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  • Anambra poll: APC will challenge Soludo’s declaration, party chairman confirms

    Anambra poll: APC will challenge Soludo’s declaration, party chairman confirms

    From Chuks Collins, Awka

    The declaration of Prof Chukwuma Soludo as winner of the just concluded November 6,2021 Anambra State Governorship election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is going to be challenged by the All Progressives Congress (APC). This is authentic!

    This confirmation was given in Awka late afternoon Sunday, November 28, 2021 in a press interview by the State Chairman of the party, Chief Basil Ejidike.

    The chairman also fingered the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Senator Chris Ngige as being the brain behind all the past and present crises rocking the party in the state.

    Speaking to our reporter ahead the day’s scheduled State Working Committee meeting of the party, Ejidike noted that, “ after the party primaries of June 26, 2021, and the result was announced by the party Ngige and his boys led the team that objected. And the protestations by some of the aspirants was clearly on the prompting of Senator Ngige. Their was because he immediately after the announcement of the result summoned and encouraged them to reject and denounce the primary election result. This was even when Mr President had given his blessings and presented the flag to our party’s candidate, Distinguished Senator Andy Uba. They still resisted the position.

    “I want to ask, is that the way a committed party man should function? If there is no discipline in any organization, that organization will not stand.

    “Come to think of it, if you check the records of the results from the polling units of these so-called leaders, starting from the 2017 poll you will find out that they all failed in their polling units, Wards and Council Areas. So if that was the situation, what then makes them leaders or stakeholders of the party?

    “However, the truth of the matter is that we are now very determined to reposition the party in order to make it stronger and formidable to withstand future political challenges successfully. Because we cannot continue to live in a circle and not move forward”, he concluded.

    He however pointed out that the party has now resolved to instill more discipline in its ranks so as to make progress.

    On the issue of going to Election Petitions tribunal to challenge the outcome of the Nov 6 poll, Chief Ejidike pointed out that, “…we have resolved to go to tribunal to challenge the outcome of the election.

    “This is because we are very convinced that the right things were not done. We are going to file our petition to challenge the outcome and declaration; that is if the Legal team has not done so already. We are going to pursue the matter to its logical conclusion.”

