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Founder of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Chekwas Okorie, has urged Anambra State governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, to stop criticising the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Peter Obi.
Okorie, in a statement issued in Abuja, yesterday, accused Soludo of using his support for President Bola Tinubu as a cover to attack the former Anambra governor.
He expressed disappointment over what he described as Soludo’s “continued attacks” on Obi, claiming that the former governor had continued to extend respect and courtesy to Soludo despite the alleged criticisms.
“I have watched with disgust and utter disappointment, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo’s vicious and vile vendetta against Mr Peter Obi.
“Mr Peter Obi has not, for a moment, ceased to extend his usual courtesies and respect to Prof. Soludo at any given opportunity, even as Prof. Soludo is on his vituperations on Obi,” Okorie said.
He alleged that Soludo had been “hiding under the cover of supporting President Bola Tinubu” to express his opposition to Obi.
Okorie attributed the strained relationship between the two politicians to three major political developments. He said the first was the 2009 Anambra governorship election, in which Obi defeated Soludo.
“Peter Obi won the election resoundingly and beat Soludo to a distant third position. This is Peter Obi’s first ‘offence’ to Soludo,” he said.
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Okorie identified Soludo’s disqualification from the APGA governorship primary in August 2013 as the second issue. He said the primary was conducted under the leadership of Chief Victor Umeh and alleged that Soludo had blamed Obi for his disqualification.
The third, according to Okorie, was the Anambra Central senatorial primary ahead of the 2023 general elections. He said Umeh lost the APGA ticket but, subsequently, won the senatorial election on the platform of the Labour Party, which Okorie attributed to Obi’s popularity.
“The above three ‘offences’ are the real reasons Prof. Chukwuma Soludo swore to bring down Mr Peter Obi by any means possible,” he alleged.
Okorie also recalled Soludo’s 2022 article titled, “History Beckons And I Will Not Remain Silent”, describing it as the point at which the governor’s public criticisms of Obi became pronounced.
The APGA founder further described Obi as “the most outstanding and the most popular presidential candidate on the presidential ballot” and argued that an Obi-Kwankwaso ticket was “the most formidable combination in any presidential election in Nigeria after the Shagari/Ekwueme presidential ticket.”
He, however, urged Soludo to focus on the affairs of Anambra State, saying the challenges confronting residents provided sufficient issues for the governor’s attention.
“There are several issues challenging the people of Anambra State that are sufficient to keep Prof. Soludo is busy. Prof. Soludo should be mindful of the verdict of history. Prof. Chukwuma Soludo leave Mr Peter Obi alone,” Okorie said.
