By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

The Special Adviser on Media to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) presidential candidate in the February 2023 general elections, Prof. Peter Umeadi, Angel Folorunso, has challenged the Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, to tell Nigerians his preferred candidate.

This is coming on the heels of suspicions that the Governor is fanning the candidacy of his Aguata sister, Sen Uche Ekwunife who is vying for to return to the national assembly as a senator representing the central senatorial zone against his party, APGA candidate in rye person of Dozie Nwankwo.

Folorunso in a statement on Tuesday said that the question became necessary becauseSoludo has failed to meet with the APGA presidential candidate, former Chief Judge, Umeadi since he emerged as the party's standard flag bearer in June 2022,

The statement partly reads, "It is expected that Professor Soludo, whose duty includes the propagation and projection of the image of the party both locally and internationally to be the embodiment of the party’s conscience, more so now that the National Executive Committee (NEC) has named him the National Leader of the party

“Soludo should tell who he is supporting, is it Umeadi who he has never met one-on-one, Atiku or Obi, who despite their love-hate affairs continue to make use of APGA government facilities free of charge?

“We expect Professor Soludo, whose duty includes the propagation and projection of the image of the party both locally and internationally to be the embodiment of the party’s conscience, more so now that the National Executive Committee (NEC) has named him the National Leader of the party.

"He should give maximum support to the APGA presidential candidate, Umeadi, not Obi or Atiku or any other candidate who is not of the APGA family.

“Partisanship is not likely the same thing as governance. This is the right thing to do in the spirit of the APGA Constitution. For instance, the APC 21 All Progressives Congress (APC) governors are supporting their presidential candidate, while the PDP 14 governors are obviously drumming support for their presidential flag bearer, except the G 5, who are yet to leave the party.

Folorunso regretted that APGA has only one governor in the person of Soludo, who needs to unequivocally support his own presidential candidate Umeadi, and not any other candidate for whatsoever reason, noting that Soludo’s action is a prelude to failure of the party at the polls.

She added, “Is a card-carrying member of a political party expected to admit on national television that his candidate at an election would be defeated by the opposition? No. The electoral battle ought not to be a do-or-die affair but it is one where hope is kept alive until the results are known.

“Soludo seeming to surrender that Obi might win in Anambra State is worrisome. Maybe that was why Dozie Nwankwo while speaking to members of the CWO in Awka urged them not to vote for the APGA presidential candidate,” she said.

“Partisanship is not likely the same thing as governance. This is the right thing to do in the spirit of the APGA Constitution. For instance, the APC 21 All Progressives Congress (APC) governors are supporting their presidential candidate, while the PDP 14 governors are obviously drumming support for their presidential flag bearer, except the G 5, who are yet to leave the party.

“Is a card-carrying member of a political party expected to admit on national television that his candidate at an election would be defeated by the opposition? No. The electoral battle ought not to be a do-or-die affair but it is one where hope is kept alive until the results are known.

“Soludo seeming to surrender that Obi might win in Anambra State is worrisome. Maybe that was why Dozie Nwankwo while speaking to members of the CWO in Awka urged them not to vote for the APGA presidential candidate."

She described it as brazen anti-party activities which would injure APGA if not nipped in the bud.

According to Folorunso, Umeadi is the face of APGA nationwide, leading over 200 candidates across Nigeria as an anchor and point of contact on a daily basis, adding that he (Umeadi) has benefited APGA immensely since he joined the party in 2019 by promoting its values, philosophy and aspirations nationwide.

While saying that the firmer Chief Judge of Anambra State stands tall in the group of 18 presidential candidates, she added that he also stands as good a chance as anyone to emerge victorious.

She added: “As the APGA presidential candidate, who also is the face of the party nationwide, and according to the APGA Constitution, Umeadi has every right to enjoy the full support of the party in order to win the February 25th presidential election.

“Whichever way we look at the distractions it’s essential to note that the wobbling waist of one’s child doesn’t entail giving his or her beads to another. If not for party loyalty is Dozie Nwankwo a match for the loaded field of Anambra Central Senatorial Zone?”