  • Soludo, Ludo Game, And Anambra Politics, By Magnus Onyibe

    Soludo, Ludo Game, And Anambra Politics, By Magnus Onyibe

    By Magnus Onyibe

    The notion of politics as a game is as old as politics itself. As most of us already know, politics originated in ancient Greece with the philosopher Plato who wrote about the nature of justice, what constitutes good government and what is best for humanity.
    Subsequently, another philosopher earned the title:father of politics , Cleisthenes when he elaborated on politics through his writings focused on citizenship and forms of government as well as constitutionalism etc.
    Somehow, the game of politics can be likened to Ludo which is a strategy board game for two to four players, aimed at one person defeating opponents by racing their token from start to finish after rolling the dice with a view to earning higher numbers in the bid to advance his/her token over and above other players in the game.
    Like politics, Ludo is a game of tactics , strategies , probabilities and counting. And like Ludo, politics is played by deploying all the aforementioned tools for winning in contests so that ultimately the fellow who scores the highest number at the polls, would finish ahead of competitors and thus win the contest .
    Charles Chukwuma Soludo (an ex university don and central bank governor) entered Anambra state governorship race in 2021 with as many as 17 other contenders.
    He was particularly pitched against three other very formidable competitors-Andy Uba , (political denizen)
    Valentine Ozigbo,(high corporate world high flyer) and Ifeanyi Uba (business tycoon)with himself as the fourth in what looked like a game of Ludo as earlier described.
    And after a hard fought battle of tactical maneuvers , strategic deployment of resources to garner votes for himself and counting the votes on election day, Soludo prevailed.
    But the egghead and public policy wonk, had previously failed in the game of politics in Anambra state .
    It would be recalled that in 2009, after exiting the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN where he had served as governor, (2004-2009) Soludo got into the mucky waters of politics by joining then ruling party at the federal government level, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
    Thereafter, he vied for the governorship of Anambra state in 2009 on the platform of PDP, and failed to win against Peter Obi, then incumbent governor and the flag bearer of APGA .
    Learning very quickly to dexterously play politics which is clearly like the game of Ludo, Soludo figured out that he was in the wrong party if his mission to govern Anambra state was to be accomplished. He then tactically switched platforms to APGA, the party where the political hearts and souls of Anambra people apparently reside.
    The bond between APGA and Anambrarians, is in part, inspired by the spirit of the founder of the party , late Chukwuemeka Odimegwu Ojukwu, who is one of the greatest leaders from the east of the Niger , and perhaps the most charismatic personality of his time from lgbo land.
    Given that Peter Obi who had served as a two term governor of Anambra state on the platform of APGA, failed twice to determine who became the governor of the state when he switched to the PDP and fielded or backed candidates of his new party twice against his successor and former mentee , Willie Obiano flying the flag of APGA (pronounced, APUGA by Anambrarians) with Oseloka Obazee, defeated by Obiano in 2017 and Valentine Ozigbo again losing in 2021 to Soludo who is another APGA candidate , by now it might have dawned on most people that it is the platform of the party, in this case APGA , that Anambra people vote for , not necessarily, the individuals.
    That is mostly likely the underpinning reason for , Soludo, as an astute strategist, to review (with the aim of cracking the code) his first failed attempt at becoming the new occupant of governor’s mansion in the state capital , Awka, and got defeated by Peter Obi, also known as okute- rock in lgbo dialect.
    Having figured out that the point at which he fell short is that he engaged in the contest on the platform of PDP which is the second best party to the people of Anambra , Soludo quickly and tactically pivoted his political career into APGA by identifying with the party that is presumably Anambra’s preferred platform and evidently the numero uno for producing the state’s governors in nearly two decades.
    Although he failed to win in APGA’s primary election the first time he made an attempt at clinching the ticket in 2013, he persevered until he finally succeeded in being APGA’s flag bearer in the 2021 gubernatorial contest.
    And as the saying goes: the rest is now history as Soludo is currently the governor-elect of Anambra state and has duly received the certificate of return from INEC.
    In an opinion piece titled: Anambra Elections: “When Losing Means Winning For APC” which l wrote and published widely in both traditional and new media platforms immediately after the 2017 gubernatorial elections that was won by Willie Obiano of APGA with Tony Nwoye of APC in the second position , ahead of PDP’s Oseloka Obazee, l highlighted the fact that electing APC candidate as Anambra state governor was an equivalent of the biblical metaphor of passing the camel’s head through the eye of the needle.
    Since that theorem was propounded in 2017, the outcome of the 2021 election currently under scrutiny clearly indicates that nothing has changed significantly in Anambra politics.
    Certainly, it took the man, Soludo a lot of gumption and chutzpah to doggedly pursue his dream of leading Anambra state in spite of the odds stacked against him that included escaping death by hair’s breath which was an attempt by his political rivals to cow, intimidate and possibly scare him out of participating in the electioneering process. Apart from the naked act of intimidation against Soludo by merchants of death, the schism within APGA, allegedly fueled by the numerous conflicts between the outgoing governor, Obiano and some foundation leaders of the party owing to some perceived irreconcilable differences bothering on his overbearing nature ,was also a significant factor that militated against the emergence of Soludo as governor .
    But the scare mongering conveyed via the shooting to death of three policemen attached to him during a town hall meeting was in futility as he had passed through such treacherous paths in the past, and came out triumphant, when he served as CBN governor and ruffled feathers by consolidating the number of banks whose number was over 100, post consolidation, into less than 25, after the exercise.
    As it may be recalled: “Soludo, Banking ls No Ludo,” is the comical title of a caustic opinion piece published in the mass media, denouncing Soludo’s sweeping reforms following the radical changes that he has made in the financial services sector targeted at consolidating the number of banks in Nigeria.
    The highly abrasive essay aimed at generating public opprobrium towards Soludo as CBN governor was influenced by aggrieved stake holders in the banking sector who were being compelled to merge or give up their banking licenses when the minimum share capital of banks was jacked up from N2b to N100b in compliance with Soludo’s new policy as head of the apex bank , CBN.
    After defying and weathering the initial resistance by bankers and bank owners reflected by the uproar in the public arena , what seemed like an impossibility turned out to be the best thing that happened to Nigeria’s banking sector .
    That is evidenced by the fact that banking is currently one of Nigeria’s greatest exports to Africa and indeed the world; spreading from west, central and east Africa, to Southern African region all the way to UAE, China , and even Europe as well as the USA.
    This is in addition to the fact that the better capitalized banks which have become the norm rather than the exception in Nigeria’s financial services landscape, have become an effective antidote to the scourge of distress in the banking sector that was a sort of albatross on Nigerians who had huge sums of their hard earned funds trapped in failed banks.
    What the bold initiative of Soludo in the banking sector and the salutary outcome of his revolutionary policy signpost , is that he is a visionary, goal getter and high achiever .
    And that is why there is ample confidence amongst majority of Nigerians that the ex CBN governor is most likely to repeat the feat that he achieved as ‘governor of money’, when he assumes duty as the governor of the good people of Anambra state from March next year .
    Such optimism being expressed by a broad spectrum of Nigerians is not misplaced because , the state is now like a new canvass for Soludo , (in a literary sense) to deploy his uncommon gift of socioeconomic , human and material resource management as well as leadership wizardry that he dexterously applied in the banking sector, by painting his own equivalent of Mona Lisa , in Anambra state , (development wise) as the legendary artist , Leonardo Da Vinci did, when he created the iconic Mona Lisa work of art.
    As March , 2022 beckons for Soludo to take over the mantle of leadership in Anambra state, it would not be surprising if another screaming headline in the media such as : “Soludo Governance Is No Ludo”, surfaces in parody , as he embarks on the new journey in political leadership of a state.
    But hopefully, as he did when he was the helmsman at the CBN by being a positive game changer , perhaps before his first term in office as Anambra state governor runs out , Soludo whose penchant for making high impact changes in any endeavor that he engages in , may trigger a positive paradigm shift in governance at the state level in Nigeria.
    So fingers are crossed.
    If Soludo meets the high expectations that he has set in his numerous speeches and action , may be more Soludos would sprout across the country to fill
    the national political space as more professionals with proven track records of success in their chosen careers would become motivated to join the political fray.
    Amongst the multiple positive developments in the political process in Nigeria’s democracy in the past 21 years that may be pulling more professionals into party politics, is the incremental improvements in the electioneering process leveraging technology.
    It is indeed heart warming that application of technology in service delivery that has proven to be an efficacious tool against fraud in all its ramifications is slowly but surely being adopted by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
    Initiatives such as the introduction of Permanent Voters Card, PVC , Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS and the new electoral amendment bill 2021 passed by the National Assembly , NASS authorizing electronic transmission of election results, (awaiting presidential assent) are some of the harbingers of higher integrity in the electoral process that may lure into party politics, more professionals who would have loved to serve, but lack the skills to handle the rough and tumble endemic in the political environment in Nigeria .
    Two more clogs that need to be removed for further improvements in our political office election process are:
    (1)votes buying which is increasing rather than abating nationwide, (but which was admirably shunned by Anambra women as evidenced by a video that was trending in the social media )
    (2) the vice grip of the judiciary on the electioneering process as the onus of electing public office holders has inadvertently been shifting from the masses to the judges and their cohorts that keep rendering judgements which are at variance with the will of the electorate .
    As our country continues to strive to deepen the democratic process with the introduction of the much sought internal democracy within the political parties , hopefully the process of selecting candidates transparently, would be less rancorous and acrimonious as winners and losers in both primary and main elections would be easily and transparently determined.
    If the current positive evolution of politics in Nigeria persists and gathers momentum, the dirty aspects of the game of politics such as under the table deals packaged during nocturnal meetings to upturn popular decisions would ultimately be consigned to history.
    And the welcome development of people of high integrity and accomplished professionals throwing their hats into the ring is already manifesting from Akwa lbom, to Edo, Anambra and even Nasarawa states , where non professional politicians have supplanted professional politicians. Those who recently got catapulted from the private sector into the role of governor without first of all serving in active capacity in public office are: Willie Obiano, Godwin Obaseki, Abdulahi Sule and now Chukwuma Soludo amongst others who are currently in the saddle as governors of their respective states .
    However , the jury is still out on whether or not there has been a difference in the performance of the aforementioned non professional politicians in office compared to their predecessors that are professional politicians.
    In that regard , all eyes are currently on Soludo to see if he would spur development or leap frog the economy of Anambra state which has the potential of being Nigeria’s industrial hub, leveraging the bevy of industries in Awka and Nnewi axis of the state .
    His score card after the first term in office would surely give insight into whether or not the entrant of non professional politicians into political governance space in Nigeria would usher in prosperity for the critical mass of Nigerians, assuming they are able to convert the theories that they have been propounding into practice.
    By the way, do folks realize who Soludo’s running mate is?
    His name is Onyekachukwu Ibezim.
    A medical doctor and the younger brother to the Archbishop, province of the Niger and Bishop of Awka Diocese of the Anglican Church, Reverend, Alexander Ibezim.
    In a state like Anambra where Christianity is a strong motivator for voting and bishops are deemed to be next to God, it is safe to conclude that it must be a combination of both the spirit of Odimegwu Ojukwu, the founder of APGA and God’s grace that have made Chukwuma Soludo, governor.

