http://www.codewit.com/nigeria-news/11565-prof-soludo-s-rebuttals-concerning-his-latest-political-woes-in-anambra
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Category: Nigeria News Published on Sunday, 25 August 2013 22:37 Written by Chukwudi Nwokoye Hits: 113

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It was direct from the horse’s mouth about what occurred before, during and after his disqualification by the APGA Screening Board. There have been lots of claims and counter-claims concerning what actually happened that led to his disqualification by the Board and subsequent ratification of the said disqualification. Many of the things we heard from the internet chatter or news media were correct and many were not correct.

First of all, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo promised to issue a statement in a Press Conference to be organized very soon. But he corrected the impression that his joining APGA to contest the governorship election was hasty and abrupt. He said that it was the APGA Chairman, Chief Victor Umeh, that came to his house in Abuja to persuade him to join APGA and to contest for the 2013 Governorship Election; that was as far back as the 16 July, 2011.

There were very wide consultations made by him to whole lots of stakeholders in Anambra that were enthusiastic about his prospects. In fact, many APGA party insiders and the party faithfuls encouraged him to join and to contest. He stated that the reason why he did not join right away was because there was a leadership tussle that was bedeviling the party and he decided to stay away and watch things as it unfolds before joining. To him, it would have made no sense joining a party that was in turmoil and in crisis of leadership. It was after the issue was resolved that he joined and the part primary was around the corner. He also confirmed that apart from Governor Peter Obi, other important members of APGA were on board with his quest to move in with the party. He reasoned that if he could get every other principal officer on board, then he could proceed and know that it is only the governor to try to convince. He said that it was not true that there were no wide consultations and that joining APGA and deciding to run had been in the pipeline for more than 2 years. Even the governor was not against his candidacy. It was after he joined the party and announced his candidacy that the tune changed.

He confirmed that it was after peace meeting between Gov. Obi and Chief Victor Umeh that things started changing. “Abuja” as was widely reported was not comfortable with Prof. Soludo candidacy under APGA. There was a distrust by “Abuja” of Soludo who as many suspect has an eye for the presidency. In other words, President Goodluck Jonathan was not comfortable with a "Gov. Soludo" and the president did not waste time to let both Gov. Obi and the APGA Chairman, Chief Umeh to know. Prof Soludo was asked by Umeh to withdraw from the race of which he refused insisting on going all the way through the primaries even if he loses.

On the issue of his disqualification, he stated that the information fed to the press about his disqualification was not true. First of all the APGA’s nomination guidelines stipulated three major things that would enable a candidate to qualify for the primaries:
1. Membership of APGA
2. Tax Clearance
3. Not in violation of any portion of the Electoral Act or the party constitution.

He pointed out that he met all the three conditions. He tendered to them his APGA Membership Card, his Voters’ Card and his complete Tax Clearance to the Screening Board even though he was not asked to attach any documents or bring any to the Screening.
On his form, he was asked if he has ever been arrested, he answered “NO”. When they finally disqualified him on the grounds that he was a subject of ongoing EFCC investigation; he showed up at the Appeal Board with a letter from EFCC inviting him to come and make clarifications on an issue that EFCC was investigating, which issue for clarification does not pertain to him. At no time, according to him, was he ever been notified that he was a subject of any investigation anywhere in the world. He had never been arrested ever in his life or under investigation by any agency including the EFCC. Meanwhile even if he has ever been a subject of an investigation, there is nowhere in the party’s nomination guideline that says that you are disqualified if you under an investigation, when there was no indictment or a criminal conviction. There has been a precedent about candidates running in an election when under criminal investigations like Senator Omisore, Theodore Orji, Orji Uzo Kalu etc.

Also he was not disqualified as a result of lack of financial muscles to prosecute the election as was widely publicized. Moreover, providing financial statement by candidates was not stipulated in the nomination guidelines. The report was that he and five others were disqualified for not having a Membership Cards, not having a Voters’ Cards and not showing their Tax Clearance and financial muscles. All the candidates were lumped together in the report as failing to provide those listed requirements. The issue of his ongoing EFCC investigation was an afterthought since he met all the requirements that the Nomination Guidelines stipulated. Besides his Letter of Invitation by EFCC was by no means a disqualifying factor to any candidate.
He questioned the propriety of 3 Ad Hoc Panel instead of a 7-man Board as stipulated by the guidelines of the party.

