No South-Easterner can be President by solo effort, says Anyim 

Igbo leaders and the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo have been urged to speak out against continued attacks on the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, by some Igbo politicians.

They called on the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, and Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, to let Obi be, as “he is not their match”.

This came as the Anambra government released a 2024 out-of-court settlement document as fresh evidence in its ongoing dispute with the former governor over alleged unpaid salaries and other financial obligations inherited from his administration.

Meanwhile, former President of the Senate, Anyim Pius Anyim, has said nobody from the South-East will become President without an alliance with other regions.

Anyim said this was the reason he left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Former National President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof. Ukachukwu Awuzie, while speaking with newsmen in Owerri yesterday, specifically urged Soludo and Umahi to focus on their respective responsibilities rather than Obi’s record.

He also expressed concern over the continued silence or apparent indifference of Igbo leaders to the exchanges involving the politicians.

“The patriotic Igbo man is known for speaking out. So, what are our Elders-in-Council in the South-East doing? What about those in Ohanaeze Ndigbo and those in Imeobi of Ohanaeze? Why can’t they call Soludo and Umahi to order? They should tell the duo to leave Obi alone.”

Awuzie advised Soludo and Umahi to concentrate on their public responsibilities, saying attempts to discredit Obi’s record as governor would fail.

“There should be a limit to greed, envy and jealousy. They should face governance; govern well and minister well. They can’t be a match to Obi, no matter how they try to rubbish his credibility. Igbo elders should rise and show leadership,” he said.

ANAMBRA government, while sharing the document on its official X account yesterday, described it as evidence contradicting Obi’s position that he left office without outstanding salaries, pensions, gratuities or other financial obligations.

The governor Soludo-led administration has continued to focus on Obi despite the wave of flooding and erosion ravaging parts of Anambra with reported deaths and destruction of properties, even inside Awka, the state capital.

The document, entitled ‘Terms of Settlement’ was signed on February 6, 2024, between the Anambra State Government and the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service, Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE).

According to the state government, the settlement concerned outstanding obligations involving the defunct Anambra State Water Corporation and the Anambra State Environmental Protection Agency (ANSEPA).

While releasing the document, the Anambra government accused the former governor of making a false claim about the financial obligations left behind by his administration. It said the Water Corporation arrears were evidence that workers had outstanding salary claims that were eventually addressed through an out-of-court settlement under the present administration.

The latest development followed an earlier disagreement between the state government and Obi over his record as governor. The former governor has maintained that he inherited substantial financial obligations from previous administrations and took steps to settle outstanding liabilities during his tenure.

Obi also disputed claims that he left Anambra with unpaid salaries, pensions and gratuities, saying his administration systematically addressed historical obligations.

“We systematically liquidated historical gratuities and arrears dating back several years, amounting to over N35 billion,” Obi said.

The former governor has also challenged claims that his administration left the state heavily indebted, maintaining that his record in office should be assessed using official financial records and the circumstances surrounding the liabilities he inherited.

AHEAD of the 2027 general elections, Anyim is one of the South-East politicians, who have joined the ruling party and declared their support for President Bola Tinubu’s second term.

NDC’s Obi, from the South-East, is one of the most popular contenders in the forthcoming presidential election.

However, Anyim believes that the region should wait until the next 12 years, when the zoning arrangement will return to the South.

“The President is entitled to a second term; after his term, the rotation goes to the North, and then it will come to the South-East. You need to support others, so they will support you.

“We must have an alliance with other regions to make it. So, there is no amount of effort from each one of us that will make it possible for us to become President if we do not have an alliance with other regions,” Anyim told Arise News.