THE All Progressives Grand Alliance has responded to the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje, for saying that Anambra State has stayed politically isolated from the central by remaining in the APGA.
Ejimofor Opara, the National Publicity Secretary of the APGA, responded to Ganduje’s comment by saying that Anambra, despite being a minority party, has fared better than most states that claim to be tied to the centre.
Ganduje stated at the South-East APC colloquium held in Nnewi, Anambra State, on Friday that Anambra is not making the promised progress because it has remained in APGA and has refused to connect to the centre.
The APC chairman further highlighted that prior governors who ruled Anambra State under the APGA later left the party, demonstrating that the party had no national importance.
Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, who represents the Anambra South Senatorial District, organised the colloquium.
However, in a response today, Opara criticized Ganduje, saying that his deeds as governor of Kano were among the reasons Kano elected a governor from the New Nigeria People’s Party.
Opara said, “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 South-East and Ndi Anambra in particular are more interested in why Kano State, after him, decided en masse to disconnect from the APC-controlled centre.
“Well, the APC is non-existent 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 South-East 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 Ganduje will seek to see that which is not hidden than opting for deliberate ignorance.”
He added, “From Peter Obi to Willie Obiano and now Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, Anambra has remained on a trajectory of progressive growth, and it is for this reason 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 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 least out-of-school children record.
“If all these awards are what it takes to be disconnected from the centre, then Anambra will gladly remain disconnected.”
Opara added that it is appalling that a political party that proposed a colloquium turned it into a political rally and ended up conducting a primary election, where the host senator, Ifeanyi Ubah was declared the candidate of the party in the next election.