     

    ONYIBE, an entrepreneur, public policy analyst ,author, development strategist, alumnus of Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts university, Massachusetts, USA and a former commissioner in Delta state government, sent this piece from lagos.
    The conversation continues on Magnum.ng.

  • Congratulations Soludo. Now walk the talk – Dele Sobowale

    Congratulations Soludo. Now walk the talk – Dele Sobowale

     

    “He who speaks without modesty will find it difficult to make their words good.

    Confucius, 551-479 BC, VANGUARD BOOK OF QUOTATIONS, VBQ p 162.

    Dear Prof, accept my sincere congratulations on your victory for three reasons which will be discussed shortly. But, first I must commend your tenacity for vying a third time for office after losing two times and making it. Despite your campaign promises seeminglysuggesting that you have the solutions to the problems of Anambra State all figured out, my instincts tell me that you are in for a shock when you mount the saddle. Anambra is not easy to rule.

    One other unpleasant surprise awaits you. Your state, like all the rest, is almost broke. The monthly federalrevenue allocation and the Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, just barely cover recurrent expenditure incurred by the state. The two are headed downwards as the Federal Government moves to recover $418 million from the states. Deducting N200 billion by the FG is bound to make things a bit difficult in the beginning. Let me now go into the reasons I was delighted that you won.

    First, and this has very little to do with you, I was happy that the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, won; because a loss would have resulted in the end of APGA at a time when Nigeria desperately needs a viable third party. The All Progressives Congress, APC and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, have become the two sides of a bad coin; there is no distinction between them. That is why it has been easy for political rascals to move from one to the other without remorse. Nothing in the way those parties conduct their affairs now suggests that there will be a major change for the better – irrespective of which one wins any election.

    With APGA still in the race; and with you as Governor, the party might be able to repeat what Action Congress, AC, led by Bola Tinubu, did when Lagos was the only AC state in the South West. The rest were under PDP. Tinubu held firm and helped to recover the SW for progressives from the PDP. What Tinubu did for AC you can do for APGA by broadening its support base into all of the South East and beyond. In fact, APC and PDP might create the conditions for several of their members to want to join APGA in order to fulfil their ambitions in 2023.

    “The economist, like anyone else, must concern himself with the ultimate aims of man.” Alfred Marshall, 1842-1924, VBQ p 45.

    I don’t need to introduce Marshall to you. But, for our readers, he was one of the founding fathers of Classical Economics. As an economist myself, I actually believe that every professional must be concerned with the fate of Nigeria.. I have noticed that trait in you also. At any rate, to the best of my knowledge, you are probably the first economist to be elected Governor in Nigeria. That gives me a great deal (not total) confidence that at least the economy of Anambra is in the hands of someone who knows too well the consequences of bad economic and financial policies and decisions. I will explain my reservation later.

    You are already on record for promising to turn Anambra into another Dubai, Singapore etc. I honestly pray you will do it. Be the Lee Kuan Yew of Nigeria and I will sing your praises as long as life endures. God knows we need such a miracle as soon as possible before all hope is lost. But, this is why I am a bit afraid for and of you.

    THE PARADOX OF VISIONARY LEADERSHIP

    “People with vision usually do more harm than good. John Major. UK-PM.

    “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Proverbs 29: 18. VBQ p 264

    Vision in leaders has for time immemorial been advertised as a great attribute. It took the British former Prime Minister, John Major, in 1993, to draw our attention to the fact that “vision” is not totally accident-free. Some visionary leaders have unleashed horrors on societies. Adolf Hitler,1889-1945, had a vision of creating an Aryan super-race of white people who would dominate the world for ever. Second World War resulted. At least 6 million Jews were wiped out in the holocaust in addition to over 30 million people worldwide. We now know that vision can sometimes be deadly.

    In the last few weeks leading to the November 6, 2021 election, I read several articles written by Igbo columnists about you. Many were in support; others were opposed to your ambition. That should be expected in a democracy; especially when those on the two sides harbour undisclosed motives powered by self-interest. Each columnist called others “paid agents”, “stupid” and/or “enemies of progress”. It was mostly childish stuff to me.

    Despite their differences, they all brought one issue into the controversies – the Banking Consolidation initiative of 2005. For your supporters, it was a resounding success; for the opponents, it was a colossal failure. As it turned out, they were both right and wrong – depending on when you stop observing the events unleashed by Consolidation. It was a brilliant idea which was on its way to transforming banking and the Nigerian economy until 2008. It has become an unmitigated disaster since then. Let me quickly summarise the sequence of events from July 2005 — to the time Sanusi Lamido replaced you as Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria.

