Professor Chukwuma Soludo has said that he will take part in the governorship contest in Anambra State despite not being listed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Earlier today, INEC had published Hon Chuma Umeoji as the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in place of Soludo, citing a court order.
However, Soludo while reacting to the news of his disqualification said he will not only contest the election but will win overwhelmingly.
In a press statement signed by Joe Anatune, Soludo’s media aide and made available to newsmen in Awka by, Soludo’s supporters were urged not to despair over the exclusion of his name on the INEC list, but to have faith.
The statement reads in part “Our millions of supporters in Anambra State and elsewhere in the world are advised not to be dispirited by the publication. Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo will participate in the governorship election as the APGA candidate.
“His nomination was strictly in line with the Electoral Law and INEC guidelines. INEC observed the APGA Congress on Wednesday, June 23, 2021, where he was nominated after winning 93.4 per cent of the valid votes cast in a free, fair and transparent manner which was broadcast live on national television networks as part of deepening the democratic process in Nigeria.
“Our team of dedicated and competent legal experts have studied the judgment and are confident of overturning it effortlessly. The party is at liberty to nominate the rightful candidate so long as due process is followed. Soludo’s nomination followed due process religiously.”
Soludo further opined that, “Millions of Ndi Anambra are understandably shocked that there are still desperate politicians in the state who want to reenact the years which the locusts consumed. They are determined to go to any and every length to acquire power for its own sake.
“We thought that the state had passed the stage where some of its politicians were moving from one end of the country to the other in the dead of the night in search of judicial orders to impose themselves on the people as their rulers, not leaders.
“Our supporters and indeed all Anambra people, who have been waiting patiently for Soludo’s leadership of the state, are advised not to be deterred by the Jigawa State Court order. They should rather remain supremely confident of not only Soludo’s participation in the November 6 gubernatorial vote but also his triumph in the polls with a big margin which will lead to a new era in our state for the benefit of all.”
