Fides Media Living the Faith
By Jude Atupulazi
Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State has praised President Muhamadu Buhari for providing a level playing field which led to the successful conduct of the November 6 gubernatorial election in the state which ended with a supplementary election in Ihiala Local Government Area last Tuesday.
A press statement signed on behalf of Governor Obiano by C. Don Adinuba, Commissioner for Information & Public Enlightenment, Anambra State, and made available to Fides, said the governor made the commendation in a telephone conversation with President Buhari in the late hours of Wednesday
‘You have once again behaved like a statesman in truth and spirit,’ Gov Obiano told President Buhari.
According to the statement, Obiano reminded Buhari about his earlier pledge of upholding a tradition of free and fair elections as a legacy of his (Buhari’s) administration and noted that the Anambra election which took place in a free, fair and transparent manner, was the latest example of the president’s commitment to making his pledge a reality.
The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) candidate, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, a former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, overwhelmingly won the gubernatorial vote in which 18 candidates participated, including Valentine Ozigbo of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Senator Andy Uba of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Governor Obiano described as statesmanlike, President Buahri’s strong opposition to the move by members of his own political party to postpone the governorship election and to impose emergency rule on Anambra State purportedly for security reasons, whereas elections had been held successfully in the last two years in parts of the federation with far more serious security challenges than Anambra State.
Showing appreciation to the president for resisting moves to interfere in the affairs of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Governor Obiano also noted President Buhari’s insistence that security agents involved in the Anambra election acted professionally.
‘The result is that this election has become the freest and fairest in the history of our dear state. All this goes a long way in inspiring confidence in the Nigerian possibility,’ Obiano said in the statement.