    1. July 2005: CBN announced Banking Consolidation policy. From January 2006, banks operating in Nigeria must have paid up capital of at least N25 billion. Only three banks –First, Union and UBA – had the required capital out of 73 banks on that day.
    2. July to December 31, 2005: An unprecedented avalanche of banks’ IPOs hit the capital market.
    3. Jan 2006: 25 “Mega” banks emerged.
    4. Jan 2006 to April 2008: The sky was the limit for banks’ shares in the capital market. Prices skyrocketed and dividends kept pace. But, by then some of us were warning banks’ investors that a disaster was looming. I was one of the “prophets of doom” who investors were asked to ignore.
    5. Mid-2008: Global bank Crisis erupted. CBN assured Nigerians that the country was insulated from contagion from the global disaster. We disagreed with you.
    6. Aug 2008: Global crisis hits the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, like a hurricane. Share prices for the first time started sliding down. I wrote a column urging people to dump their bank shares as fast as they could. I disposed of OCEANIC, FIRST and INTERCONTINENTAL bank shares profitably. CBN and the NSE told investors that the setback was temporary. I said it was permanent.
    7. 2009: The great crash started in earnest and it was relentless. The banks were in trouble; CBN tried desperately to keep them afloat. The slide continued until you were removed from office.
    8. Still in 2009: Sanusi Lamido succeeded Soludo and revealed that the banks have been deceiving the public with annual reports and accounts. Share prices generally tumbled to less than N10 from as high as N63.
    9. 2010: CBN was forced to create the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria to buy toxic loans from the Mega banks you foisted on Nigeria. Today, almost N6 trillion of debts is still outstanding. Eight of the Mega banks died in 2010 – less than five years after you assured us that we “can go to sleep with our two eyes closed”.
    10. Millions of Nigerians were bankrupted for life on account of your vision.

    That is why I am scared of another “vision” like Banking Consolidation – given its disastrous after-effects. It was a brilliant idea woefully executed.

    To be continued…

     

  • Soludo: A post -election Anambra – Dakuku Peterside

    Soludo: A post -election Anambra – Dakuku Peterside

    Dakuku Peterside

    At face value, the Anambra election 2021 is over, but the lessons have far broader implications that will endure. Beyond these lessons, of what is considered the most consequential election in 2021, is the management of the people’s expectations and the governor-elect’s ability to fix the jigsaw puzzle of the many contradictions that Anambra represents.

    Let’s begin with the elections, context and lessons learnt. Anambra 2021 is an off-season election, and historically off-season elections are indicators of what to expect in preceding general elections. As Dr Chidi Amuta had presented in his column elsewhere, Anambra is unique for many reasons and whatever happens in that state applies to other states in Nigeria, perhaps in different dimensions.

    First, the contest of the election was defined by the peculiarities of insecurity in the state where non-state actors are contesting for power and are enjoying semi legitimacy because of the apparent support they are getting from locals. IPOB’s persistent sit-at-home regime preceding the election caused a low turnout of voters, and contestants campaigned under a canopy of mortal fear of real danger. The fear of unknown gunmen pervaded the entire space.
    Second, the government demonstrated its powers to provide security to citizens of Anambra to participate in democracy’s most important ritual of casting votes against the afront of IPOB and Unknown Gunmen who threatened to unleash mayhem in the state against candidates and citizens who planned to participate in the election. Whether the relative peace enjoyed by citizens is a function of the deployment of massive security or the effect of the suspension of the sit-at-home order by IPOB will be an exciting study.
    Third, the historical peculiarities of Anambra state gubernatorial elections that have seen a series of pitched battles among unruly factions of desperate political hustlers, a high-level religious incursion into civil politics, a tale of high drama, crude machinations, and the deployment of violence, even “dark juju”, and cultic mindlessness. The governor’s power is the ultimate power in a state like Anambra, with more than the usual number of billionaires hustling to capture or possibly buy state power, not necessarily for the people’s good.
    The November 6th and 9th elections came and passed with little sinister drama, as some pundits predicted. Anambra citizens defied all odds to heed the call to vote. Comparatively, INEC conducted a credible election by Nigerian standards and declared Prof Charles Soludo the governor-elect. INEC may indeed have fallen short of its benchmark, but yet Anambra 2021 represents hope. In the circumstance of logistics challenge and the pervading threat of local militia, the Nigerian security agencies deployed to Anambra in their thousands also did a fantastic job of providing security to the life and property of people and defying non-state actors who threatened to derail the electoral process. IPOB, in the last few days before the elections, called off the general sit-at-home in Anambra and other Southeast states, thereby reducing the tension in the polity.
    Candidates for the governorship election were generally peaceful and resisted any tendencies for violence or encouraging their supporters to perpetrate electoral violence. Although there were alleged pockets of electoral malpractices here and there, there was no major incident of large-scale rigging reported in national media. Overall, the exercise was a success. That the election held and produced a winner is an incredible feat to accomplish, given the uncertainties and nature of events before the election.
    There are so many lessons to draw from this election by Nigeria and Nigerians. The first is that when the Nigerian state decides to protect its interest and citizens against non-state actors, it goes out of its way to do that. The sheer massive deployment of security agents and the bravery with which they protected lives and property during the election is worthy of note. Such attitude and courage are needed to combat banditry and kidnapping in various parts of the country. Although the ‘militarisation’ of the election process is against democratic precepts, in this case, it was a welcome development. Nigerians should have hope that the Nigerian state cannot be held to ransom by non-state actors, no matter how legitimate their claims may be. The counter-argument is that this level of deployment is only possible because this is an off-season, isolated election. This advances the case for staggered elections.
    The second lesson is the efficacy of technology deployment in election management. INEC showed great confidence in these technologies. Anambra elections allowed INEC the opportunity to test-run some of the recently added technology for conducting free and fair elections. Although a few glitches were recorded during the polls with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), INEC has reassured Nigerians of the importance of using this technology and hope to use it effectively and efficiently in subsequent elections.
    The third lesson is that all politics is local. The people know what they want, given the right environment, they can express their preference for the kind of leadership they believe can help them fix their challenges and achieve their aspirations. The people of Anambra have consistently shown a preference for accomplished professionals, technocrats or intellectuals, and this latest election follows that trend. We expect a new renaissance in politics where young intellectuals and people from the private sector would take up politics and have a realistic expectation to win if there is a level playing field for all. Soludo signifies this ideal. His pedigree and knowledge in management and leadership excited many voters who feel that such knowledge and expertise will translate into good governance and development of the state. Other technocrats and citizens are watching to see how all of these play out and shape the future of politics in Southeast Nigeria.
    After November 9th, Governor-elect Soludo will notice that a Governor by appointment and another by-election are two different scenarios with no meeting point. The meaning of words and concepts are different and new realities will replace old ones. Pre-election truth will substantially differ from post-election truth. Intellectualising governance and leadership are more straightforward than practising it. If academic brilliance makes for good governance, Ashraf Ghani could have delivered in Afghanistan. Being a state governor is not an easy task much more, being a governor of Anambra state with its convoluted contradictions. A state where high net worth individuals and non-state actors’ clamour to capture or influence leadership structures and processes, sometimes at all costs. A state with a relatively thriving economy based on industrialisation and enterprise and massive potential for growth – a state of the likes of Azikiwe’s, Ekwueme’s, Ojukwu’s, and more recently, Peter Obi’s.
    The people’s expectations of Governor-elect, Prof Soludo, is very high. It is very high not only because he ran an eloquent campaign on ‘Solutions’ to Anambra problems and made several promises on how to tackle most of the problems bedevilling the growth of the state, but his pedigree as an intellectual, technocrat and one of the best minds Anambra produced in recent times imbued in people high hopes that he will perform well as a governor.
    The enormity of expectation is seen in the reactions of Nigerians, both home and abroad, to his election. Some are seeing him as the pivot of Nigeria’s turnaround to the path of progress on all fronts because they believe a man with a “good head” will run Anambra state, and in extension, other states will emulate Anambra in voting incredible candidates given how good Prof Soludo will be as a governor. Some even believe that the emergence of Soludo could open up a new vista of leadership quality upgrade in the country.

