Valentine Ozigbo, a gubernatorial aspirant under the Labour Party (LP) in Anambra State, has openly criticized Governor Chukwuma Soludo for actions taken in preparation for the upcoming local government elections. Ozigbo accused the governor of enacting laws that contradict the 2022 Electoral Act in the lead-up to the elections, scheduled for 28 September 2024….READ FULL ARTICLE...READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE ▶▶
In a statement released on Saturday, Ozigbo, who was previously the gubernatorial candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), alleged that Governor Soludo’s primary motive for rushing the election is to consolidate power ahead of the 2025 gubernatorial race. He claimed that Soludo is focused on securing a power base by any means necessary.
Ozigbo stated, “Legitimate local government political leadership and administration are essential for delivering the true dividends of democracy to the people. Ndi Anambra from all sectors of society have long been advocating for this.”
He further expressed disappointment in Soludo’s failure to fulfill a key campaign promise. “Over two years ago, during his inauguration, Governor Soludo promised to establish a democratically elected LGA political leadership within his first year. However, he failed to fulfill this promise. Only after intense criticism from key stakeholders, myself included, following his two-year anniversary, did he hastily organize a poorly planned LGA election,” Ozigbo noted.
Ozigbo went on to describe Soludo’s governing style as autocratic, stating that the governor believes he is the “wisest in the room.” He added, “The Governor and his associates set up a new ANSIEC and enacted laws that are wholly inconsistent with the Nigerian Constitution and the Nigerian Electoral Act 2022.”
According to Ozigbo, these newly established laws, particularly those concerning the timing of elections, party nominations, and election dates, have either been disregarded or blatantly contradicted. He argued that these maneuvers are designed to ensure that Soludo’s allies are installed, with the ultimate goal of controlling the Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) funds distributed to local governments. Ozigbo asserted that this is part of a broader strategy to bolster Soludo’s re-election campaign.
“Ndi Anambra will not tolerate this and will collectively reject this assault on our democracy!” Ozigbo concluded.
The upcoming local government election in Anambra State has drawn significant attention, with many viewing it as a critical test of Governor Soludo’s political strategy and influence….READ FULL ARTICLE
