Some stakeholders of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), have revealed why the party lost to the People Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Mr. Valentine Ozigbo, in the November 6, 2021 governorship election in Ogbaru local government area of Anambra State.
They said APGA lost in the Council Area for lack of trust and neglegence that led to mass defection of major stakeholders to other opposition party, PDP and the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the area.
The stakeholers, who spoke one after the other angrilly during the official declaration of one of the party leading House of Representative aspirants, Hon. Chris Onyekachukwu Nwokedi, (Akaekpuchionwa), who is contesting to represent Ogbaru constituents at the National Assembly Abuja, in 2023 general election, also blamed the failure on inadequate distribution of fund meant for the exercise to the sixteen Wards that constitute the LGA by leaders of the party in the area.
Valenine Ozigbo, the PDP candidate during the election, polled 3,445 votes to defeat governor Chukwuma Soludo, candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), who polled 3,051 votes, while the All Progressives Congress (APC), candidate, Senator Andy Uba got 1,178 votes.
The APGA Chairman in Ogbaru Council Area, Hon. Nnamdi Ifejika, who expressed disappointment over the failure, said the party under his watch together with the presence of Hon. Chris Onyekachukwu Nwokedi, whom he described as one the most popular politicians in the area, would do everything political possible to ensure APGA wins all seat in the area, come 2023 general election.
He said Ogbaru 1/2 State Constituency is currently occupied by PDP, while Senator Stella Uduah and Hon. Chu Chu Onyema are representing them in the Senate and House of Representatives respectively under the APC platform.
“I believe that with governor Soludo, being a disciplined leader, he will ensure APGA clinches all the seats in the state in the 2023 elections, he stated.
The party Secretary in the LGA, Mr. Christopher Ofiekwu, said the party could not won because, the administration of the former governor, Willie Obiano, was not paying the Ward executive in the Council Area.He appealed to governor Chukwuma Soludo to look into it.
On her part, the APGA women leader in the Council, Lady Blessing Ugochukwu, revealed that the party lost to PDP because the money earmarked for the exercise was not enough to win the ection, especially, Okpoko, that has the largest voting strengh in the Council Area with 76 polling units.
“At Okpoko Ward 6, that is my ward, I used my personal money to ensure APGA won in my polling unit, in order to save my position. You know, Ogbaru is under Anambra North Senatorial District, PDP controls the two State Constituencyies in the Council while APC controls the Senate and House of Representatives respectively. So they used money to woo our members and thousands of APGA supporters then join them and that was how we lost the Council to PDP. During the election, PDP and APC were given each polling unit between 500,000-550,000 while APGA was given only 100,000. In Nigeria politics today, no political party will win election without buying the electorate with the highest money.
She assured the aspirants that with his contribution to the sustainability of the party in the local government area, since the era of Mr. Peter Obi, as governor of the state, the mandate to represent Ogbaru people at the National Assembly Abuja, is sure for him.
Declaring his intention at the party local headquarters Atani, on Saturday, the aspirant, Hon. Nwokedi, underscored the need to seek the consent of the people at the grassroots, saying they were central to realizing his ambition.
The aspirant said he knew the challenges inherent in his constituency, assuring that they would be tackled with their cooperation. He added that it would be criminal to sit and continue to expect other persons to bring progress and development to the constituency without adding his own experience and goodwill.
He urged party supporters to shun politics of bitterness and pull-him-down syndrome, noting that such brand of politics now belonged to the past.
He stressed that the sixteen Wards that constitute Ogbaru federal constituency would record quality representation through him if given the opportunity.
Hon. Nwokedi, used the event to expressed gratitude to God for making Professor Soludo whom he described as a renowned economist, Governor of Anambra State in the time of economic crunch in the country.
He enjoined the good people of Ogbaru Local Government Areas to see Governor Soludo’s administration as their collective responsibility and accord him the necessary support to enable him move the state forward.
He promised to use his contacts in the business sector to influence other notable businessmen to invest in the state especially now that Governor Soludo has promised to provide an enabling business environment for investors.