    During his campaign, he highlighted that he would improve education, increase local and foreign direct investment, increase internally generated revenue, provide about 130,000 jobs, and create 1000 millionaires annually. It is one thing to inspire people to dream big, share a vision, and aspire to great heights, and another to design the “How” to bring the vision to life. The common assumption is that the people of Anambra voted for Soludo because he is a man of ideas, a proven technocrat and intellectual per excellence. I hope that these exceptional qualities that stand him out will manifest in his delivery of good governance.
    There is no doubt that many are rooting for him to succeed, and he will enjoy the support of many in his bid to grow Anambra state. In his acceptance speech, he posits, “My role will be that of your chief servant, and I will work every minute of the day with you to make you profoundly proud. I will need the guidance, advice and contribution of everyone to succeed”. He will need to rally every citizen of Anambra to work with him to achieve these expectations.
    I implore him to start on time to manage peoples’ expectations and be realistic about his potentials and limitations in providing solutions to the myriads of problems of Anambra people. He should always carry people along to understand his vision, agenda, strategy, and policies. This action is essential because rising expectations sometimes lead to increasing frustrations. Even when working hard and putting his best in leading Anambra, if people expect Eldorado and expect it pronto, whatever effort and accomplishments he may have made will be seen from a narrow prism.
    There are three main areas Anambra people will expect the governor-elect to focus on immediately he takes over the state. One is tackling the debilitating insecurity in the state. Through dialogue or use of force, the governor must confront insecurity in Anambra, deal with IPOB and the agitation for Biafra, deal with rising cases of kidnapping, criminality and killings, especially politically motivated ones. He and other southeast governors must work together to bring sanity and peace to the SouthEast.
    The second area is infrastructural development. Lack of infrastructure is the bane of Nigeria. At the state level, infrastructural development will open the state’s economy and provide a high-quality standard of living for residents. The people of Anambra are known for their entrepreneurial spirit. All they need is the right environment to evolve to a modern-day industrial hub.

    The last is human capital development. The governor must come up with a way of harnessing these entrepreneurial skills and spirit for the good of all. He must work “hand in gloves” with the private sector to create businesses and jobs for the residents whilst upskilling them through the provision of high-quality education and professional training.
    Like him or loath him, Prof Soludo is the governor-elect of Anambra state. And come March 2022, he will become the next executive governor of the state, barring any legal manoeuvrings. He is riding on great populism based on his antecedents and pedigree. This has brought huge expectations from most Nigerians, especially given that he symbolised the incursion into politics by technocrats and intellectuals who usually would rather stay aloof before now. He is a game-changer.
    Whilst managing these huge expectations, he must develop a great strategy to accomplish great things in Anambra and make Igbos proud. He is the only governor from APGA, and he must think deeply about the future of the party and whether to expand and go national or remain local. He will be compared with his predecessors, and he must not pale in comparison. He must not fail. My advice to the governor-elect is “focus on the people! Power belongs to God and the people”.

  • Anambra: APC denies congratulating Soludo, declares governorship election ‘monumental fraud’

    Anambra: APC denies congratulating Soludo, declares governorship election ‘monumental fraud’

    The All Progressives Congress (APC), Anambra State, has described the recently concluded governorship election as a monumental fraud.

    The state Chairman of the Party, Mr. Basil Ejidike, said this during a press conference in Awka, the state capital, on Sunday while reacting to a statement credited to the erstwhile State Publicity Secretary, Mr. Okelo Mmadukaife, that the APC in the state has congratulated the Governor-elect and candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), , Charles Soludu.

    According to him, the party is law-abiding and will never identify with illegality, brazen impunity and fraud and so will not congratulate the declared winner.

    Ejidike, therefore, urged that such information should be totally disregarded.

    While the party executive says they are still consulting on the next line of action, they officially, announced the suspension of the Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Okelo Mmadukaife, for anti-party activities and have replaced him with Mr. Nonso Chinweuba, who has been functioning in acting capacity for the past five months.

    The party notified the public that every information emanating from any other source other than its chairman or the Acting Publicity Secretary should be considered as fake.

    TheNewsGuru.com, TNG reports that the election held on November 6 with a supplementary poll in Ihiala LG on Tuesday. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Wednesday declared Soludo winner of the poll and had since presented a Certificate of Return to him and his deputy.

  • Anambra election: UK congratulates Soludo, hails INEC, tells aggrieved candidates to seek redress in court

    Anambra election: UK congratulates Soludo, hails INEC, tells aggrieved candidates to seek redress in court

    The United Kingdom has congratulated Professor Charles Soludo on his emergence as winner of the November 6 gubernatorial election in Anambra State.

    This felicitation was contained in a British High Commission statement titled, “‘UK Statement On Anambra Governorship Election”.

    In its official reaction to the poll, the UK also hailed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), noting that the election results released early on Wednesday are consistent with the results obtained through the civil society Parallel Vote Tabulation process carried out by YIAGA Africa.

    Speaking after the election, the British High Commissioner, Catriona Laing, said, “Credible and inclusive elections are fundamental to Nigeria’s democratic growth”.

