By Musa Baba Adamu
The Anambra State Association of Town Unions (ASATU) has said Governor Chukwuma Soludo did not interfere with the conduct of the March 18th House of Assembly Elections in the state.
ASATU national president, Barr. Titus Nnabuike Akpudo, who spoke in Awka, said the governor never bothered in any way to interfere with the process.
He said Governor Soludo allowed Ndi-Anambra the latitude to go out and exercise their franchise without fear and intimidation. He said the governor believes that the will of God will always prevail in all activities.
Akpudo noted that judging from the results released, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) retained 16 seats. Labour party according to him got 7 seats, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had 4 seats while the Young Progressives Party (YPP) clinched 3 seats in the incoming legislature, stressing that the entire process was peaceful and commendable, with an outcome of a balanced equation.
He said Soludo had stated severally that he is ready to work with anybody and everybody because it is the same road that everyone uses; the same taxes that citizens pay and that the issue of party affiliation or attachment will not stop him from developing the entire state.
The ASATU national president who expressed hope that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will continue to improve on the nation’s electoral process, pointed out that there were some hiccups during the House of Assembly elections ranging from failure in voter identification and a host of other technical hitches.
Akpudo, on behalf of ASATU, congratulated the legislators-elect on their victory, saying that it is only God that made them emerge victorious.
He said the issue is no longer who voted for them or who voted against them but their primary concerns should be to spread constituency projects equitably as these may serve as yardsticks for re-election.
He therefore charged members of the incoming legislature to make laws that will benefit and prosper the state, adding that when the state assembly is peaceful, then the entire state will be peaceful.
He said the 8th legislature should endeavour to work as a team with the governor because if they don’t see eyeball to eyeball on issues of development, Anambra state will not prosper, stressing that the duty of the legislators is to make sure that the state prospers.
The ASATU national president maintained that rather than frustrate the efforts of the executive arm, members of the incoming legislature should be partners in progress in the Anambra project.
