Anambra poll: Zoning can enthrone mediocrity - AA candidate

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By Madu Obi

The governorship candidate of the Action Alliance, AA, for the November 8 Anambra election, Ozo Jeff Nweke, has said that the highly-publicized zoning arrangement for the governorship seat in the state is capable of enthroning mediocrity in governance.

Addressing reporters in Awka, Nweke argued that apart from the fact that zoning is not a constitutional matter, it is also not a general consensus reached by Anambra stakeholders.

Nweke, who is from Anambra Central, which is not favoured by the zoning for the November election said: "The zoning arrangement was only orchestrated by APGA and there was never a time my party, the AA, consented to that arrangement.

And by the way, this zoning arrangement is capable of enthroning mediocrity because the implication is that we are not going to have the best at a particular point in time if that best comes from a zone not favoured to be their turn.

We cannot actualize our dream for the best if the way to do that is in the hands of other contestants from another zone. I said it earlier that even if there is any arrangement for zoning, it is purely party based and has nothing to do with the electorate.

People are not reasoning today in Anambra based on the idea of zoning. People rather want to see who will give them what they want in terms of governance.

They want someone that can provide better infrastructure, better healthcare system and ultimately give them an economy that will translate to better livelihood for the people. That is what they want, not zoning.

We in AA believe that we have what it takes to give them that and they believe in us too. That is why we are coming out for the election. We don’t believe that the zoning system is going to work. It had not worked before and will not work even at this political dispensation".

Nweke also spoke on the issue of vote buying, accusing political parties and their candidates that orchestrating it, rather than telling the people what they will do for them.

"It is the party and the candidates' representatives and those backing them that are involved in it. The people accepting the money for their votes are also the issue because it is a two-way thing", he said.

According to him, there is a lot of work to be done in this regard by all the political players, adding that there is need for serious enlightenment to make the people understand the need to shun vote buying at all levels.

He said that apart from fuelling corruption, vote buying is marring the country's democracy.

"What we are seeing is a situation where the people are driven to hunger and the politicians use money to buy them again and again and the cycle continues. We have to shun vote buying at all levels with all our might", Nweke stated.

He also urged his fellow contestants to tone down rhetoric that could fuel violence in the forthcoming election by desisting from making derogatory statements against each other.

"I believe that the contest is not a do or die affair. We are here to showcase how we are going to serve our people and our people are here to choose who will serve them better", he said.