    The UK further encouraged INEC and all stakeholders to continue improving the electoral system and to ensure meaningful participation of young people, women and citizens generally in the democratic process.

     

    Below is the full statement as put out by the British High Commission in Abuja.

    “We offer our congratulations to Prof. Charles Soludo who has been declared winner of the Anambra State governorship election. We note that the results released by the Independent National Electoral Commission are consistent with the results obtained through the civil society Parallel Vote Tabulation process carried out by YIAGA Africa.

    “Our mission, which observed the preparations for the poll, acknowledges the collective effort of stakeholders in the conduct of the election. The people of Anambra have demonstrated resilience and a commitment to democracy.

    “We recognise that independent Nigerian voices have expressed concerns about the conduct of the electoral process, in particular around logistics, accreditation of voters, deployment of polling officials, and low voter turnout. The UK is encouraged by the use and transparency of INEC’s result viewing portal in the electoral process.

    “We encourage any party or individual who is dissatisfied with the process to seek redress in a peaceful manner and through the appropriate legal channels.

    “As a long-standing partner of the Nigerian people, the UK will continue to support Nigeria and its civil society in drawing lessons from these elections and the deepening of its democracy, including the integrity of its elections.”

  • Anambra: Soludo, Deputy get Certificates of Return Friday

    Anambra: Soludo, Deputy get Certificates of Return Friday

    Anambra Governor-elect Professor Charles Soludo and his Deputy, Dr. Onyekachukwu Ibezim will be presented with Certificates of Return by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Friday.

    Prof Soludo, a former governor of the nation’s Central Bank(CBN) won the keenly contested poll with a very wide margin to beat his closest rival, Chief Valentine Ozigbo of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)with 112, 229 votes to 53, 807 votes. Senator Andy Uba of the All Progressives Congress (APC) came third with 43, 285 votes.

    The victorious Soludo contested on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), which was the same as the outgoing incumbent, Gov Willie Obiano.

    Information from the public relations department of the INEC in Awka revealed that the Certificate of Returns would be presented to Prof Soludo on Friday, Nov 12, 2021.

    That anticipated brief and colorful ceremony would climax the run up activities related to the painstaking search for a replacement for the outgoing governor Obiano who would be concluding his constitutionally allowed two terms of eight years on March 17,2022.

    Series of messages of warm felicitations have continued to pour in from top citizens across party lines, wishing him well and a fruitful era in office. They included, an APC chieftain and boss of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Dr George Moghalu, who noted that his vision to lead the state out of the woods towards better Anambra society founded on unity, love and industry and to lead a determined halt to the ever steady progressive decay in neglected infrastructures, education, health, General environmental degradation, widening poverty, youth restiveness, lawlessness/brigandage frightening high insecurity occasioned by a directionless State leadership that lacked cohesion was sadly truncated by some political merchants.

    “However”, he noted, “as fate has entrusted you with the onerous task/mandate, I and my political family will continue to pray for your success as that will gladden our hearts and benefit all citizens.

    “May the Almighty God help and strengthen you as you as you face the challenges ahead. It’s much, but we count on your ability and drive”

    Others include some of his opponents in the Nov 6 election, Ozigbo of the PDP, Ben Etiaba of the Action Alliance, and a member of the Federal House of Representatives, representing Njikoka/Anaocha/Dunukofia, Chief Dozie Nwankwo who prayed for more wisdom, enablement for the incoming governor.

    He said that he has no doubt that in the spirit of APGA that he would do very well.

  • I always knew he will one day be Anambra governor, Ngige congratulates Soludo, gives kudos to Buhari

    I always knew he will one day be Anambra governor, Ngige congratulates Soludo, gives kudos to Buhari

    The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, has congratulated Professor Charles Soludo of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) on his victory in the Anambra State governorship election.

    Ngige, in a goodwill message on Wednesday, said the victory of the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in the poll was well deserved.

    “Ndi-Anambra have spoken with this resounding victory,” he said. “Having contested in 2010 with Soludo, who was then the PDP candidate and myself in ACN – an election in which I was ‘awarded’ the second position even though I won outright and Soludo third, I knew that with his tenacity of purpose and drive, he would one day make it to the seat of the Governor of Anambra State.

    “It is a case in patience and endurance, an aspiration nurtured to serve the people with all his strength, I seriously believe. Ndi-Anambra I know, will hence, entertain no excuses.

    “Much has been given, hence the expectation is very high. Knowing Soludo as I do, however, I have no doubt that our people have made an excellent choice by voting him.”

    The minister also congratulated the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for conducting a free, fair, and credible election, even with the initial hiccups posed by the malfunctioning of the Biometric Voters’ Accreditation (BVAS) system in some places.

    According to him, an opportunity has been offered to INEC to brace up to the challenges posed by the Anambra election, especially with the debut of the BVAS technology for more credible, free, and fair elections in the future.

    “At this auspicious juncture, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari deserves a glowing national tribute,” said Ngige. “I put on record, that Mr President had on three different occasions, assured through me, that the Anambra governorship election would be free and fair.

    “The last of such occasion being on October 14, 2021, when I conveyed the fear and the consternation of the religious leaders, elder statesmen, and traditional rulers of Anambra State, more especially that of his friend, the Archbishop of the Onitsha Metropolitan Province, His Grace, Dr. Valerian Okeke to him in his office.

    “Not only did the President ensure a level playing field for all the political parties, he directed all the security agencies to deploy into Anambra to protect and secure voters and electoral workers. A promise kept!”

    Ngige added, “Worthy of commendation in this direction, is the professionalism exhibited by the security agencies – the army, police, DSS and the civil defence during the exercise, in compliance with the wish of the President for the good people of Anambra State.

    “The election has come and gone, and it is very free, fair, and credible. Mr President has indeed lived true to his assurances to Ndi-Anambra and by this very fact, demonstrated once again that he is no enemy to Ndi-Igbo. What a better value to democracy, than a legacy of credible elections, in which the will of the people reigns supreme. May we, therefore, hail this true democrat!”

