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By Myke Agunwa
The dust generated by the governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Anambra State is yet to settle as a chieftain of the party, Ike Bishop Okoronkwo said that the emergence of Nicholas Ukachukwu as its governorship candidate has made the re-election of Prof. Charles Soludo the incumbent governor a smooth sail.
The announcement of Ukachukwu as the APC candidate has generate a lot of infighting in the party as aspirants claimed that the exercise was marred by violence, irregularities and some of the delegates shut out from the venue.
His emergence led to the resignation of some aspirants from the party while many party officials in the ward and local government levels have thrown their support to the re-election of the incumbent governor who is contesting under the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
In an open letter to Edozie Ikedife the southeast organizing secretary of APC, Okoronkwo, a supporter of Valentine Ozigbo who lost out in the primaries said that if APC fielded Ukachukwu for the election, it would make it easier for the incumbent governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo to win.
“Mr Nicholas Ukachukwu did not win that primary; he bought it, boxed it, and bolted it behind the walls of a contrived delegate list filled with ghost names and housekeepers from Abuja.
“If he were half as popular as you claim, why the need for thugs, for the violence, for theatrical accreditation, for the flooding of the primary venue by paid crowds? Why the fear of a real contest?
“Since Nicholas Ukachukwu’s imposition, the APC in Anambra has unravelled. More than 300 party executives have resigned. The base is disillusioned. Meetings are empty, morale has collapsed. With Nicholas, APC didn’t gain strength—it lost its soul. The party is now a shadow of itself, and in Anambra, effectively dead on arrival.
“Governor Chukwuma Soludo is relieved at this sham primary because he knows Nicholas is a political walkover. But he wouldn’t sleep so easy if he had to face a candidate with credibility, competence, and a vision—a candidate like Val Ozigbo.
“There are whispers, persistent and damning about Ukachukwu’s academic record and his criminal litigation history with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. It would be wise to focus less on sermonising and more on ensuring that your chosen principal can withstand the scrutiny of daylight,” Okoronkwo told Ikedife.
Meanwhile, Ukachukwu is not relenting in his pursuit as he has been consistently engaged in political meetings with various groups in the state, oiling his political machinery as the date for listing of campaigns draws near.
Ukachukwu scored 1,455 votes to defeat his closest rival, Valentine Ozigbo, who scored 67 votes, Johnbosco Onunkwo scored 26 votes and Edozie Madu scored eight votes, while invalid votes were 26.
In his acceptance speech, Ukachukwu thanked President Bola Tinubu for ensuring a hitch-free and transparent intraparty election process.
“I have a longstanding influence in Anambra politics. I have been instrumental to the emergence of successive governors in Anambra over the years. I have played the role of a godfather, but now, I am ready to father myself” Ukachukwu boasted.