By Dapo Akinrefon

Chief Kodilichukwu Okelekwe is a leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Anambra State. Okelekwe was the APC candidate for Anambra Central Senatorial zone in the 2023 general election.

In this interview, he speaks on the chances of the APC in the November 8 Anambra governorship election and the chances of President Bola Tinubu in the South East in the 2027 presidential poll. Excerpts:

The Anambra State gover-norship election is few months away and your party, the APC has always had its eyes on the state, what are the chances of the APC in the November 8 contest viz-a- viz the rating of the present administration and the politics of the South-East?

If you look at what is happening in APC in Anambra now, APC is actually the party to beat. We are the beautiful bride. APC has become the beautiful bride overnight. I remember years back, when I moved from the PDP to the APC, a friend of mine called and said he thought I was intelligent and smart; “why the decision to go to APC, a Fulani party”? Then Buhari was still in power. I told him time will tell, whether I have taken a right decision or not. Because I knew that there was nothing I could say to convince him. Now fast forward to the present time, see what is happening. Look at the many decampees who came into our party in the last six months.

You have Professor Obiorah Okonkwo that joined us; the latest one that people were not really expecting to happen, but it happened- Val Ozigbo, given the relationship between him and the leader of the Labour Party, but he is with us today. That is to show you that APC is the party to beat in the forthcoming Anambra governorship election. Anambra has never been as ripe as it is now for the APC; provided we put our house in order; provided we get things right.

The success will not be automatic. There are things the party must do if we are to harness the goodwill; if we are to translate the goodwill that the party is enjoying into concrete electoral victory on November 8. And what are those things we need to do? Free, fair and credible primary so that whoever loses will shake hands with the winner and join him. Once that is done, APC will win Anambra State on November 8.

Anambra is a very unique state when it comes to gubernatorial contests. It is always difficult for the bigwigs to agree. It played out in the APC in the last gubernatorial contest.

What level of reconciliation has happened in the party after the last election?

Anambra is one state that is so blessed with a lot of successful people. Anambra is the state with the highest concentration of billionaires in Nigeria. That should be an asset and not a disadvantage. I see it as an advantage. What it means is that nobody should take the other person for a ride; that things be discussed and agreements reached. And such agreements must be respected and kept.





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