  • Anambra poll: YPP candidate, Ifeanyi Ubah congratulates Soludo, says he won’t challenge victory in court

    Anambra poll: YPP candidate, Ifeanyi Ubah congratulates Soludo, says he won’t challenge victory in court

    The candidate of the Young Progressives Party (YPP), Ifeanyi Ubah, has congratulated the Governor-elect of Anambra State, Charles Soludo.

    Ubah, who represents Anambra South senatorial district, commended Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) for his victory in the just-concluded governorship election in the state.

    In a statement on Wednesday, the lawmaker stated that he has no plan to challenge the election results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    As a result, he asked other contestants in the governorship race to move on and follow suit in the path of honour not to contest the results in court.

    According to Ubah, the journey so far has not been that of roses, but one full of trials, triumphs, ups and downs.

    He added that in the face of intimidating challenges and complexities, YPP displayed indomitable courage as the party came fourth in the poll.

    The YPP candidate stated that the outcome of the election was not what the party wanted and worked so hard for.

    He said while some people have expressed mixed feelings and reactions about the purported anomalies witnessed across numerous polling units, the collective interest of the state must be the paramount focus.

    Read the full statement by Senator Ubah below:

    SENATOR IFEANYI UBAH CONGRATULATES PROF. CHARLES SOLUDO ON HIS ELECTORAL VICTORY.

    …APPRECIATES FAMILY, FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS FOR THEIR SUPPORT AND STEADFASTNESS.

    Umunne M Ndi Anambra,

    I have just called the newly elected Governor of our dear State; Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo to congratulate him on his victory at the just-concluded November 6, 2021, Anambra Governorship poll.

    To everything, there is a season, so the Holy Bible says.

    It is with a heart full of gratitude and submission to the will of God that I address you all today, having enjoyed the unique privilege of earning your support to seek the Governorship office of our dear State Anambra.

    The past months have been defining for us in several respects. In the build-up to this election, we were bound together by the will and shared vision that now is the time for our state to chart a new course, to make life better and more meaningful for our people. We unveiled a strategic agenda for a new, better and prosperous Anambra.

    After watching the fortunes of Anambra State dwindle for years, we collectively embarked on this journey to translate to reality, the dreams of a better future and shared prosperity for the people of Anambra State. In all, we gave our very best, for conscience and for posterity.

    Our journey has not been that of roses. Our journey has been full of trials, triumphs, ups and downs; nonetheless, in the face of intimidating challenges and complexities, we displayed indomitable courage.

    Umunne m, this is not the outcome that we wanted and worked so hard for. Although some people have expressed mixed feelings and reactions about the anomalies witnessed across numerous polling units. However, the collective interest of the state must be our paramount focus. Not minding the outcome of the elections, I feel pride and gratitude for this formidable campaign that we waged irrespective of the pervasive security crisis that did not allow us to maximize our full campaign potentials in the nooks and crannies of the State.

    Retrospectively, it is incontrovertible to state that our campaign has helped expand the wider narrative of democracy and good governance in Anambra State. In spite of the outcome of this election, our dreams of a better Anambra State remain sacrosanct.

    As a Democrat and law-abiding citizen, I wholeheartedly accept the outcome of the election and would like to use this medium to congratulate Prof. Charles Soludo on his victory. It is imperative to state that I do not intend to challenge the electoral results as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) through any court or judicial process;

    (1) APC:43,285

    (2) APGA:112,229

    (3) PDP:53,807

    (4) YPP:21,261

    (5) A: 2,054

    (6) AA: 83

    (7) AAC: 588

    (8) ADC: 324

    (9) ADP: 773

    (10) APN: 301

    (11) APP: 139

    (12) BP: 186

    (13) LP: 2,802

    (14) NNPP: 117

    (15) NRM: 213

    (16) SDP: 842

    (17) ZLP: 2,082

    (18) PRP: 437

    I, therefore, urge my fellow contestants to move on and thread this same path of honour.

    Irrespective of all the challenges that we faced; the electoral result proves that YPP is here to stay;

    APGA – 19 LGAs

    PDP – 1 LGA

    YPP – 1 LGA

    APC – 0

    Therefore, we will work assiduously to ensure that we reposition our party for greater heights.

    At this juncture, I want to urge our incoming Governor to conduct Local Government elections and grant full financial autonomy to our LGAs in order for them to bring dividends of democracy to the grassroots. I also want to enjoin Prof. Soludo to always engage Anambrarians in the Diaspora as critical stakeholders. As a commercially viable state, our traders must be supported and given the requisite incentives to grow.

    There is an urgent need to adopt a proactive, intelligence-based, and technology-driven approach to tackle the prevailing issue of insecurity in our dear State Anambra through networking and strategic information dissemination.

    I urge our Governor-elect to promote rapid Industrialisation and work in harmony with members of the National Assembly in the state so as to harness the instrumentality of the National Assembly to create a synergy between the Federal and State Government. Improved health tourism must also be at the centre stage of his administration’s policy thrust.

    Our dear State Anambra is a land of opportunities; a home for everyone and the “Light of the Nation”. It is therefore a point of duty and responsibility to correct the ills of the previous administration and ensure that we remain a centre of opportunities and growth for everyone; a place where Anambrarians can achieve their dreams and aspirations.

    To my wife and the children, who had to endure many months, days, and nights without me; I thank you for your love and steadfastness. You will continue to be my pillar of strength.

    I salute the men, women and youths who believed and demonstrated their faith by investing their time and resources in my campaign. Thank you for staying the course!

    I am immensely grateful to my friends too numerous to mention (home and abroad), party leadership and members, well-wishers and loyal supporters who so generously contributed their time and effort to my campaign during this long election season. I thank you all immensely for your support and encouragement because without your magnanimous inputs we would have never been this daring and impactful. Thank you for the prayers, courage, generosity, and love that I witnessed during this campaign.

    I also wish to commend my fellow candidates for their exemplary candour and sportsmanship throughout the course of the campaign.

    Conclusively, I have gallantly moved on to the next phase of my life and have forgiven all and sundry, including my trusted allies that worked against me.

    As we anticipate with enthusiasm, the start of the next dispensation led by Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, I commit the entire leadership and citizenry of Anambra State into the safe hands of the Almighty God, on whose shoulder, the governance of our dear State has rested from the inception.

    In all, we reckon and submit to the supremacy of God’s will.

    All power belongs to God!

    Senator (Dr.) Ifeanyi Ubah

    Anambra South Senatorial District.

