By Special Correspondent
Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the forthcoming November 11 governorship election in Imo State, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, has lamented the increasing insecurity in the state.
According to him, the state is gradually turning into a Boko Haram state.
Speaking during a brief chat with journalists of Imo extraction in Abuja yesterday, Anyanwu noted with dismay that the level of insecurity in Imo State has driven away investors and thrown some young people into the labour market.
Selling his candidacy, he said, “My interest is having served as a two-time LGA Chairman, two-time House of Assembly member, and a senator, I understand the pains of Imolites and every nook and cranny of Imo State.
“I aim to bring back Imo State to its past glory. I know the perception Imo state has, and Imo is gradually becoming a Boko Haram State. I believe that men of goodwill should rise to say enough is enough.”
Reacting to speculations that he is a placeholder for the State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma, in the forthcoming election, Anyanwu, who was the National Secretary of the PDP, said that he dwarfed Uzodimma through his achievements when two of them were in the Senate.
247 recalls that that Anyanwu, Governor Uzodimma, who is the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in the November 11 gubernatorial elections as well as their Labour Party counterpart, Senator Athan Acholonu, all represented Imo in the 8th Senate.
Senator Anyanwu, who claimed that the Imo people voted for the PDP in the 2019 governorship election, which the Supreme Court upturned in favour of Uzodimma, vowed to resist such an unfortunate scenario repeating itself if he is declared the winner.
He urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to use the Imo governorship elections to redeem its image that was allegedly battered in the 2023 general elections.
According to him, all the opposition political parties in the state participating in the forthcoming elections have resolved to resist any form of rigging by anybody, no matter the person’s political party.
The PDP governorship candidate, who said he single-handedly sponsored the South East Development Commission Bill, which was unfortunately not assented to by former President Muhammadu Buhari and the Customs Act amendment bill, said he made his mark as a successful senator.
Speaking further on the allegation that he is a placeholder, Senator Anyanwu said, “People said I wanted to go and be a placeholder for someone, I can’t be a placeholder for a colleague of mine, somebody I dwarfed in the senate.
“Among all the candidates, I understand Imo better because all those who have ruled Imo from 1999 did not live in Imo.”
Anyanwu stressed that he will not rig the governorship election.
He said: “I want Imo people to vote their conscience, let every vote count because I am going to resist any attempt to rig the November election in Imo.
“I am ready for a free and fair election. If I contest and lose, I will take it and go home but I will resist every attempt to use thugs to cart away results.
“I urge INEC to use this opportunity to redeem itself and to security agencies to help Imo recover from this ugly situation we are in now.”
On how he intends to stop court from upturning his victory like what happened to the former governor Emeka Ihedioha, he said, “That is what we are doing now at the tribunal. Imo is a PDP state.
“With what is going on now, Imo people want PDP back, the APC government we have now is an aberration. Imo people never voted for APC. It was the Supreme Court that voted for APC.
“This is the first time APC is going to contest for governorship election in Imo. I know that when I win ,the supreme court will not take it from me.”
