Less than five days to the Anambra guber polls on Saturday, Andy Uba, official flagbearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC); Chukwuma Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and Valentine Ozigbo official flagbearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) all gave Anambra voters something to chew on as they participated in a governorship debate, Monday.
The debate which was organised by Arise News Channel, with the support of a non-governmental organisation, Enough-is-Enough Nigeria held in in Awka, Anambra state capital.
Eighteen political parties are set to contest for the governorship seat of Anambra state. The Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) had confirmed that there are 2.5 million registered voters for the Anambra election.
Speaking at the debate, Soludo, a former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said he his the best man for the job. He said his experience in the public and private sector separates him from the other candidates.
He added that he got alot of experience during his time as the CBN governor, adding that he has served three presidents, including President Muhammadu Buhari, former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Musa Yar’Adua.
Ozigbo, in his opening remarks said the security situation of the state informed his decision to contest for the governorship seat. He said that Anambra state needs a young and vibrant CEO like himself to solve the numerous challenges rocking the state.
Speaking on the solutions to the agitations of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Soludo disclosed that if elected his administration will resort to the use of engagements.
According to him, IPOB deserved to be heard rather than being castigated.
In his words: “I’m on record to have said that IPOB deserves to be heard, that the agitation cannot be shot down by a gun.
“We need to have a dialogue, bring everybody to the table and discuss those specific issues that are their agitation.”
Similarly, Uba said that there is need for a dialogue between the government and IPOB. He explained that it is only through dialogue and engagements that the purpose of the agitations of the secessionist group would be revealed.
Uba said, “I believe in engagement. If you don’t engage them, how will you know what their problem is? I believe in engagement to dialogue.”
On his part, Ozigbo blamed the federal and state governments for the way the group’s agitation has turned out.
He said, “There are certain things IPOB does through agitation that I support. But when they get to some extreme, I condemn them.
“The real issue is where is the heart of all of this? If not for the way the states and the federal government have handled IPOB, we wouldn’t be where we are today.
“Let’s start by accepting responsibility. We created extremism, so we need the right person to inspire hope for that dialogue to happen.
“When they see you as the problem already, you can’t be the one to negotiate.”
Also, during the debate Soludo accused Uba of forging his Senior School Examination Certificate, SSCE and masterminding the kidnap of a former governor of Anambra during the administration of former President Obasanjo.
“You don’t have a Senior School Certificate Examination result. Did you obtain a Senior School Certificate Examination result Certificate in 1974, did you? It’s forgery!
“My Co-debator[Andy Uba] by my right kidnapped a sitting governor,” Soludo alleged.
Recall that Ubah was recently dragged to court over the school certificate he allegedly submitted for the election.
A suit marked no FHC/ABJ/CS/1211/2021, filed on October 8, 2021, at the Federal High Court, Abuja, alleged that the Form EC9 submitted by Uba to INEC was full of false information.
According to the suit, Uba in the form EC9 submitted to INEC stated that he obtained his SSCE certificate from Union Secondary School, Awkunanaw, Enugu, Enugu State in 1974.
However, the suit said that in 1974 when Uba left secondary school, the WAEC (4th respondent) did not conduct SSCE but “only commenced the conduct of Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) sometimes in 1988 under the 6-3-3-4 System of Education adopted by the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
