2023: ‘Anyim’s Declaration No Threat to Umahi’

Ugo  Aliogo
The recent decision by former Senate President and Secretary to Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, to take the lead as the first aspirant to declare interest in the 2023 presidential race poses no threat and would not diminish Ebonyi State, Governor Dave Umahi’s chances of success if the race were to be decided purely on proven track records of accomplishments.Speaking in Lagos recently, the Ebonyi State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Uchenna Orji said, “if the 2023 presidential race is to be decided purely on the pedigree of aspirants, the fact that Anyim is from the same state and geo-political zone as our governor I do not see him as posing any serious threat to the governor’s sterling performance in infrastructural development and his lifting of Ebonyi state from ‘third world to the first world’ within this short period of time as governor.”

He argued that gone are the days when Nigerians were hoodwinked into supporting people who had no track records of any accomplishments. “Nigerians are getting wiser and are going to make a remarkable departure from the past by scrutinising every aspirant based on his developmental pedigree and contributions to society measured through every position they have held in the past.

“Without sounding rude, in comparison with Umahi, in the whole of Ebonyi state, you cannot see any tangible project that the former Senate President who later also went on to become the Secretary to the Government of the Federation under former President Goodluck Jonathan did not to even talk of the entire Southeast zone. I don’t want to talk about the complicity and conspiracy to underdevelop the zone by those who held sensitive positions at the centre in the past.
“Let me put it on record that the people of the zone already know who is a performer and can make the difference in comparison to those that are merely playing to the gallery. All that we need is that person who can show Nigerians that indeed, the best can come from the Southeast. If you look at the track record in Ebonyi state, and if you are looking at that person that can transform Nigeria in record time, Umahi is in pole position to fill that gap regardless of whether he has yet indicated interest to run or not,” Orji declared.

On allegations that Umahi accused the candidates of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the just concluded Anambra governorship election of rigging, Orji said the issue had already been dealt with as the governor neither before, during and after the election ever got involved in Anambra governorship election. He accused some social media users of mischief and for spreading fallacious falsehood and unfounded rumors to blackmail and impugning on the character and high rising reputation and track records of Ebonyi governor.

To the governor-elect, Prof. Charles Soludo, Orji noted that “although he is not a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), we wish him well and believe in his credibility and capacity to move the state forward and the people of Anambra have made a clear choice and spoken loudly in the just concluded election.” He enjoined Soludo to recognize the strategic position of the South-east in Nigeria and to work with other governors in the geo-political zone to rally the country behind the zone to produce the next president.
He enjoined Soludo to “synergize with leaders in the zone as well as creating opportunities such as jobs and other forms of empowerment to calm restive youths in the state. The zone is full of creative talents that are barely waiting to be tapped. Anambra alone has a commanding height in manufacturing, production, and commercial activities. Each state in the zone has a comparative advantage in specific areas and we believe the governor-elect would bring his wealth of experience in the Central and World Banks to join hands with his colleagues to unleash these potentials in the zone.”

He saluted the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) for allowing peace to reign by canceling its sit-at-home order and allowing the election to hold devoid of the reign of violence that pervaded the state and zone before the election. He enjoined them to continue to listen to the voice of reason and engage both the stakeholders and leaders of the zone, governors, and federal government to find a lasting solution that would bring about permanent peace in the South-east.