Former Central Bank Governor, Charles Soludo has expressed confidence that he will emerge victorious in the November 6 Anambra governorship election.
Soludo who is the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) said those campaigning with the promise of linking the state to the federal government are missing the point.
This is as he basted that he walks in and out of the Aso Rock Villa and with him, the people of the state do not need any fresh connection to the central government.
Soludo made the submission while addressing his supporters at the Dr Alex Ekwueme Square in Awka on Saturday during the flag-off of his campaign where he expressed confidence of getting over one million votes during the election.
He said: “I thank APGA for the ticket it gave me on June 23, and the over 50 support groups who for years continued to clamour for me to aspire for the governorship position.
“They have been demanding for me to come and run, some of them are people across party lines, and some who are not even politicians have been calling me and saying that after the tenure of Governor Willie Obiano, the best thing that can happen to Anambra is for me to come and continue. Anambra people want APGA to continue.
“We will compete and contest for every vote and we will not take your votes for granted. Our target is to reach the one million-vote mark. There are people who know that even if they carry a gun, Anambra people will not vote for them. They are carrying money around and buying expired politicians.
“Anambra is APGA, and APGA is Anambra. Anambra is not Imo. They say they want to connect us to the centre, and it is idiocy for them to talk about going to the centre because I’m already in the centre. I serve in this government (federal), so when they talk about going to centre, they are talking about coming to meet us. I’m already at the centre and I go in and out of Aso Rock, so when they talk about going to the centre, they are coming to meet me, because I’m there already.”
Soludo boasted further that others competing with him in the governorship race will be easily defeated as they are no match for him.
He promised to release his manifesto online to the people which he said will be a binding contract between him and the people of Anambra state.
“I told Anambra people that on the day of the flag-off, we will unveil and launch the Anambra manifesto. This manifesto is one that envisions Anambra as a five star destination to live, work and relax in. We want Anambra to be liveable. My manifesto with ndi Anambra is my contract with them.
“I’m not going to learn on the job. I will hit the ground running. We will build a land where no child born here will go out to look for better future in Lagos or Abuja.
“After this speech, my manifesto will be shared and uploaded online, and this is my contract with you. I have looked at the people contesting, and with every sense of humility, I don’t think they are can match me.
“They can be governor because they are qualified and the constitution says if you have a school certificate, you can be governor, but for those who forged their certificates, I do not think they can be governor.
“We are not making empty promises, the things we have here (manifesto) have been thought over by me and they are achievable, not the people who contracted people to concoct something that looks like manifesto for them,” Soludo said.
Also speaking during the event, Governor Willie Obiano said Anambra has always been known to support APGA and expressed optimism that this time won’t be different.
The Governor promised that the party will continue to deliver dividends of democracy to the people of the state as it has been doing for over 15 years.
“Anambra is an APGA state and we are not contesting it with anyone. We have in 15 and half years delivered the dividends of democracy here, and especially in the last seven and half years, under my watch.”