From every indication, even though he has accepted his fate about the primaries and has also accepted the ruling of the Abuja High court which he promised not to appeal against; he is ready to head back to court soon if only to have the court to rule that the party is bound to follow its own laid down rules and its own constitution. He would fight on to see that in the future, candidates would not suffer the same fate as him and due process should be followed in determining who wins the party primaries.

It is still unclear what he intends to do going forward even though he vowed to stay in APGA, but from every indication he is not giving up on running in November.
But going forward, I do not see Prof. Soludo winning this election no matter what party he joins to actualize his political aspirations. The options available to him are very clear. However, like a tse-tse fly perching on a scrotum, it would take great tact in killing it. Staying in APGA and fighting the same party from within might attract a charge of “anti-party activities”; staying in the party and not trying to effect changes would defeat the reason why he joined the party in the first place.

I hope that he has learnt some political lessons. Soludo is a star. Like a golden fish, he has no hiding place. Whatever party he joins, he brings to it the star power. He would have target on his back anywhere he goes and it is only a naïve person would believe that he does not have his eyes set on a bigger prize. He has a towering status both in Anambra and beyond; but like I always say, politics is different from mathematics and academics. To succeed in politics, you must learn the trade. Waiting until the last minute to get involved and work with the party machineries are counter-productive.

Like I said earlier, there are many questions that were left unanswered which summarized Prof. Soludo’s political naïveté. Why did prof. Soludo disappear after he conceded the 2010 election? How many political activities had he engaged in since 2010? What part did he play before, during and after Ikemba's death/funeral? How many candidates has he mentored or stood up for morally and financially over the past years? What does his political base consist of? What is his relationship with the incumbent governor and the APGA political machine? How did he play politically by aligning with forces (Turakin Adamawa) contrary to GEJ's 2015 dreams? How many weeks prior to her primaries did he join the ruling party, APGA? What is his visibility level prior to joining APGA few weeks ago? What was his stand on volatile issues concerning Anambra: like Ezu 50? Unity Schools? Orient Refinery being claimed by Kogi and Enugu? Deportation of Igbos from Lagos? Etc.

The political drama in Anambra would continue to unfold as we enter this week.

Stay tuned!!!!

(c) Chukwudi Nwokoye 2013

Looku and laughu!

payless: Looku and laughu!

^^^You're becoming more of a monumental idio't by the day! Wetin come concern you with Anambra politics?

@Post: I don't need a clairvoyant to tell me Jonathans hand is in this whole mess; and for someone yapping on about transformation and all that shi't, it's really telling how low he would sink in using unorthodox means to eliminate a perceived opponent! If he believes he is doing well in governance, why is he scared of a Soludo?

That man has just lost one vote if he decides to run in 2015! What right has he got to decide who Anambrans can and can't vote for?.....and what exactly has he specifically done for Ndigbo that we should mortgage our future for his ambitions?; a Soludo as Governor of Anambra would benefit us more than a piffling 2nd rate river port and oyel status that we -in all likelihood- aren't going to benefit from anytime soon owing to the unconcerned attitude of all the parties involved.

IGBO-SON:


^^^You're becoming more of a monumental idio't by the day! Wetin come concern you with Anambra politics?

@Post: I don't need a clairvoyant to tell me Jonathans hand is in this whole mess; and for someone yapping on about transformation and all that shi't, it's really telling how low he would sink in using unorthodox means to eliminate a perceived opponent! If he believes he is doing well in governance, why is he scared of a Soludo?

That man has just lost one vote if he decides to run in 2015! What right has he got to decide who Anambrans can and can't vote for?.....and what exactly has he specifically done for Ndigbo that we should mortgage our future for his ambitions?; a Soludo as Governor of Anambra would benefit us more than a piffling 2nd rate river port and oyel status that we -in all likelihood- aren't going to benefit from anytime soon owing to the unconcerned attitude of all the parties involved.

Shut up and tell us something else we don't know. WE told you what Jonathan was capable of doing but you and your cohorts refused to listen. Your brain is filled with hate and bigotry and won't let you differentiate between right and wrong. Jonathan only gave his blind followers an uppercut and all of a sudden you are talking like parrot. I can see all the allegations you just made against Jonathan are the same allegations made against him by APC. It shows you are more closer to Buhari and APC in your thinking than you're closer to Jonathan. If those allegations actually came from you, then you must be an APC card carrying member.

You anin't seen nothing yet! Wait till you are dealt a nasty blow on your nose when the real people of Anambra vote the tranformational figure in the one and only Chris Aremu Tunde Oladele Ibrahim Ngige into office as the last person standing as Anambra Governor. Then, that is going to be the nail in the coffin for you and blind Jonathan followers.

