By Jude Michael
Mr John Nwosu, Labour Party aspirant for the 2025 Gubernatorial Election in Anambra State, says no political office is worth making him to take an oath in the shrine in order to be governor. This, he says, is in keeping with his Catholic faith.
Mr Nwosu made this known, October 26, during a press encounter with select media houses in Awka at Geogold Hotels.
He was responding to a question on whether he would be willing to take an oath in a shrine if such was demanded of him to assure them of serving only one term in office as he had promised to do.
‘In keeping with my Catholic faith, no political office is worth my swearing to an oath at a shrine. It is impossible. I’m not that blindly ambitious. But as a person of honour, my word is my bond,’ Nwosu had said, while insisting that he would serve only for one term of four years if elected.
Nwosu, an All Hallows Seminary Onitsha product, holds a National Diploma Certificate in Computer Science from the Institute of Management and Technology, (IMT) Enugu; a Bachelors (B.Sc) degree in Economics from the University of Lagos and a Chief Executive Programme Certificate (CEP-19) from the Lagos Business School, Lagos.
On how he hoped to get the party’s ticket, given the closer relationship enjoyed by some other aspirants with the party’s leader, Mr Peter Obi, Nwosu said he would rather discuss issues, rather than personalities. He described Obi as his party’s national leader to whom every other candidate claimed to be close.
‘We are one family. But we are not in a beauty, fashion or social media contest. We are fighting to salvage Anambra; so the question should be; what bona fides are you bringing to the governance table in terms of leadership, experience, consistency, diligence, loyalty and support to the party? That should be the basis for securing the party’s ticket,’ he averred.
On his perception as a new face in the politics of the state and the difficulty in upstaging the incumbent governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Nwosu dispelled the notion of his newness, recalling how he had earlier run for the seat in 2013.
‘I’m perhaps, unknown to some of you. Certainly, I’m not a noisemaker or an outsider. I’m also not a photo-op person. But I first contested for the Anambra governorship in 2013, under APGA. You can do the research. I’ve remained politically engaged since then, even if quietly so.
‘The incumbent, Gov. Soludo, will run on his very dismal performance record and unfulfilled promises. I don’t believe Ndi Anambra want to continue the prevailing condescension, suffering and insecurity in the state,’ he stated.
He also assured that even if he failed to get the ticket of his party, he would remain supportive to whoever won.
‘There will be only one Labour Party candidate in 2025. I hope and pray to God it is me. If not, I will support fully, whomever the party gives the ticket. I don’t engage in rascality of any form. I’m also not into political forum shopping. It’s not my style,’ he emphasized.
