By Okey Maduforo Awka.
Most celebrated Senatorial aspirant of the All Progressives Grand Alliance APGA in the just concluded primary election for the August 16th Anambra South Senatorial District by election Chief Ebuka Onunkwo has stated that his withdrawal from the race was not out of weakness but for peace to remain in the party.
Loading ...Recall that Onunkwo after the three conclave primary elections conducted by Gov Charles Soludo pulled the highest cumulative number of votes and was expected to emerge as candidate of the party last Monday withdrew from the race after Hon Paschal Agbodike had stepped down a day before.
This development led to the emergence of Chief Emma Nwachukwu who ultimately became the candidate of the party in the coming election.
Onunkwo dismissed claims that Gov Charles Soludo forced him to withdraw from the contest adding that it is a known knowledge in the party that non of the aspirants would have defeated him if the party went for a direct or delegate primary election but withdrew out of sacrifice to the peace in the party.
Onunkwo had also turned down pressures from most party faithfuls to dump the party and contest under the platform of another party contending that he cannot destroy a house that he was part of the building.
Addressing members of APGA in the 118 wards of Anambra South Senatorial District at a reception organized at his country home in Ihembosi in Ekwusigo local government area Onunkwo said ;
“Since October last year that I came into the race and into active party politics the kind of support that I was given has been unpresidented and this goes to show that my people are with me ”
“Despite what happened on that day is history but also a reference point in the politics of Anambra South Senatorial District”
“Whatever that happened I cannot abandoned APGA because my supporters know what we did before during the primary election”
“I didn’t not withdraw out of weakness but I withdrew out of sacrifice for peace ”
Onunkwo further maintained that whatever decision made by the party is final and binding on him adding that the party is supreme.
“The party is supreme and I cannot fight the party and may be God said this is not my time to go to the Senate’
” I also urged my supporters to remain calm and they should not lose sleep over the turn of events at the primary election”
“What is significant is that I have thrown my heart into the political field and there is no going back anymore”
“He who fights and retreats lives to fight another day and that is what politics is all about”
He dismissed claims that Gov Soludo erred by allegedly imposing a candidate on the party insisting that;
“As for our working governor Prof Charles Soludo we shall continue to support him and God would continue to strengthen him as he delivers the good governance to the people of Anambra state and he is a human being just like all of us and we must support him in the November 8th gubernatorial election in the state ”
“So my mission is to encourage people that are well to do to remain in APGA because they will help to change the narrative in our dear party and by extension change the situation of the party from the ward to the local government levels ”
“My aspiration in APGA has indeed changed the narrative of the politics in Anambra South Senatorial District and the District will never be the same again and today Anambra South Senatorial District now have a strong bargaining power to bring to the table of Anambra state politics” he stated .