Ouch! That hurts!

Sai APC

I thought Ebele Azikwe was the anointed one who could do no wrong

cKaiser: I thought Ebele Azikwe was the anointed one who could do no wrong

I thought he could do no wrong since he now wears Red Caps and his name Ebelechuku Azikwe.

The people of Anambra have given Jonathan 100% support since 2011. Unfortunately, the same Jonathan has turn around to spite them by sacrificing their best candidate on the altar of negotiating and securing his own ambition.

Going forward, the people of Anambra must realise that Jonathan does not consider their interest as top priority. It does not matter to him whether Obasanjo's anointed candidate, Andy Uba will perform or not. What matters to him his winning the 2015 presidential election and anything, including the collective interest of Anambra people will be mortgaged to achieve this.

It is not too late for Anambra people to decide that they will not be the pawn in Jonathan's political chess board. Obi and other APGA leaders have shown that they can not protect the interest of the people. The ordinary Anambra people have to take their destiny in their own hands. This is the time for all well meaning Anambra people to quit party sentiment and support Chris Ngige, a proven administrator and performer per excellence. No more sentimental politics, its time to support a proven performer.

This Soludo has been paraded as one of the smartest Igbo leaders and one of three top messiahs to lead them out of wilderness and into a glorious future. He has been characterised as a future candidate for presidency and even compared as an elite in the class of Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, suggestive that his service as ex CBN governor earns him a spot in an exclusive class of national leaders.

Im coming to think that Soludo was a beneficiary of a similar windfall opportunity (federal character) that got GEJ into Presidency and on merit and competency alone he would never have been a CBN governor.

How could a politician be so trusting and gullible as to mortgage his political future to the hands of his competition, what kind of mumu be this Soludo self? They toss him about like a ragdoll. Is this who Igbo is counting on to lead their future?

seunmsg: The people of Anambra have given Jonathan 100% support since 2011. Unfortunately, the same Jonathan has turn around to spite them by sacrificing their best candidate on the altar of negotiating and securing his own ambition.

Going forward, the people of Anambra must realise that Jonathan does not consider their interest as top priority. It does not matter to him whether Obasanjo's anointed candidate, Andy Uba will perform or not. What matters to him his winning the 2015 presidential election and anything, including the collective interest of Anambra people will be mortgaged to achieve this.

It is not too late for Anambra people to decide that they will not be the pawn in Jonathan's political chess board. Obi and other APGA leaders have shown that they can not protect the interest of the people. The ordinary Anambra people have to take their destiny in their own hands. This is the time for all well meaning Anambra people to quit party sentiment and support Chris Ngige, a proven administrator and performer per excellence. No more sentimental politics, its time to support a proven performer.

Dude, we are talking about Nigerian politics, it is dirty! It is a competition and dont expect your rivals to be your sponsor, your job is to strategically eliminate them before they eliminate you. Dont blame Gej. Soludo should get out of politics, this is not a profession for those seeking sponsors.

SO IT'S NOW EGBERI JONATHAN THAT IS STEERING ANAMBRA ND APGA AFFAIRS...SHAME!!!

IGBO-SON:


^^^You're becoming more of a monumental idio't by the day! Wetin come concern you with Anambra politics?

@Post: I don't need a clairvoyant to tell me Jonathans hand is in this whole mess; and for someone yapping on about transformation and all that shi't, it's really telling how low he would sink in using unorthodox means to eliminate a perceived opponent! If he believes he is doing well in governance, why is he scared of a Soludo?

That man has just lost one vote if he decides to run in 2015! What right has he got to decide who Anambrans can and can't vote for?.....and what exactly has he specifically done for Ndigbo that we should mortgage our future for his ambitions?; a Soludo as Governor of Anambra would benefit us more than a piffling 2nd rate river port and oyel status that we -in all likelihood- aren't going to benefit from anytime soon owing to the unconcerned attitude of all the parties involved.

If the report is true, you should rather be asking APGA why they should allow a PDP president to pick their candidate? Did GEJ pick the ACN candidate in the last Edo and Ondo elections? Was GEJ even involved in picking PDP candidates in those elections? If the victory of Oshiomole and Mimiko in Edo and Ondo elections respectively did not spell doom for GEJ 2015 re-election, why should that of Soludo be different?

I'm all for Soludo but I insist that assuming the president even did not want Soludo, APGA leaders should have insisted on Soludo if they really wanted him. After all, from other elections held so far, its been one man one vote. All the president does is ensure security.

