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Gov. Soludo, Peter Obi wrestle over Anambra State Assembly election
As the March 18, House of Assembly election in Anambra draws closer, there is apprehension in the state, especially within the government circle, which believe that a majority seat for the Labour Party in the state may spell doom for the government in power.
The Saturday election is more like a battle between the former State governor and Presidential candidate of Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, and the incumbent, Governor Chukwuma Soludo.
Recall that Governor Soludo did not give Obi any chance in the presidential election as he had predicted that only the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and the All Progressives Congress, APC, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, respectively, were in the race, the outcome of the election must have shocked him.
Soludo had predicted that Obi may win Anambra State as a ‘homeboy’, but would not win up to three states. But in the released results, which are still being contested as being heavily rigged, Obi won same 12 states like all of the other two top contenders.
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In Anambra State, Obi also swept about 97 percent of the entire votes cast, leaving doubt about what may happen on Saturday, March 18.
This has caused a panic in the camp of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, where Soludo is the national leader of the party.
In a video that went viral last week, Soludo was seen addressing his constituents in Igboukwu, Aguata Local Government Area.
“If you vote for anyone else, the person will stay on the corridor while we make plans for the state, and we will only pay them their salaries, they will not get other pecks of office,” Soludo had threatened.
In another fora, the governor was quoted as saying that having members of the House of Assembly from other political parties will derail his job and hinder development in the state.
READ ALSO: Peter Obi visits family of late Enugu Senatorial candidate
Meanwhile, the Labour Party is not relenting in their bid to sweep the 30 seats in the Anambra State House of Assembly. Senator Victor Umeh, a Senator-elect on the platform of Labour Party, in a radio programme last week, lashed out at the governor, stating that he had no reason to fear impeachments if he does the right things.
Umeh also accused the governor of looking for a rubber stamp Assembly that he can control, while urging the people to ignore him and vote only Labour Party candidates in the election.
In an interview with journalists, Peter Obi said there was no need for Soludo to be afraid of working with LP lawmakers. He said there was no plot to use LP lawmakers to impeach him, but he only needed to do the right thing at all times.
Obi charged the candidates work with Soludo after victory, while adding that what was paramount to Anambra people is development.
“If we have good schools, good hospitals, that is my concern, and we know that LP candidates are the most competent. So I charge the people to vote for LP candidates only,” he said.