‘But beyond that, it is necessary at this point not to deny Gov. Obi his right to support Willie Obiano from Aguleri, who is his co-director in Fidelity Bank Plc to be the next governor of Anambra if he chooses. He can campaign for Oseloka Obaze of Ogbaru, current secretary to the State Government, who was his school mate in Christ the King College Onitsha. He can pray God that his former Secretary to the state government Chief Paul Odenigbo will get on the saddle. He can even support the campaigns of Mrs Stella Oduah, who he backed to be appointed minister with Anambra slot, even as the wife of a Benin man, but he should not confuse his private pact with his anointed friends and associates with the aspiration of a geographical area in, the state, because the greater number, of Anambra citizens who hail from the Anambra North Senatorial District, many, of whom are our party members have a, different vision for the development of,the area, which differ from drafting any of Obi’s pal to succeed him’.-Chief Amaechi Obidike,ACN Chair , December 11,2012
With these words on the marble taken from an interview with Vanguard Newspapers in December last year, The then State Chairman of the de-registered Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) Chief Amaechi Obidike aka Enyi Aguleri, from the same town as Obiano saw tomorrow and read the handwriting on Gov Peter Obi’s wall in confusing the aspiration of a people with his personal interest.
So as we welcome Chief Willie Obiano into the Anambra 2014 governorship race as candidate, in a well-laid trap for APGA’s farewell song, we remind Anambra people that his candidature is more for business continuity with Fidelity Bank, whose ownership is not hidden.
We trust he will deploy civil language and bankable actions in the long race ahead and wish him well in pursuit of his agenda and that of his benefactor.
Although we do not share his optimism that it would be business as usual for his financial institution, and that governorship seats should be tailored to strictly business interests, we are bound by our own standards to welcome him and make him feel relaxed in this new terrain.
The land from which he is coming is a place for objective decision-making, but the new grounds have its own fair share of subjectivity. We wish Obiano had an earlier opportunity to be exposed to public service, but we understand the factors that informed the emergency aspiration.
Everything we have said above is on the assumption that Obiano will be the only candidate to emerge from APGA.
“We are going to field our own candidate, so whoever wins in the court will decide the authentic candidate, it is the party that people vote for, remember Omehia versus Amaechi, it is APGA; let them pick their own, we are picking our own, whoever wins eventually, if I win, my candidate becomes the APGA winner, if Umeh wins, Umeh’s candidate becomes the APGA winner. But I will win’’ Barr Maxi Okwu said at the weekend.
We caution that should the above threat be carried out under any guise, we shall withdraw the recognition of Chief Obiano as a canndidate, categorise him as a PRIME ASPIRANT as we have done for the plural candidature of PDP and place the same demands on all stakeholders to get one APGA candidate BEFORE the elections, or disqualify both.
Ndigbo, their republican orientation and their right to choose their leaders must be respected even by those who have hypocritically surrendered the choice of their candidates to Ijaw and other interests issuing from rocky places, in Igbo cloak.
As usual we always advise our people to be wise and play safe.
We recommend to Anambra State voters to give Chief Obiano the opportunity to get some public service experience before representing himself in 2018.
Okelo Madukaife
For: All Progressive Congress (ACN +ANPP+CPC+DPP+APGA)
August 26, 2O13
