A frontline politician, Labour Party Stalwart and candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP during the 2021 Governorship election in Anambra State, Mr Valentine Ozigbo has said there is nothing to about the successes claimed to have been accomplished by Governor Chukwuma Soludo in the past two years.
Soludo marked two years as governor of Anambra State on the 17th of March, 2024, with various claims of accomplishments across key sectors of the state’s economy.
But during an interaction with the media in Awka Anambra State Capital on Saturday, Mr Ozigbo said he would have done better as governor, had he been given the opportunity.
Ozigbo said Anambra as a politically- viable state, requires its leaders to be conversant with the minds and emotions of the people and not lord them over them by any means.
He noted that when Soludo won the election, he (Ozigbo) had called him to congratulate him and allowed him time to deliver on his promises to the Anambra people.
Ozigbo noted that two years after he was sworn in as governor, Soludo had failed to meet his expectations, with respect to the yearnings of the Anambra populace.
“When Soludo won, I congratulated him and I have never spoken with him since then. I told myself that I would give him two years to implement his manifesto.
“Two years after, I can confidently beat my chest and say that Soludo has not been able to address the teething challenges faced by the Anambra people, which ignited my interest to run for governor in the first place.
“Now that it’s two years since he assumed office, I feel as a citizen, I must react to what is going on.
“In the area of emotional intelligence, I would have done better. I believe I have what it takes to understand the people, their emotions and what they crave.
“As a leader, you must not lord it over the people you are leading.
“I sincerely believe Anambra people would have been more proud of the state if I had become the governor,” he said.
Ozigbo who spoke on why he left the PDP, said the transactional politics the party’s stakeholders played in 2021 that denied the PDP the opportunity to wrestle power from the incumbent All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, during the 2021 Anambra Governorship election, was a major factor.
“There was enormous betrayal from my party during the last election because of the transactional politics they played.
“The nation has not achieved much because of the myopic mindset of the Nigerian politicians and that was what played out in 2021.
“Again, I left PDP because we felt Southeast ought to have produced the president and when the zone was denied the opportunity, I joined the leader of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, not just in pursuit of a Nigerian President of Igbo extraction, but also a new direction for Nigeria.
“I have never seen where Afenifere, Arewa, PANDEF and all Nigerians have come together in pursuit of a common political struggle, except during the 2023 Presidential Election where Mr Peter Obi, who was the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, presented himself to serve Nigerians,” he said.
Describing the 2023 Presidential election as an indication that Nigerians and indeed Anambrarians can do better in politics, Ozigbo insisted that the people must not allow the dream of a better Nigeria and Anambra State, to die.
According to him, the people must continue the struggle.
“We must not allow that struggle to die.
“Peter Obi has proved that he is not a transactional politician through his track record and pedigree.
“Despite what happened last year, we must not give up. You begin to die when you stop hoping
“I am in this struggle to change the narrative in Anambra and to support the bigger picture which the Labour Party portray through His Excellency, Mr Peter Obi.
“Imagine where Peter Obi is the president and Val Ozigbo is the governor. Z
“Now that I am sticking my neck out, a lot of paid e-rats will come up with all manner of campaigns of calumny. But we are determined,” he said.
On the betrayals of 2021, Ozigbo noted that he has learned his lessons with the first move and will henceforth, trust politicians but will verify.
On the Zoning formula prevailing in the state, which appears to be working against him, Ozigbo made it clear that he is a respecter of the zoning arrangement.
He however posited that in adhering to the principles of zoning, Anambra people must be careful, so as not to sacrifice competence on the altar of zoning.
“Our people must not pick a renegade and say for zoning to work.
“I have always said that I want to make a case for a single term of four years.
“When you look at what Alex Otti of the Labour Party is doing in Abia, you will know that four years is a long time for any politician to make an impact.
“On my honour, I will run a single tenure of four years for Anambra people to know that I mean business.
“I am also ready to commit it in writing that I will be doing four years.
“Furthermore, our leader, Mr Peter Obi is passionate about having the next governor of Anambra State come from Anambra Central Senatorial Zone, in line with the zoning arrangement, meaning that when Labour Party produces the next Anambra Governor, he or she must do four years.
“I am ready to keep faith with that zoning formula
“When I say it, I mean it and don’t compare me with Ifeanyi Ubah when both of us make a promise of doing only a single tenure of four years,” he said.