    November 10, 2021

  • Agenda for Governor Soludo, By Sonnie Ekwowusi

    Agenda for Governor Soludo, By Sonnie Ekwowusi

    By Sonnie Ekwowusi

    At long last the much-vaunted, or, if you like, the much-feared Anambra State Governorship Election has been concluded with Prof. Charles Soludo (APGA) coasting to victory. By electing Soludo, Ndi Anambra have made a big statement that a State which has been producing the best and brightest cannot be governed by a never-do-well who cannot differentiate sense from nonsense. Although the Election has come and gone it has left in its trail echoes which undoubtedly will continue to reverberate across the country for a long time. Thank God the worst did not happen during the Election as was feared. Prior to the Election there were security threats, intimidation, fear of the unknown, mutual suspicion and drum beats of war in the whole of Anambra. But thank God the Election was violence-free. No killing or maiming of human beings. Having listened to the voice of reason, IPOB called off its sit-at-home directive. IPOB did not disrupt voting or unleash any violence during the Election. The lesson here is that IPOB has a listening ear. If a meaningful peace-dialogue had been initiated and brokered with IPOB all these years the killings witnessed over these years probably would have been averted. If the Federal government could dialogue with murderous Boko Haram and bandits and even offered some of them amnesty, why can’t it dialogue with IPOB?. During the Anambra Gubernatorial Election Debate organized by ARISE TV, the trio of Andy Uba (APC), Prof Soludo (APGA) and Valentine Ozigbo (PDP) were asked what each of them would do with IPOB if voted into power. And all of them respectively answered that they would initiate dialogue with IPOB in order to find a lasting solution to the bloodshed in Anambra.

    Now that Soludo has clinched victory we expect him to immediately initiate dialogue with IPOB in order to rid Anambra of violent clashes and killings. Soludo should resuscitate and strengthen the local vigilante groups in the various Anambra towns and villages. He should remedy the frosty relationship between the Anambra traditional rulers and the Willie Obiano government. Thereafter he should solicit for the assistance of the Anambra traditional rulers as well as Anambra local government chairmen and councilors in community policing of Anambra towns and villages. There should be zero tolerance for open cattle grazing in the State. To this effect, the Anambra Anti-Open Grazing law should be enforced to the letter. No compromise.

    Many complain that Soludo is an arrogant, self-conceited and a proud man who believes that he knows everything. Therefore Soludo should change this wrong attitude. Nobody knows it all in this passing life. Nobody is a single verse. We all need the assistance of one another in order to get ahead in life. So we look forward to seeing a humble and self-effacing Governor Soludo who is ready to team up with others in order to restore Anambra to its glorious days. All hands should be on deck to restore Anambra to her glorious days through the implementation of the Soludo Solution. In the spirit of politics without bitterness, Soludo should quickly reach out to Andy Uba, Valentine Ozigbo and other contestants and seek their collaboration in the arduous task of rebuilding Anambra. Prof. Soludo says he will not learn on the job because he already has a baggage of public life experience. So he should bring his Central Bank experience to bear on governance. Hopefully he should deploy his World Bank and Central Bank connections in attracting several World-bank assisted projects to Anambra State provided that such World-bank assisted projects will not be tied to dirty strings or dirty conditionalities aimed at decapitating Anambra human capital. Charles, you promised during the Anambra Governorship Debate that if elected Governor you will liaise with the private sector and Anambra medical experts in the diaspora in order to establish world-class hospitals in Anambra that will be managed by these medical experts. Please do not relent on this. Primary health care system is virtually non-existent in Anambra. Soludo should not only revitalize the Anambra Health Care Centres, he should ensure that Ndi Anambra have unimpeded access to affordable primary health care services. Soludo should reinvigorate community medicine in Anambra through the establishment of rural health centers or rural medical clinics in the nooks and crannies of Anambra villages to cater for the urgent health needs of Anambra rural women and children.

    In his campaign manifesto Prof. Soludo explicitly stated “our primary target is sustainable and inclusive wealth creation with jobs, and jobs. We target at least 100,000 jobs per annum in the medium term”. This is excellent. But if I may remind Prof Soludo, unlike the 20th century development economics, the 21st century economic development approach is more concerned about the welfare of the people rather than about government rhetoric. The 21st century economic approach is focused on the opportunity which the government is offering to the people to help them to use their God-given talents in order to create wealth for themselves so as to escape poverty. For example, in his classical essay entitled: A new Way of Thinking about Economic Development: The Origins of the Road to Prosperity, Marc A, Miles persuasively argues, and, I verily believe it to be true, that the goal of the 21st approach to economic development is to get the government to remove the economic barriers such as strangulating taxation, high Value Added Tax (VAT) (as the government in Nigeria is currently arbitrarily imposing on the citizenry) high import tariffs, lack of property rights, lack of rule of law, unfair trade regulations, shutting down important trade borders (as we witnessing in Nigeria at the moment) and so forth. These economic barriers inhibit people from freely using their God-given abilities to satisfy their basic human needs such as ordinary electricity supply, drinking water, shelter, ordinary hygiene, primary health and so forth. “In technical terms, writes Miles, it is not the level of poverty that is most vicious, but rather the absence of change or opportunity to escape that poverty.

    Therefore, rather than trying to create jobs for many Anambrarians, Prof Soludo’s government should create the enabling environment for wealth creation in the State. He should put pressure on MTN or whoever it is to fix the Onitsha-Enugu Expressway. He should lobby for the construction of Onitsha-Lagos Rail line notwithstanding that the federal government has approved the Lagos-Calabar Railway line which hopefully will run between Port Harcourt and Lagos through Onitsha. Soludo should pressure the Federal government to complete and open the Second Niger Bridge. He should lobby for the habitual dredging of River Niger. He should turn Onitsha into the Taiwan of Nigeria. There is a time for everything under the sun. There is a time for waywardness; a time for stupidity; a time for dancing naked; a time for chasing after the wind and a time for kidnapping a sitting Governor. With the successful conclusion of the Anambra Governorship Election adjudged by many as comparatively and objectively free and fair, INEC’s lapses and inefficiencies notwithstanding, I make bold to say that Anambra has witnessed a new dawn. Now is the acceptable time in Anambra. This is the day of salvation for Ndi Anambra.