The Anambra branch of Ohanaeze Ndigbo has endorsed Senator Andy Uba of the All Progressives Congress as the best candidate in the governorship race.
Chief Emeka Udodeme, state president of the group said it arrived at the decision after carefully going through the manifestoes of the candidates in the Nov. 6 Anambra governorship election.
Udodeme said Andy Uba is the most experienced candidate for the Anambra Governorship seat.
This endorsement was conveyed in a press release, signed by Mr Victor Ogene, Director, Media and Publicity of the APC candidate.
Udodeme said that out of the candidates of the three leading political parties for the polls, only Uba has tasted electoral victory and had garnered basic principles for governance in the capacity he seek votes.
“Uba may be soft spoken in nature but that does not take away the wisdom that God has endowed him with.
“I find in him a rich level of native intelligence and with his exposure to corridors of power over years shows he is a key to Anambra liberation, and the time is now,” he said.
Udodeme said that he was thrilled during the presentation of his manifesto to the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, and praised the pan-Igbo disposition of the APC candidate, which he saw him.
He said that Uba attended to every request for intervention while he served in the Presidency.
The Ohanaeze Ndigbo chieftain told the gathering that Uba has proved his worth and erased all negative connotations against him.
Udodeme said that the group as a sociocultural group is not in the business of endorsing any candidate, but said he would not shy away from disclosing that Uba had assisted Ohanaeze Ndigbo whenever he was called upon to do so.
“Uba has, besides coming to the aid of Ohanaeze Ndigbo whenever he is beckoned upon, also impacted positively in the lives of our people, especially businessmen who are caught in the web of unfavourable policies.
“Uba during the President Obasanjo era was a very effective go between for our people, and I can vouch that given a similar opportunity he would exactly do the same, if not more,” Udodeme said.
Also, National Vice President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief Damian Okeke-Ogene, upheld the decision of the stakeholders that the zoning arrangement and understanding reached for the governorship seat remains sacrosanct and should be respected by all and sundry.
“When we were pushing the zoning arrangement, many did not trust us, but I am happy that today, almost all the leading candidates hail from Anambra South Senatorial zone,” Okeke-Ogene said.
Earlier, while speaking about his manifesto, Uba reiterated that his government, if elected, will tackle insecurity, youth unemployment and women empowerment with vigour.
He promised to look into the parlous state of the Onitsha-Enugu expressway so as to ameliorate the hardship which commuters currently face while plying the road.
The highest Igbo social cultural group charged all the candidates to shun hate speech, violence and any act that may jeopardize a smooth electoral process.
The statement said that Anambra Deputy Governor, Dr. Nkem Okeke, has urged the electorate to shun political blackmail being exhibited by other candidates and cast their votes for the APC candidate.
Okeke said he has weighed the two sides of the coin and decided to pitch tent with APC to give a maximum service to the people and strengthen Anambra economic growth.
Okeke enjoined voters not to sell their votes for nothing as such practice would delay the development of the state and assured that the right decision is to vote APC.
Uba’s deputy governorship candidate, Mr Emeka Okafor, said the policies contained in the manifestoes are doable.
“Politics is a game of number and needs intelligent members of the state to be at the right place at the right time so as to attract resources to solve our pressing needs.
“The APC candidate is ‘one of the brightest candidates in the race’, stressing that Uba is academically and eminently qualified to govern Anambra,” the statement read.