My impression is that its possible that all the main parties in this saga (Victor Umeh, Peter Obi and maybe GEJ) do not want Soludo. That explains why he was easily shoved aside.

But in reality, did you really expect Soludo to join APGA at the eleventh hour and pick the parties ticket without a fight? What about all the big players that have been in the party all the while? You and I know that in politics, none of the candidates currently in APGA would admit that Soludo is a better candidate.

Yes Soludo is a great but he too has to play the right politics. We all know he was prompted to join the Anambra election in 2010 by Yar Adua. Unfortunately, Yar Adua became very sick before that election, GEJ became the acting President, disbanded the PDP rigging machine for that election and in the end Peter Obi won, while Soludo came third or second. But like was asked in that report, between 2010 and now, what has Soludo been upto?

Its not enough to be a potentially great candidate, you must also play the right politics.

All the same, I would have loved to see Soludo in-charge of Anambra State

Kingsley1000: SO IT'S NOW EGBERI JONATHAN THAT IS STEERING ANAMBRA ND APGA AFFAIRS...SHAME!!!

Very shameful indeed! Anambrans have two options, it's either they liberate their state from the wicked claws of the killer party by joining the progressives or forever remain an appendage to PDP.

VOTE FOR NGIGE!

VOTE FOR APC!

Why cant the presidency come out and clear the air bout its percieved romance in the electoral process of APGA? Silence maybe inferred as gulity in this case. "i knew it was you joe and you broke my heart"

APGA is a sinkng ship. Soludo is better off without dem. Find another platform. We are solidly behind u. Na we be the media. no worry.

IGBO-SON:


^^^You're becoming more of a monumental idio't by the day! Wetin come concern you with Anambra politics?

@Post: I don't need a clairvoyant to tell me Jonathans hand is in this whole mess; and for someone yapping on about transformation and all that shi't, it's really telling how low he would sink in using unorthodox means to eliminate a perceived opponent! If he believes he is doing well in governance, why is he scared of a Soludo?

That man has just lost one vote if he decides to run in 2015! What right has he got to decide who Anambrans can and can't vote for?.....and what exactly has he specifically done for Ndigbo that we should mortgage our future for his ambitions?; a Soludo as Governor of Anambra would benefit us more than a piffling 2nd rate river port and oyel status that we -in all likelihood- aren't going to benefit from anytime soon owing to the unconcerned attitude of all the parties involved.

LWTMB!

Mayor_of_Lagos: This Soludo has been paraded as one of the smartest Igbo leaders and one of three top messiahs to lead them out of wilderness and into a glorious future. He has been characterised as a future candidate for presidency and even compared as an elite in the class of Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, suggestive that his service as ex CBN governor earns him a spot in an exclusive class of national leaders.

Im coming to think that Soludo was a beneficiary of a similar windfall opportunity (federal character) that got GEJ into Presidency and on merit and competency alone he would never have been a CBN governor.

How could a politician be so trusting and gullible as to mortgage his political future to the hands of his competition, what kind of mumu be this Soludo self? They toss him about like a ragdoll. Is this who Igbo is counting on to lead their future?

You have no idea: SOLUDO would have been a MASSIVE failure as governor! This is the funny thing people and Ibo people cannot see and I wonder why! An Economics professor has no skills whatsoever, relevant to governance of a state! The 'success' Soludo had as CBN governor was attributable in the LARGEST part to OBASANJO who created the enabling environment for him to work and also recruited mostly capable people to complement each other in the administration.

Soludo shud go back 2 classroom in UNN plz

Adm. Yamamoto:


You have no idea: SOLUDO would have been a MASSIVE failure as governor! This is the funny thing people and Ibo people cannot see and I wonder why! An Economics professor has no skills whatsoever, relevant to governance of a state! The 'success' Soludo had as CBN governor was attributable in the LARGEST part to OBASANJO who created the enabling environment for him to work and also recruited mostly capable people to complement each other in the administration.

^^^You really sound daft! If you attribute Soludos' successes in office to OBJ, why then didn't superman OBJ do the job himself? Honestly you fools are just clutching at straws....either looking frantically for reasons to justify the backstabbing by Obi, Umeh and GEJ, or trying to shore-up Ngiges profile!

With things as they stand now, what we're going to witness in Anambra -after Obi- is going to be more of the same: ad-hoc measures of doling out cash to schools for renovation; constructing a couple of rural roads here and there; no world class hospitals or schools that can compete with the best in Africa; a non existent tourist sector; a pathetic monthly IGR that even little Ebonyi beats easily; no big time multi million dollar investments, save one or two that the Governor (or his predecessor Obi) would have a large stake in; and Onitsha, Awka and Nnewi may likely remain oppressive environments with dusty roads and dirty clogged-up gutters!

