By Jude Atupulazi
A former gubernatorial candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, in Anambra State, Mr Oseloka Obaze, has decried what he describes as the hopeless situation in the state which, he says, has no solution in sight.
Obaze, a former diplomat who was addressing his loyalists, June 14, at King David Hotel, Awka, to appreciate their services to him, regretted that between 2014 and 2022 when it was thought that Anambra was bad, no one knew it would get worse by 2021 till date, with no solution in sight.
He further regretted that despite Gov Chukwuma Soludo’s promise of turning Anambra to Dubai and Taiwan, the state had regressed in terms of security, quality of life and good governance.
His words, ‘As regards our home state, Anambra, we thought 2014 to 2022 was bad; but things have gotten worse since 2021. There is no solution in sight. Anambra was broken and needed to be fixed. Despite high promises of Dubai and Taiwan, Anambra has regressed in terms of security, quality of life and goad governance. The present leadership, despite all pretences, is not living up to their promises and must as such be voted out.’
Obaze said the Anambra Governorship Mandate for 2025 still belonged to Anambra South Senatorial Zone and said it was up to the zone to produce someone he described as a credible and transformative leader to succeed the incumbent.
Obaze, during the event, said he was an associate of Peter Obi, Presidential Candidate of Labour Party in the 2023 General electons, and would remain so till death and would always go where Obi went, noting that such disposition was necessary for fostering lasting friendship.
He told them that anyone contesting in 2025 outside Anambra South was wasting their time as the South must conclude its tenure, maintaining that the South should produce the best from among them.
On why he convened the meeting, Obaze said, ‘We decided to have this event to thank TeamOHO, Anambra, for the work it did in the past few years, especially in 2023, for which we got a recognition and appreciation award.
‘We wanted to use this opportunity to exchange views on the way forward, especially in Anambra State and Nigeria.
‘The task ahead is to support Peter Obi to win Anambra State before the presidential elections in 2027; and be fully prepared and ready to complete the unfinished business of 2023.
‘TeamOHO is committed to Anambra State being under a friendly leadership that is totally supportive of Peter Obi and the 2027 Igbo Agenda on the Nigerian Presidency.
‘For our part, TeamOHO will remain proactive and constructively engaged. We are bridge builders; we will provide the necessary building blocks. But our support will not go to the traditional politicians who make promises they cannot keep; but to someone who has vision, has created and managed wealth, can be trusted and is a team player.’
For his part, a former member of the Anambra State House of Assembly, Barr Ben Nwosu, rallied support for a governorship hopeful on the polatfrom of Labour Party, Mr John Nwosu, a billionaire business man and Chief Executive Officer of Jetlink Group, an ICT company with business affiliation and interest in the the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.
The former lawmaker, who also described himself as a disciple of Obi, said he had come to the event to rally the people to support Obi for the 2027 Presidential Election. He however contended that such support would not be complete if Obi did not have a solid home base, with his party man as governor.
He said Anambra needed a man with not only a good track record and decency, but someone who had successfully, managed men and materials and who had the capacity to remove an incumbent governor.
The Nnewi born former lawmaker said that Obi was using the Abia Governor to set the pace and disclosed that Anambra was ready to produce someone slightly better than Alex Otti, Abia State Governor.
‘John Nwosu is the key. He is the best. Anambra deserves the best,’ Nwosu said, noting that John was a Catholic from Nnewi.
‘We’re contesting because the Arithmetic of zoning favours us, as well as capacity and integrity,’ he added, urging the supporters to vote LP in Anambra State to give Obi a base in 2027.
