Soludo of APGA, Valentine Ozigbo of PDP, Dr. Obiora Okonkwo of Zenith Labour Party, and Senator Andy Uba of APC – the poll, it said, “further narrowed the governorship race to a contest between Professor Soludo of APGA and Senator Andy Uba of APC.”
Ogene added, “On the heels of the development, the APGA appears to have taken a recourse to whipping up sentiments against Senator Uba.
“This time, using a poorly scripted propaganda material, they claimed that a certain nondescript character, allegedly, ‘confessed’ that Distinguished Senator Andy Uba contracted him to cause mayhem in the state.
“The General Public is advised to ignore this concocted tale which could only have emanated from the jaundiced imagination of crude propagandists.
“Senator Uba, despite having devoted the greater part of his adult life to the service of ndi Anambra and Nigeria, is a widely acclaimed perfect gentleman who not only detests violence, but has also never being associated with anything of the sort.
“If the said Elijah Okoh, said to be a revenue agent, is not a fictitious character created solely for the aim of reputational damage, then he must be an acolyte of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA and its leader, Governor Willie Obiano, who employs all revenue agents in Anambra state. The said Elijah Okoh is a revenue agent according to the imaginative tale, which puts him directly under the watch of Willie Obiano who supervises Revenue Agents in Anambra state.
“In fact, we challenge Governor Obiano and the many propagandists in his employ, to produce the said Elijah Okoh, or forever quit playing silly games and face up to the elections holding in few days time.
“For anyone living in Anambra state, it is quite easy linking the amateurish authors of the ignoble script to Willie Obiano and the APGA candidate, Professor Charles Soludo to this perfidy, having borrowed their fictional character from the notorious Ikanda, a murderer who worked as a revenue agent in Onitsha and was used by APGA and Obiano to wreak havoc in Onitsha during the 2013 elections. He was later arrested by security operatives for other crimes, but as the 2017 election approached, an entrenched Governor Obiano facilitated his release and deployment to election duties.
“What is more! A cursory look at the concocted tale shows that the story has no source and can’t be referenced to anyone. The Parrot News attached at the end of the said article does not also exist, either in print or the internet.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Senator Uba and his All Progressives Congress, APC have been insistent on having the Anambra governorship election hold this Saturday, November 6, 2021.
“On the contrary, however, Governor Obiano and APGA have been busy using all kinds of excuses and shenanigans to force a shift.
“In deed, ndi Anambra and Nigerians at large are aware of those who appear not to be ready for the gubernatorial duel, and are therefore conjuring all manner of excuses, including playing games with security issues, so as to force a stalemate.
“With the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, other political parties, including the APC and security agencies ready for the polls, we advise Governor Obiano, Professor Soludo and APGA to get up and get ready for November 6, 2021 – and quit playing silly games.”
