The traditional ruler of Nawfia in Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State, Igwe Chijioke Nwankwo, has advised the people of the state to go all out for a candidate who could bring the state back on the path of development in the 2021 governorship election. The Osuofia II of Nawfia urged that party affiliation and where the person comes from should not be factors. He also spoke about the RUGA settlement and other matters.
Recently, there were reports that traditional rulers of Anambra South had insisted that the governorship position be zoned to Anambra South. You are a traditional ruler in the state; do you share that view?
No! I say emphatically that the answer to that question is no. I challenged the grounds upon which Willie Obiano emerged in 2014. I almost had problems with the then governor, Peter Obi, for challenging that position. That position is constitutionally illegal. The Nigerian constitution prohibits zoning. But what I am looking at is if zoning must be done, it cannot be selective. It cannot be for only the governorship position. If we must adopt zoning, it must be across board. If we must zone, it must go round including senate, House of Representatives, State House of Assembly and even the traditional rulership. It is not about who can afford it. My position is for the best candidate, the most credible candidate. It must be said that Anambra South Senatorial zone has produced at least two governors. As it is, every zone of the state has produced the governor. However, we must note that in places where there is mutual agreement on zoning, there must be a section that has been cheated. I believe that there has been equitable and just distribution of political power in Anambra State. I don’t see any part of Anambra State that is a minority. No part of Anambra State is marginalised. Anambra North was said to have been cheated in the past. But with Obiano, they are having eight years in power and he has developed the place and given more appointments to Anambra North than any governor in the history of Anambra State. So, I totally reject zoning. It is constitutionally illegal. If they must do it, without any malicious intention to disenfranchise anybody, then, it must go round and also be done in the council of traditional rulers, in the town unions, in the State House of Assembly, Senate, House of Representatives, Councillorship and so on so as to make it equitable and just.
Was there any time in the history of Anambra State when either traditional rulers or political class met and agreed that there would be zoning of the governorship?
Well, we met when the Ohanaeze people came and suggested the idea of zoning, and I have this in writing. They brought a lot of professors to discuss it. At that meeting, I raised hand and rejected that zoning. All the professors that came there told us that zoning is illegal and continues to be illegal, but if all the people have an understanding, they can do what they want. However, the way Anambra is today suggests that we must bring someone who is eminently qualified to govern us. We must stop the idea of a few cabals bringing someone and insisting that he should govern us. We must stop that. Our problem, if you recall, Peter Obi asked ‘are we the cause or are we cursed’? At the end of his tenure, he said, we are the cause. But we know that it is how you make your bed that you lay on it. We must stop all these gang-ups that impose anybody on us. Let us go for our best candidate to fix Anambra. If you are scared that without zoning that you will not win, then, you are not qualified. Anambra has grown since 1999 and the people are mature enough to know what and who they want without rigging.
With seven local governments in each of the three senatorial zones, do you think the state lacks quality persons to manage its affairs?
I believe that many of the people running for the office of governor are qualified. But I think what they are looking at is a consensus on zoning. Anambra has people who are eminently qualified, from all the zones, to work for the common good. So, the answer is that we have qualified people to do the job and there is no need for zoning. If you look at it historically, you will know that Anambra South has produced two governors. Remember also that I had challenged the argument that the North had not produced leaders of the state. Where did Nnamdi Azikiwe and Ukpabi Asika come from? They were both of Anambra North. I said what we ought to be looking at is if Anambra North had been cheated of anything that rightly belongs to it from the state budget? I had warned that we should not create more problems while attempting to cure one. That was before Willie Obiano became governor.
Do you think that all the political parties can be persuaded to select their candidates from only one zone?
I don’t think so because the PDP had made it clear that it is not going with zoning. APC has also spoken in same direction that it will not go with zoning. So, among the three strong political parties in Anambra today, it is only APGA that is insisting on zoning. However, I believe that if the party goes over that decision again, it will see that the best it can do is to throw its doors open and let the people make their choice.
