By Jude Michael
A frontline gubernatorial aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Sir Paul Chukwuma, has described the recent appointments given by the APC presidency to two members of the All Progressives Alliance, APGA, in Anambra State, as rubbishing talk about the marginalization of Anambra people by the federal government, describing the development as one that favours everybody.
Chukwuma who stated this in an interactive forum with some journalists in his Umuleri country home, December 14, also said it was an indication that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was a father to all Nigerians irrespective of party affiliation, describing the appointments as a win-win situation to the people of Anambra State.
Chukwuma who was reacting to insinuations in some quarters that the presidency had some sort of secret pact with the APGA-led government in Anambra State, however cautioned APGA against making political capital out of the appointments, as, according to him, those appointments would not confer any advantages to APGA in next year’s governorship election in Anambra State.
‘The issue of appointments remain the prerogative of Mr. President, irrespective of different political party affiliations. All the political parties are still under one Nigeria.
He recalled that the argument over the years had been that the APC Government did not like Anambra people and Igbos but now, and wondered why people were now complaining that appointments were coming to Anambra people.
‘The question is whether those who were appointed are Ndi Anambra. If they are Ndi Anambra, what is wrong with it? Or are they saying that Mr. President doesn’t have the prerogative to make appointments? If the appointments had been taken to another place, we will still be complaining. For me as an aspirant, I don’t see anything wrong with the appointment by Mr. President,‘ he said.
It will be recalled that President Tinubu had recently appointed both Mrs Bianca Ojukwu as an Ambassador, and Mr Mark Okoye as Chairman of South East Development Commission.
This had led to insinuations, especially among the APGA faithful, that Tinubu had decided to work with Gov Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State for his re-election next year, despite the President’s party being a part of that election.
But Chukwuma said appointments and elections were two different matters and warned APGA against entertaining any false hopes.
‘Appointments are based on individual merit, while elections prioritize the interest of the party,’ Chukwuma said, while expressing confidence that President Tinubu would fully support the APC in Anambra in its quest to enthrone a better government that would guarantee the security of the citizens, who, he said, were already disenchanted with the present regime in the state.
On the state of security in Anambra State, Chukwuma said it was nothing to write home about and wondered what Gov Soludo was doing with his security vote.
Describing Anambra as a failed state where security had completely broken down, he promised to restore the confidence of people in government if he became governor.
