By Gabriel Atumeyi
365Daily – The media office of Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the November 6 Anambra governorship election, has brushed aside the call for a pre-election public debate by the candidate of the Young Progressives Party, (YPP), Senator Ifeanyi Ubah.
365Daily on Sunday reported that the candidate of the YPP, Senator Ubah, challenged Prof. Soludo to a public debate.
Ubah, who represents Anambra South in the upper legislative chamber, disclosed this is in a statement by his media office on Sunday titled, ‘Anambra 2021: Senator Ifeanyi Ubah Challenges Prof. Soludo To Provide His Manifesto Within 48hours And A Public Debate Within 7 Days Of Presentation Of His Manifesto’.
In its reaction, the Soludo media office in a statement by its spokesperson, Joe C. Anatune, titled “Senator Ifeanyi Ubah and his curious challenge to Prof Charles Soludo to a public debate” the group said the manner of the request shows a jittery candidate with a hidden agenda and that its Principal, Professor Soludo would not engage in such hastily proposed debate.
According to the group, the renowned eminent former Central Bank governor would only honour such an invitation to public debate if it is organized by neutral and impartial organizations or institutions, supported by the people of the state.
The group further disclosed that Soludo’s comment on minimum education requirement for governorship candidate is in line with the established political tradition in the state beginning with Nnamdi Azikiwe, Dr Alex Ekwueme, Dr Chinwoke Mbadinuju, Dr Chris Ngige, Mr Peter Obi, and current governor, Chief Willie Obiano.
Below is the statement:
Our attention has been drawn to a statement by Senator Ifeanyi Ubah of the YPP, challenging Prof Chukwuma Charles Soludo to provide his manifesto within 48 hours and a public debate within 7 days of presentation of his manifesto. In the said statement, Prof Soludo was also accused of making disruptive comment to the effect that WAEC certificate holders cannot govern Anambra State.
We are amused and surprised that Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, the YPP candidate in the November Anambra gubernatorial election is exhibiting so soon ominous signs of a man in a panic mode even when the gubernatorial election is still few months away. For the avoidance of doubt, Prof Soludo is fully prepared and ready for any public debate in regard to the November 6 governorship election in Anambra state.
However, as a man of honour, he will not succumbed or be coerced into a hasty debate not organised by a credible organisation/institution and also not wholly supported by the people of Anambra State. In this regard, we consider this invitation as the usual charade of politicians seeking every available medium to court public attention.
We therefore see the entire statement as self-serving and an act of unnecessary showmanship and brigandage which are not part of the culture of Prof Chukwuma Charles Soludo. It is also pertinent, to state categorically, that Prof Soludo’s statement bordering on the issue of WAEC was not meant to disparage or denigrate anyone. He merely spoke on the need of Ndi Anambra to be vigilant by upholding the culture of excellence which the state is known for; and avoid those parading questionable school certificates in their desperate quest to become Governor of Anambra State.
It is also important to emphasis that the issue is about ” lowering the Anambra standard” as the State does not operate on a minimum standard. Anambra prides itself as the frontline state that has produced some of the best brains and educationally sound administrators cum politicians in the country. The likes of Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Dr Alex Ekwueme, Dr Chinwoke Mbadinuju, Dr Chris Ngige, Mr Peter Obi, including our current governor, Chief Willie Obiano are all products of sound educational background which have become the acceptable trend in the state.
Our founding fathers who built the fastest growing economy in the world 60 years ago were also all best educated individuals. Sixty years after, we can’t go down to being governed by people with questionable NECO. Changing the subject by pointing to successful business men who are not necessarily University graduates but would employ graduates to run their businesses still point to the fact that solid and sound educational background remain an important prerequisite in any given endeavours.
There is no successful businessman today whose General Manager is a NECO holder or any of the global players whose business is run by secondary school graduate. Moreover, there is no society that want to develop or that is already developed that was governed or is being governed by a secondary school holder
In any case, none of the business people mentioned is contesting election otherwise their total background will come under scrutiny. Running a private business, it should be clearly noted, is totally different from running the lives of people in today’s digital world. However, those who have questionable certificates have every reason to be apprehensive as the long arm of the law would come knocking soon.