Lawrence Nwimo, Awka
The senator representing Anambra Central Senatorial District, Uche Ekwunife, has warned politicians to stop inciting statements that would destroy her long existing relationship with Obi after the general election.
She declared that she has no political grudges against the Presidential candidate of Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, winning the February 25 presidential election.
She begged her opponents to stop the blackmail against her, pleading that all contestants should be given a level playing ground.
Ekwunife, who addressed members of Nigeria Union Journalists (NUJ), in Awka, Thursday, also stressed the importance of local government autonomy in the state and the country at large.
She said the reason she wanted to return to the red chamber was to attract development to the rural areas in the state. According to her, without local government autonomy, development at rural areas is stunted, while appointed chairmen turn sycophantic.
She lamented that the third tier of government had been helpless because funds meant for them are diverted by state governments.
Ekwunife said that she has performed well in representing the senatorial district through the bills she sponsored, the projects she executed and the jobs she helped her constituents secure in the six years she had spent in the Senate and her eight years in the House of Representatives.
The Senator said she had empowered so many people, given them gainful employment so that when she leaves office, they could continue with their lives.
“I am being blackmailed because I am a woman, but God knows that my hands are clean.
“I am contesting to represent the good people of Anambra Central under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and am supporting my party’s Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, while Obi is running the Presidential race under Labour Party, which I have no issues with.
“Mr. Obi is contesting to win as President and I am contesting to win as Senator also. But I don’t know why politicians are trying to use this to tarnished my long time relationship with him.
“So I am appealing to you Journalists, to always sensitise politicians on how to play politics of maturity without any rancour,” Ekwunife added.
Meanwhile, the Anambra State Chairman of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Dr. Odogwu Emeka Odogwu, in his brief welcome address, assured the Senator that the Union under his watch will be objective in their reportage during the voting proper.