I'm usually a very good judge of ones capabilities, and i just don't see any of the present contenders (Ngige, the two Ubahs, Obiano, etc) having the necessary qualities to take Anambra and Ndigbo in general to where we ought to be- in the top 4 states in Nigeria; at best they'd be average!

The high hopes i had for Anambra being the epicentre of the socio-economic renaissance of Ndigbo have been placed in the cooler for now, and like i told Abians when they allowed Orji to return as Governor in 2011- in a few years from now it's gonna be a question of 'i told you so didn't i?'

IGBO-SON:


^^^You really sound daft! If you attribute Soludos' successes in office to OBJ, why then didn't superman OBJ do the job himself? Honestly you fools are just clutching at straws....either looking frantically for reasons to justify the backstabbing by Obi, Umeh and GEJ, or trying to shore-up Ngiges profile!

With things as they stand now, what we're going to witness in Anambra -after Obi- is going to be more of the same: ad-hoc measures of doling out cash to schools for renovation; constructing a couple of rural roads here and there; no world class hospitals or schools that can compete with the best in Africa; a non existent tourist sector; a pathetic monthly IGR that even little Ebonyi beats easily; no big time multi million dollar investments, save one or two that the Governor (or his predecessor Obi) would have a large stake in; and Onitsha, Awka and Nnewi may likely remain oppressive environments with dusty roads and dirty clogged-up gutters!

I'm usually a very good judge of ones capabilities, and i just don't see any of the present contenders (Ngige, the two Ubahs, Obiano, etc) having the necessary qualities to take Anambra and Ndigbo in general to where we ought to be- in the top 4 states in Nigeria; at best they'd be average!

The high hopes i had for Anambra being the epicentre of the socio-economic renaissance of Ndigbo have been placed in the cooler for now, and like i told Abians when they allowed Orji to return as Governor in 2011- in a few years from now it's gonna be a question of 'i told you so didn't i?'

I read the bolded and felt sad at how true it is, especially given the history of mediocrity among Nigerian
governors.

I wonder if the future governor of Anambra is reading this now. What is he thinking? Would he at least try to prove you wrong when he wins?

Probably not.

I still wonder if there is a God.

I don't get it

Is Jonathan a member of APGA? Why must his name be dragged into this matter? So Victor Umeh, Bianca Ojukwu and Peter Obi cannot anoint candidates, except Jonathan?

Adm. Yamamoto:


You have no idea: SOLUDO would have been a MASSIVE failure as governor! This is the funny thing people and Ibo people cannot see and I wonder why! An Economics professor has no skills whatsoever, relevant to governance of a state! The 'success' Soludo had as CBN governor was attributable in the LARGEST part to OBASANJO who created the enabling environment for him to work and also recruited mostly capable people to complement each other in the administration.

NA 4RM YANSH U DY TINK 4RM?U MUST BE HIGH ON SOMTIN.IF PROF SOLUDO WOULDNT MAKE A GOOD GOV.WHOELSE WOULD?...AM IN A BETTER POSITION TO TEACH U ABOUT SOLUDO.

nnenna.1:


I read the bolded and felt sad at how true it is, especially given the history of mediocrity among Nigerian
governors.

I wonder if the future governor of Anambra is reading this now. What is he thinking? Would he at least try to prove you wrong when he wins?

Probably not.

I still wonder if there is a God.

^^^The bolded is what i want to happen.....let whoever is going to be the next governor read this and set out to prove me wrong, so i'd be forced to eat humble pie!

Adm. Yamamoto:


You have no idea: SOLUDO would have been a MASSIVE failure as governor! This is the funny thing people and Ibo people cannot see and I wonder why! An Economics professor has no skills whatsoever, relevant to governance of a state! The 'success' Soludo had as CBN governor was attributable in the LARGEST part to OBASANJO who created the enabling environment for him to work and also recruited mostly capable people to complement each other in the administration.

I beg to differ. If you agree he succeeded as a CBN governor, albeit according to you, with Obasanjo crfeating an enabling environment, why do you now reckon that he will fail as EXECUTIVE GOVERNOR of a state where he gets to create his own enabling environment?

Sincerely, if I had the power to vote in Anambra, Ngige would be my first choice based on the impact he made in the short time he spent as governor of the state in the past. But I do not think Soludo will be such a bad choice too.