Why we dumped Governor Soludo for Ukachukwu, APC candidate in Nov. 8 election – Enwezor

By Alphonsus Nweze, Onitsha

Two-time Member of Anambra State House of Assembly, Ezenwa Chugbo Enwezor,on the platform of All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) has said some of them are now working for All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu for the November 8 Governorship election because Governor Chukwuma Soludo alienated them and hijacked their victory immediately he assumed office.
The former chairman of Judicial Committee in the State House of Assembly said when APGA was hijacked by a few people he with others as politicians had to search for a viable party where they would realise their ambition.
He said they played very important roles in ensuring that Soludo emerged as the Governor of Anambra State.
“I was the chairman of his campaign for Onitsha North. And we successfully secured majority votes for APGA in Onitsha North.Let us be frank about it political party is about congregation of people with the same ideology, seeking to get machinery of Government to be able to praticalise their vision.It is not a one man show. So, when Soludo won the Governorship, he automatically alienated all of us that played one role or the other in his emergence”.
Continuing, the human right lawyer said: “So, he misinterpreted the whole thing that having been elected as Governor, he is solely the custodian of that mandate. Our party contested the election. On the ballot paper you cannot find Soludo. What was there was APGA. And we were all in APGA when Soludo came in. We welcomed him.We had a candidate who wanted to challenge him at the primary but Governor Willie Obiano and many of us stood for him to ensure that he did not only emerge at the primary but also emerged as the Governor. But as soon as he became Governor, he began to appropriate the victory to himself personally. He began to alieniate us,many of us who were instrumental to his emergence”
He continues with his narration: “That, you agree with me is undemocratic, it is clearly not in tandem with the principle of party politics. We were all qualified, we rejected offers from other political parties to defend our party,to work in our polling units, wards and local governments. But as soon as Soludo emerged, he began to talk as if he was not produced by a party, that he applied for the job and the people employed him. That is wrong, very wrong and inverted narrative” said Enwezor.
The lawyer turned politician said contrary to Soludo’s believe, politics is not about somebody applying for a job but all about carrying out the policies of a political party.
He said APGA has been in power since 2006,so it was APGA policies that were sold to the people with Soludo as the candidate.
” It is the same programmes that brought Peter Obi, Willie Obiano and himself on board. But he appropriated it and began to alleniate hardworking and very brilliant members of the party who also have something to offer to the party and to the people of Anambra State” he stated.
Enwezor said when Soludo: “toed that line of showcasing his ego, of appropriating the victory to himself, the resultant effect was that many party men were alleniated, dubbed as people who saw politics as a means of self -aggrandisement”
He continued :”That was how Soludo saw some people, self aggrandizement, which was a kind of blackmail”
The ex-legislator recalled that Soludo wanted to be Governor in 2010 but failed as a People’s Democratic Party (PDP) member.
Then when Obiano wanted to contest, he tried again but failed and had to wait till Obiano’s tenure finished,asking did all those waiting amounted to self aggrandizement?
“He had something to offer. Other people had too.So it is not a personal thing .It is a collective victory for APGA but Soludo personalized it” he said.
The lawyer said they have no option than to look at the broader picture, which the mantle fell on APC , being a bigger national party.
Enwezor said: “That opened our eyes to pitch tent with APC so that we can offer our services, not only being limited to Anambra State but also given opportunity to offer ourselves to the Nigerian people at large”
He expressed optimism that with the personalized leadership of Soludo and other vices of his administration coupled with the rich credentials of APC candidate, Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu and his running mate Senator Uche Ekwunife, they will carry the day in November 8, 2025.