Anambra yet to recover from politics of godfatherism, says ZLP candidate

The candidate of Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) in the November 6, Anambra governorship election, Dr Obiora Okonkwo, yesterday, disclosed that the state is yet to recover from the 2003 politics of godfatherism.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Okonkwo stated this during his unveiling as ZLP flag bearer by the party’s National Chairman, Chief Dan Nwanyanwu, at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.

He said the state needs an independent candidate that would serve the interest of the people and the state, not that of godfathers.

He said: “We don’t need a governor that wants to impose a successor. Anambra State has not recovered from the encounter we had in 2003 on the issue of godfather and godson.

“Some people might be saying, ‘you stoop to conquer; when you win, you fight them back. When two elephants fight, the grass suffers. We still have the sketch of what happened in 2003. We need no godfathers; we are independent. ZLP is free. Any vote for us is just for me and my deputy.”

Okonkwo described his emergence as the candidate of ZLP as divine, saying it did not matter where he was before “because this is where God has prepared for me to run for this election.”

He said although the road would not be an easy one, he is more than prepared “to make all the needed sacrifices, not for himself, but for the good of others and to the glory of God.”

He said, while many of the candidates in the race are qualified, what Anambra requires is “the best of the best”. He said, while some might consider themselves Goliaths, he is happy to answer David in the race.

He said: “One thing I can assure you of is that at the end of this, only the will of God will be done. This is a tactical game. It is not usual politicking. We understand that most of our political opponents have a multitude of issues. Those things will continue to manifest along this journey. Be rest assured, we are not relying on the weakness of our opponents. We will be prepared to win, based on our own strength. We have what it takes to win Anambra State.”

He said his team had a 10-point agenda that would be implemented if elected. This, according to him, includes security, quality, and technical education, employment opportunities, and diaspora engagement to increase investments and revenue of the state.

“We are creating a special Ministry of Diaspora Affairs to engage the people of Anambra and people around the world,” he said.