Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo has reacted to calls by the presidential candidate of Labour Party, LP, Mr Peter Obi for people of the state to vote massively for his party’s House of Assembly candidates.
Obi had on Friday night met with National and state Assembly candidates of Labour Party in Anambra, while urging the assembly candidates to work with Soludo upon election.
Obi said Soludo remained his brother, and that he should not fear being impeached by Labour Party dominated assembly, as all that was paramount was to bring development to the state.
But Soludo reacting to the call, through his Press secretary, Mr Chris Aburime said the call was rather deceptive, and was meant to lay landmines for Soludo.
He said: “That call was meant to deceive Anambra people. Obi can not be talking about development in Anambra and also be talking about asking Anambra people to elect lawmakers from the opposition party to work with Soludo.
“He worked with a legislature that was dominated by lawmakers from the PDP, when he first came in as governor, and he knows that it was not easy for him.
“He even suffered impeachment because of that, and we hope it is not the same thing he wants to set Soludo up for.
“Anambra people should go all out next Saturday and vote for APGA, if they want the developmental strides of Mr Governor to continue.
“You can not be talking of development and at the same time talking of electing opposition politicians into the House of Assembly, it is not done. It is deceit.
“Anambra people supported Obi during the presidential election, and besides, Soludo refused to interfere as the people trooped out to vote for Labour Party, and that was even before Soludo made the environment conducive for people to come out and vote.
“We have voted Labour Party in the presidential election, but for the House of Assembly election, we are voting for APGA, and we want Anambra people to know so.”
Soludo and Obi have had a running battle on the choice of lawmakers in the next session of the Anambra House of Assembly.
Though they will be no governorship election in the state, Soludo is fighting to have majority, if not all members of the 30-man assembly, while Obi who is the leader of an emerging political force in the country, wants to assert himself by using his influence to cause a higher number of lawmakers in the assembly.
Obi had in the presidential election held two weeks ago, won about 92 percent of the total votes cast in the Anambra State, a feat that has shown his dominance in the state.