Ozigbo: Soludo’s Performance in Anambra below Average, I’ll Contest to Replace Him

David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka

Former Governorship candidate of the  Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Anambra State, Mr Val Ozigbo, has rated the performance of Governor Chukwuma Soludo as being below average.

Ozigbo, who is now a chieftain of Labour Party (LP) and a staunch loyalist of former Governor of the state, Mr Peter Obi, said after waiting for two years to assess Soludo’s performance, he is not impressed, and  has decided to contest the 2025 governorship election in the state, against Soludo who will be seeking reelection.

Ozigbo, who held an interactive meeting with journalists in Anambra at the weekend, said he will run for just one term in office to complete the zoning arrangement which favours the Southern senatorial zone of the state, where he and Soludo hail from.

He said: “We have seen the leadership of Soludo in two years and some of you may be impressed but I’m not.  After the last election in 2021, I called and wished him well and moved on and we have not spoken again since then. My decision was to assess him after two years, and having seen it, I’m not impressed and I want to start holding him accountable.

“I’m here to share my thoughts with you, and no matter how you see what he (Soludo) is doing, you will be more proud when I mount the saddle.

“We need to change the narrative and look for a way to develop Anambra. We must fight to rescue Anambra. I’m a non transactional politician. I have several things I can do, but my worry is how we can recover the state and put her on the path of development.

“Zoning is a good thing. But it must be combined with competence to make sense. Don’t pick a renegade just because he is from a certain  zone, and don’t pick the best, when you know you can pick one that is better than the best.

“I respect zoning, and I will be making a case for a single term of four years. Anyone who sees what Alex Otti is doing in Abia in months will know that four years is enough time to do a lot of work.

“I will honour that principle of zoning, and I will not need anyone’s push or prompting to do otherwise. I will be ready to do an agreement and sign an undertaking that I will do just one term. I also wish to tell you that Obi has been consistent that a southerner who emerges will only do one term.

“It is a settled matter that I intend to run for just one term. I intend to keep faith with the agreement,” Ozigbo said.