By Ikeugonna Eleke
Former Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, has warned the Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Anambra State Governorship Election to stop using his name to woo voters.
Ngige, in a press statement by his Special Assistant on media, Hyggy Obialo, said the septuagenarian politician and former governor had taken a sabbatical from politics and would not want to be associated with any candidate.
The statement which was endorsed by the former governor disclaimed a recent poster which had his picture alongside those of the APC guber candidate, Ukachukwu, and his running mate, Ekwunife, aimed at swaying vote to them from followers of the former governor.
‘We want to use this medium to inform the general public that neither the consent nor approval of our principal was sought and/or obtained, respectively, before the said publication was disseminated to the general public.
‘Our attention was been drawn to the online poster in circulation with the photograph of our principal, His Excellency, Sen Chris Nwabueze Ngige, MD, OON, CON, Onwa-na-etiliora, featuring together with the Anambra State APC Governorship Candidate, Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu and his Deputy, Sen. Uche Ekwunife.
‘We therefore advise the perpetrators to respect the wishes of our principal, who has indicated in many fora that he is out of partisan politics for now.
‘We further wish to inform the general public, that H.E. Sen. (Dr) Chris Nwabueze Ngige is on sabbatical from active partisan politics for now as he is taking his well-deserved rest after 25 years of active partisan politics and public service.’
Ngige, a former Governor of Anambra State (2003-2006); former Senator who represented Anambra State Central Senatorial District in the 7th Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (2011 – 2015); is also a two-term Minister of Labour and Employment(2015 -2023).
