The senator representing Anambra
Central on the platform of the All Progressives Congress in the Seventh Senate,
Dr. Chris Ngige, has said his All Progressives Grand Alliance challenger, Chief
Victor Umeh, is no threat to his re-election bid. Ngige, who spoke while
addressing members of Nnobi Welfare Organisation, Lagos branch recently, also
promised more democracy dividends for his constituents.
The senator, who was accompanied
by his Campaign Manager, Chief Uzoma Igbonwa; the APC candidate for Idemili
North/ Idemili South federal constituency, Chibuzor Obiakor, and some aides,
was received by the NWO Lagos branch Chairman, Mr. Ogochukwu Okongwu, and members
of his executive and the organisation. Ngige, whose visit to his NWO was part
of his campaign tour, said he was impressed by their support during his current
stay in the Senate and while he was governor of Anambra State. Ngige, who has a
maternal link with the town in Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra
State, outlined various programmes he had carried out as a senator, noting that
he was challenged to do more by the immense support of the people of the
district. The senator, who defied a dpownpour to honour the NWO appointment,
said he was in a good position to become the next Senate president if his party
wins the majority in the March 28 National Assembly elections.
He said Umeh was not his match in
politics, as he had more experience than the APGA candidate. He said it would
amount to a great disservice for Ndigbo to vote rookies into the Senate when
there is much work to be done to lift the South-East to its pride of place in
national reckoning. Speaking further, he denied insinuations that the
Nnobi-born House of Representatives member for Idemili North and Idemili South,
Charles Odedo, dumped APC for the Peoples Democratic Party because Ngige was
against his ambition to get re-elected. Ngige explained that rather, it was the
lawmaker’s refusal to heed good
counsel on the recent primaries that led to his defection. Ngige said that
before the primaries, he had cautioned Odedo to wait for the whistle to be
blown before launching his bid but he ignored his advice. According to Ngige,
the party had to give the ticket to Obiakor, who hails from Ogidi in Idemili
North since Nnobi had produced two occupiers of the seat in the persons of
Odedo and Hon. Jerry Ugokwe. He urged the people of Nnobi to participate fully
in the March 28 and April 11 elections and assured the community and the entire
senatorial district of better representation, if re-elected.
Ngige noted that his re-election
would enable him to complete the work he started in the areas of providing
transformers, scholarships, classroom blocks, water, health facilities and
empowerment among others. He said, “In
spite of the tribulations, I represented Anambra Central Senatorial Zone well
in the Senate. As a matter of fact, for a long period in 2012, I was the only
sitting senator from Anambra State, and I’m
proud to say that I represented Anambra State with competence and dedication.” According to him, during the
period, he was responsible for all the Millennium Development Goals initiatives
and constituency projects for Ananbra North, South and Central senatorial
districts. He added that it was the first time in the history of the state for
a senator to represent three different zones in the state at the same time.
“It’s important to know that if APC
wins the senatorial seat, the South-East has the chance of producing the Senate
president in the coming dispensation. If I return, I will be the only APC
senator from the South-East and I will become Senate president; that’s if APC wins this election.
Then, our region as well as the state will be better off,” he said. Ngige promised to
reduce the poverty rate in the senatorial district through the provision of
more scholarships to the less privileged also described Obiakor as a reliable
politician.
In his reaction, Okongwu assured
Ngige of NWO’s
total support and promised to use his position to rally support for the senator
and Obiakor. “I
will use my good office to ensure that our members call their relatives in
their respective villages to vote for Ngige and Obiakor, who is going to the
House of Representatives. We just have to do it because we saw what Ngige was
able to do during his tenure as the state governor, and we know he will deliver
on election promises. “Ngige
is our son. His mother comes from Nnobi. So, it’s a good thing he came to see us.
