By Seyi Babalola
Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has come under fire from the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) for his remarks implying that Anambra State’s membership in the APGA minority party has kept it politically isolated from the center.
APGA National Publicity Secretary Mazi Ejimofor Opara stated in a statement on Saturday that Anambra had held up better than most states Ganduje claimed were affiliated with the center, despite being led by a minority party.
During a South East APC colloquium organized by Senator Ifeanyi Ubah in Nnewi on Friday, Ganduje said that Anambra’s continued membership in APGA has caused them to be politically isolated from the South East.
But replying, Opara stated that Ganduje’s eight years as governor of Kano State were some of the reasons the state chose a governor from the New Nigerian People’s Party, NNPP.
“First, I wonder the level of progress Kano State made under Ganduje’s APC that resulted in a revolutionary and historic rejection of the party by the people in 2023 as the people opted instead to vote for the NNPP and were ready to stake their lives to defend their votes.
“Ganduje should understand that the Southeast and Ndi Anambra in particular are more interested in why Kano State, after him, decided to disconnect from the APC-controlled center.
“Well, the APC is nonexistent in Anambra; I am sure Ganduje himself knows this for a fact. Again, the continued existence of APGA in Anambra is performance-based.
“Anambra, and indeed, the Southeast, is APGA land. There is no doubt about this, and even where the region decides to negotiate a handshake with the Centre, the APC has proven not to be such a viable alternative. I sincerely hope that Mr Ganduje will seek to really see that which is not hidden rather than opting for deliberate ignorance.
“From Peter Obi to Willie Obiano and now Professor Soludo, Anambra has remained on a trajectory of progressive growth, and it is for this reason that even a political neophyte would state without double checking that Ganduje was either speaking to impress his host or he is sincerely ignorant of the facts.
“Anambra under APGA has remained a state of many firsts, and in recent times, the state under the Soludo government has won many awards.
“Recall that Anambra has won the award as the state with the best deployed ICT, and Anambra State ICT Agency under Mr. Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata won that award. Anambra has also been named as the state with the lowest out-of-school child record.
“If all these awards are what it takes to be disconnected from the center, then Anambra will gladly remain disconnected,” he said.
