The Senator representing Anambra North at the upper chambers of the National Assembly, Stella Oduah has revealed why she dumped the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC). According to Senator Oduah, the APC government has always been home and accommodative of the needs of her constituents.
Oduah made this known in her first meeting with APC stakeholders in the State on Thursday, Oduah who was represented by her long-standing Chief of Admin, Nwaka Ononuju was welcomed by the State Chairman, Basil Ejidike, and Members of his Executives.
Oduah said, “Truth be told, the APC government has always been home and accommodative of the needs of constituents of Anambra North as can be attested to in the way and manner most of my demands were acceded to even when I was in the opposition.
“In spite of the fact that I was in the opposition, Anambra North was able to record a slew of empowerment programs ranging from uncountable skill acquisition workshops to facilitating the construction of numerous roads, school blocks, and a whole lot more, all thanks to a seamless collaboration with my associates in the APC.”
While divulging the reason behind her decision to join the ruling party, she said, “I joined for the simple reason that I recognised the futility and unproductiveness of playing opposition politics in an arena purely designed to advance the interests of those who voted me in.
“Over the years, everything I ever facilitated or got for my people was by exploiting personal relationships forged across party lines and though many may argue that I’d done quite a lot, I knew there was much more that I could achieve if I was part and parcel of those preparing the meals in the kitchen for only the cook determines who gets what and when at the dining table”
“I was under no illusion that the kind of politics we have in Nigeria is not a winner takes it all arrangement and so I knew that the only way I could do more and get the voices of my people heard, was by connecting to the center for a legislator must at all times, place the interest of her people as paramount.”
Oduah added that her “pivot to the APC was done by eschewing every baselessly negative sentiment naysayers naturally associate with the party and elevating the interests of Anambra North constituents as paramount and it was indeed a most natural and easy choice to make.”
She stressed that she “can confidently stand inside that kitchen, wield a spoon and be part of those dishing out the meal to Ndi Anambra North who will now be flooded with more empowerment programs, more infrastructural development, more scholarships, more facilitation of federal government jobs and placements in various boards and many more positives.”
The senator further spoke, “I am supremely excited to be in your midst and I must say that save for the normal partisan politicking that has a way of obfuscating the Truth, this APC government has done a whole lot more for the South East in terms of infrastructural development, welfare packages to indigent citizens and many other life-transforming actions necessary for the well-being of our people and it will be the height of self-deceit to continue to pretend that this government does not mean well for our people.
“And just so we are clear, the records are there in black and white for anyone willing to forgo partisan sentiments or the usual propaganda and I will be more than willing to back this statement with facts should it be questioned.”
She emphasised that the needs of the people are paramount to her and “if what it takes for them to benefit what others connected to the center get is by my pivoting to the center, then so be it for I swore to always uphold their best interests.”
Oduah’s continued, “Going forward, I am already in talks with critical stakeholders at the center with a view to ensuring our voices are not only heard but our numerous demands met and it remains my fervent prayers that this new partnership will usher in a wave of South East participation in the APC political dynamics which I know will ultimately impact positively on the lives of our people.
She, therefore, seized the occasion to announce the unprecedented approval of the building of 500 free housing units in Anambra North which simply means that in no distant time, 500 Constituents of Anambra North extraction shall be proud owners of such houses which I daresay could only have come about with my recent defection and to imagine what the future holds, makes me glad and exceedingly excited!”
As regards the forthcoming gubernatorial election in the state, Oduah said, “Come Nov 6, we shall march down to our various polling units to elect our very own Senator Andy Uba whom I’ve had the singular honor of knowing as a gentleman whose words remain his bond.
“For us at Anambra North, we are currently deploying a massive grassroots mobilization scheme that involves all our support groups that have roots in all polling units; and for weeks on end, meetings have been ongoing culminating in yesterday’s town hall meeting at the 5000 capacity Bishop Patterson Hall of the All Saints Cathedral where we’ll over 6000 selected heads of all our support groups converged to emphatically endorse and pledge unsullied allegiance to the APC cause.
“Simply put, beyond the noise and grandstanding of the opposition, Anambra North is APC and APC is Anambra North, and come Nov 6, the results will prove the case!”
Ahead of the anticipated November 6, 2021, Anambra Governorship election, Senator Stella Oduah has collapsed all her structures to the All Progressives Congress flag-bearer – Senator Andy Uba’s campaign organisation. Senator Stella Oduah support groups have emphatically reaffirmed their unalloyed loyalty to her and unequivocally state their support for the candidacy of Senator Dr. Andy Uba, the APC flag bearer in the forthcoming Nov 6 Anambra gubernatorial election.
Senator Stella Oduah’s Director of Media/Publicity, Ezennia Nonso Chukwudebe in a statement said the leaders whose members cut across all polling units in the Anambra North zone restated their total commitment to the APC cause at the Archbishop Patterson Hall of the All Saints Cathedral in Onitsha.
This simultaneously happened with the defection of Dr. Nkem Okeke, the Anambra State Deputy Governor for the APC.
Senator Oduah who has a firm grip of Anambra North Senatorial District owing to her well-oiled network of support groups had her supporters collapsed her structure to Uba’s campaign to:
“Support and show complete loyalty to their Principal, Distinguished Senator Princess Stella Adaeze Oduah.
“Commend the Distinguished Senator for her effective representation on behalf of the Zone in the National Assembly.
“Commend the Distinguished Senator for the various empowerment programs/initiatives which she has brought to the Senatorial Zone since she assumed office as the Senator representing Anambra North Zone in the National Assembly.”
The support groups in a communique noted that the current developments of the Distinguished Senator’s progression from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressive Congress (APC), have shifted their support and loyalty to the All Progressive Congress (APC).
They, therefore, endorsed the candidature of Senator (Dr.) Andy Emmanuel Uba- the APC Gubernatorial Candidate for the Anambra State Governorship election, come November 6, 2021.
The Groups enjoined all their members and teeming supporters in all the polling units, wards, and 7 Local Government Areas that make up Anambra North, to vote and support Senator (Dr.) Andy Emmanuel Uba to be the next Governor of Anambra State on November 6, 2021.
The communique which was read by Barr. Chigozie Chris Onwuanyi, the Director-General, Senator Stella Oduah Center for Excellence and Promotion of Sustainable Good Governance on behalf of all heads of the various support groups put to rest the assertion of a divided house as it is now clear that Senator Stella Oduah has taken center stage in the zone especially with respect to the Nov 6 election.