Maduako Igbokwe I Sunday, March 24, 2024
AWKA, Nigeria – The Anambra State People’s Democratic Party PDP governorship candidate in 2021, Mr. Valentine Chineto Ozigbo has stated that he was betrayed by his party members. Ozigbo ,who is now a chieftain of Labour Party LP made the remark at the weekend during an interaction with some journalists in Awka, Anambra State capital
According to him,he lost the last governorship election because of huge betrayal from the transactional politicians in PDP.
“Those I thought I was working with in PDP betrayed me . I used all the time I would have used for campaign trying to pacify those who lost in the primaries but instead they decided to gang up and betrayed me. All the time I used in trying to build a united PDP was wasted. I hope it will not repeat again.
“As a first comer in politics,there are a lot of lessons one must learn. I have learnt some. When I came in ,many of my co-aspirants never trusted me. We saw the signs of the betrayal but we ignored them ,but this time, when we see any ,we will act immediately to minimise the betrayal level. I will do my best to get discerning spirit,even if I want to make the mistake it will be minimal” he said .
According to him,those he defeated in PDP primaries ganged up against him and betrayed the common interest of Ndi Anambra.
“I won them when I was relatively new in politics and I will win them again,this time at the general elections in the field” he said . He also blasted Governor Charles Soludo , saying his performances in two years was not impressive .
According to him,he can govern Anambra better than what is happening today.
” We have gone into two years of Soludo’s government, some of you may be happy but i’m not . Governance is not all about being an autocratic leadership , you have to listen to people and know their problems. You have to implement superior recommendations,you don’t know it all.
“I had wanted to stay two years before speaking about the government of Soludo and now it is two years I want to hold Soludo accountable. I want to tell you,even if you are Soludo’s brother, you will be happier if I am governor of Anambra State” he said .
According to him, he would have approached governance differently and more effectively than what is happening if he had won the November 2021 gubernatorial election.
“Governor Soludo has not performed optimally and has failed to connect with the people he governs. After two years, it is imperative for me, as a citizen, to hold him accountable. I believe I can do better. We must not allow our aspirations to fade, especially after the events of the 2023 election. We must collectively strive to change the narrative.”he stated
He also stressed the need for zoning , noting that it must be complemented by competence.
“We should not choose a candidate solely based on their zone, nor should we settle for the best when we can have someone better. I respect the principle of zoning, and I advocate for a single term of four years.
“I am committed to honouring the zoning principle and I am open to entering into an agreement to serve just one term. Additionally, I echo the sentiments of Mr. Peter Obi, a highly respected politician in Africa, who advocates for a single term for the southern candidate who emerges,” he stated.
Expressing concern over the state’s insecurity, Ozigbo urged the people of Anambra to view the 2025 election as a turning point for future elections in Nigeria. He called for unity among party members, acknowledging the challenges of contesting against an incumbent.
