By Joe Chukindi, Awka
Former governor of Anambra State, Mr Peter Obi has said that there is need to send credible people with integrity to the national Assembly.
Obi was speaking in reference to the Anambra Central senatorial election which will hold of Saturday, 5th March, in which he has also been touted to be eyeing.
The rerun election has Chief Victor Umeh of APGA as the major contende3r of the position, with 12 other candidates from small’ parties who will also be in the race, after the disqualification of Sen Uche Ekwunife and the withdrawal of Sen Chris Ngige, who is now a minister.
Speaking with some Anambra Journalists in Aji, Igbo Etiti North council Area of Enugu State, where he attended the burial of the father of the Sun correspondent in Anambra, Mr Alloysius Attah, Peter Obi said people like him if sent to the senate cannot be ignored by even the senate president, Sen Bukola Saraki.
“I have been approached by a lot of people from not only Anambra but the south east. In fact, let me mention one name; people like Sam Egwu have approached me, they told me that if you look at the set up in the senate, only the ex governors are the ones manning the juicy committees.
“You can go and check. They stated that if people like me go to the senate, and coupled with some ex governors from the zone, we will be able to make impact for the south east. Saraki was the chairman of Nigerian Governor’s forum at the time I was the Vice chairman.
“His wife and my wife are very close, so for his children and my children. He cannot afford to ignore people like me when I raise up my hand in the senate.” Obi said.
Mr Obi who declined a formal interview and only insisted he will speak to the correspondents as his friends however did not give a definite answer when he was asked what his reply to those who were nudging him on to vie was.
Obi expressed unhappiness that recently, Senator Smart Adeyemi took the floor at the senate and spoke for over 30 minutes about the oil in Anambra, referring to it as Kogi oil, and yet no one from the south east or Anambra rose to challenge him.
He said if he were in the senate, he would have challenged him, and even explained to them the map and boundary of Anambra, to show that the oil was Anambra’s.
He said, “Assuming the oil was not even in Anambra, what did the Kogi governor do when I approached him for us to harness the oil? He did not contribute a dime to it, and I spent N4billion of Anambra’s money in that project and now it is ready and they want to come and claim it.
Asked what he thinks of the March 5th Anambra Central Senatorial Rerun, Obi said he is not sure if the election will hold or not. He accepted that his party, PDP was in court over the election, and that judgment will be due by Tuesday, and also said that he is aware that the APC was also in court, but cannot say for sure if the election will hold.
