The National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Abdullahi Ganduje says Anambra state must connect to the centre in other to make progress.
Ganduje made the remark on Friday in Nnewi while attending the APC colloquium. The event was attended by APC stalwarts across the country.
The state is currently being ruled by Governor Charles Soludo of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA.
In his remark during the progrmme, the APC leader said the state has been backward because it has been ruled by opposition governors in the last few years.
Soludo, his predecessors, Peter Obi and Willie Obiano are members of the opposition parties.
This, Ganduje, stated has prevented the state from benefiting from the centre “because it is not connected to the central government.”
He said “governors are now using their connection with the central to better their state. Why should Anambra continue to live in isolation, what is the benefit for this?”
“Anambra is a strategic state in the South-East, but it is not making the progress that a state is expected to make because it is not connected to the central government and that is the missing link and it is not benefiting the state. From former Governors Peter Obi, Willie Obiano and now Prof. Chukwuma Soludo.
“Governors are now using their connection with the central to better their state. Why should Anambra continue to live in isolation, what is the benefit for this? Even those who governed Anambra State quickly abandoned the party after they have governed the state, this is the height of selfishness.
“Anambra’s refusal to connect with the centre has denied the people of benefit and great infrastructure. Anambra has failed to transit and it is trapped. If you are not at the table, nobody will speak for you and that is the situation with Anambra since 1999. Anambra is the only state being ruled by the All Progressives Grand Alliance and the party has refused to grow.
“The South-West states were initially ruled by Alliance for Democracy in 1999, but later, they became ACN and by political sagacity of our leader who is the president today, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the South-West states continue to grow in strength, that is political dynamism. But APGA has continued to remain in one point and it shouldn’t continue like this.
“It is time for political celebration and we are hopeful that APC will take over Anambra through Senator Ifeanyi Ubah. Anambra is the heartbeat of the South-East political zone and it is time for it to join the centre party for it to grow, we are to make sure that Anambra connects to the center. No more intimidation, Anambra is strategic to the Nigerian economy and it must connect to the centre,” Ganduje stated.
Governor Soludo, a former Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN Governor is marking his two years in office, and his government has been well applauded by not a few Nigerians for its giant stride in the state.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu recently made the governor a member of his Economic Advisory team, which, according to analysts point to Soludo’s influence in the corridor of power in the country.
