By Joy Odor
A Governorship Aspirants under All Progressive Congress (APC) for 2025 Anambra governorship election Sir Paul Chukwuma has affirmed that the issue of zoning going round in Anambra State, is a decoy by the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) to sustain themselves and maintain power.
He maintained that, anybody talking about zoning in Anambra, is an agent of APGA, accusing APGA of devising a means of sticking to power in Anambra.
He informed that APGA makes mouth about zoning more than ever because he is now in the race for Anambra ticket.
Sir Chukwuma who was the former National Auditor and Pro-Chancellor of Olivia University in Bujumbura, Burundi stated this in Abuja shortly after submitting the N50 million Nomination and Expression of Interest forms to contest for the primary election, at the APC National Secretariat.
“It is important to tell our media team here at the party headquarters that there is no zoning in Anambra state. Let me be very categorical, anybody telling you about zoning is an agent of APGA.
“This is because APGA has devised a means of sticking to power in Anambra.
“The issue of zoning is a decoy by APGA to sustain themselves and maintain power. We must resist it and we must make sure we have a free, fair and credible election.
“I’m from the Northern senatorial district and the serving governor is from the Southern senatorial district and every senatorial zone has seven local governments.
“They make mouth about zoning more than ever because I’m on the ticket. And why are they doing that? If you go by primordial sentiments which zoning is all about, then everybody goes to his zone.
“Then we will never have a contest, it is only when you take your candidate from different zones that you can have a proper contest. But if you take your aspirant from the zone of the governor, then it is done on arrival.
And that is how they have rescued themselves in power, even when they have not done much and when they are done, they will leave the party. So, it is a tool they have designed to keep Anambrans under their hold.
“And that is why we must make it very clear that there is nothing like zoning in Anambra state.
“In every election every party has fielded candidates and aspirants from the different zones. So, we don’t have zoning, it is peculiar to APGA and APC as a party has decided for this very moment not to allow that strategy because it will work against us.
“We want to take power and give it back to indi Anambra because we currently don’t know what is happening in Anambra. Currently, you can’t go to Anambra without having a recruit of security men around you and it is a big shame. I want to make it very clear so that you don’t get confused” he said.
“If you recall we picked up the nomination and expression of interest forms a couple days back and we have to travel to Anambra state to the grassroot members of our party and they were more than delighted to receive us and we are back to submit the forms as required by the rules.
I’m back today with the forms fully completed with all the necessary documents attached and we have succeeded in submitting the form, Interestingly I was told I’m the first to return my form and I don’t think that was by accident, it is an indication that I will be the first on the ballot. I will win that election and make APC proud. And we will turn Anambra to APC state by the grace of God.
Speaking when asked What are his fears having other heavyweights joining the APC party?
“Do I look like somebody who has any fears? On the contrary, when we started this journey, I’m happy that a number of people who started the journey are here with me.
“The plan was to have a new APC in Anambra state where people will find it very attractive to express their desires to contest elections. I’m very happy that one of the items on the checklist we have succeeded in ticking the box.
“We envisaged while we were putting the plans in place three years ago, remember Anambra is under opposition party, our plan was to rebrand APC, take APC closer to the grassroot, engage with the grassroot and explain what APC will do differently and that is while we are having different people because we have a new APC are jettisoning their former parties to join APC.
“Instead of being afraid or having concerns I am excited and happy. The fact remains that we are foundation members of the party, we built the party and we are excited to receive our brothers who are joining our party. After I have emerged as the candidate of the party, we will work together to win the election.
How do you intend to tackle insecurity in Anambra state?
“The current administration in Anambra state to the best of my knowledge is not doing anything so it is not about what I will do differently because nothing is on the ground.
“Every day people are being kidnapped, everyday we are having all forms of criminality and some of us started talking about it because the state belongs to all of us and we don’t have any other passport apart from the green passport and we must ensure our homeland is secured for us and our children.
“We started talking about it and the governor to appear as if he is solving it came up with a draconian law which has created more problems that is even more difficult to solve the previous ones not to talk about the ones created by the law.
“So, what l am going to do differently? First, we have asked the governor several times, what he is doing with his security vote. The security agencies are complaining, not even a motorbike has been purchased for the police, DSS or talk about the military. It is a big problem and we will have to address it.
“Secondly, we have to look at the grassroot based security policing. We used to have a vigilante system in Anambra state prior to the law that gave rise to the Anambra homeland security outfit and you find out the people employed are not even being paid by the government.
“If you see a foreigner in your committee you will know because most of these crimes are perpetuated by foreigners. So, we need to invest in information gathering at the low end. Anambra is a small state in terms of land mass.
“We will invest a lot of resources in information gathering because nothing is being done to ensure that at the low end we gather relevant intelligence that will tell us what is going on.
“We need to do mapping of the streets, most of the camps are deserted and we need to invest in mechanised farming because if the lands are put into productive agricultural engagements they won’t be available for crimes. A lot of other things are contained in our manifesto for Anambra.
“But the truth is that as we speak nothing is going on in Anambra. In employment, Anambra is nothing to write home about, the same for the civil service is not where it should be
“We will lead from the front and show indi Anambra that their security is paramount to us and we will do everything possible to make the state safe” Sir Chukwuma ended.
