Akunyili Will Succeed Obi as Governor, Says Mbadinuju

The defection of former information and communications minister, Dora Akunyili, to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) is a prelude to her becoming the governor of Anambra State after the incumbent Peter Obi, a former governor of the state, Chinwoke Mbadinuju told NEXT at the weekend. Mr Mbadinuju said Mrs Akunyili’s foray into politics and her membership of APGA could be Mr Obi’s way of repaying her for supporting him during his successful bid for a second term at the February 6 governorship poll in Anambra State. Mr Obi’s tenure will end in 2014.

Shortly after Mr Obi won that election, the defeated candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Chukwuma Soludo, had alleged that Mrs Akunyili worked for the incumbent governor. Although Mr Obi and some other APGA members had laughed it off as the tantrums of a defeated man, Mr Soludo succeeded in convincing many of his supporters on the veracity of his allegation. But Mr Mbadinuju, who also reportedly has plans to contest the governorship post again, said Mrs Akunyili must have joined the race to realise a bigger ambition.

‘If anyone knows Dora, the person should know that she does not do anything in vain. I seem convinced that Dora has her eye on the governorship seat of Anambra State,” Mr Mbadinuju said. “She knows she won’t go far in that her ambition if she remained in PDP. After the last Anambra guber election in which APGA’s Peter Obi defeated PDP’s Chukwuma Soludo, Dora must have done her homework to come to the conclusion that since Mr Soludo is now the leader of PDP in the state, she would have no chance of getting a ticket to run for governor when Soludo also has his eye on the same seat come next election.

‘During the last guber election, Soludo had accused Dora of anti-party activity in helping Obi to win the contest. If that is correct, then there will surely be a pay-back from Governor Obi to reciprocate the alleged Dora’s assistance in his victory. And by the way, Obi is from Agulu and Dora married an Agulu man, so Dora and Peter Obi are related by marriage, and nobody should be surprised to see Dora as governor of Anambra State courtesy of Peter Obi. This will be so if Anambra PDP fails to put its house in order before the next election.’

Akunyili’s campaign starts

The former governor, who had a running battle with some leaders of the PDP while in office, said the recent political development in Anambra State was a clear indication that the PDP was in serious trouble in the state after failing to heed his previous warnings. He said he had foreseen the current scenario and warned against it.

‘I warned against a situation like this as I was being forced out of office in 2003, and now we have seen it because we were all witnesses. And we have also seen that it is not possible for one to eat one’s cake and still have it. Let us keep believing that one day it shall be well,’ he said.

Mbadinuju however refused to be drawn into the argument of whether the move by Akunyili was a political gamble, pointing out that only time would tell whether she made a mistake in leaving a comfortable position as minister for another that appeared risky.

Meanwhile, barely a week after deciding to run represent Anambra Central senatorial zone under APGA, Mrs Akunyili will today kick-start her campaign by embarking on a tour of her constituency after a courtesy visit to the governor.

Mrs Akunyili is believed to enjoy the support of many APGA candidates running for other positions and NEXT gathered authoritatively that they planned to use their already established structures to assist her in reaching the grassroots, given the short period between her declaration and the party primaries slated for January 2.