Chief Oliver Okpala, the Senior Special Assistant on Public Enlightenment to the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has lashed out on leaders of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, (APGA) who have sustained verbal attacks on Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, describing them as “overzealous attack dogs.”
The aide said Ganduje has been doing so much to ensure that the people of Anambra and the South East in general are able to gravitate towards national reintegration
politically.
Chief Okpala said in a statement on Monday that “There is need for Ndigbo to appreciate the gesture of Dr. Ganduje and not regard every intervention from him as negative,” pointing out that “Ganduje’s aim is to ensure economic development and political inclusion of Anambra state and the Igbo nation to move into the central national politics and nothing sinister as now being portrayed by the overzealous APGA attack dogs.”
He said eminent Igbo politicians, who engaged in attacking the APC national chairman should not have vilified or insulted Ganduje as they have now resorted to but should praise and commend him for providing suggestions on how the southeast can overcome its age long political backwardness and economic inhibitions.
According to Chief Okpala “for Ganduje, the target should be how Anambra state and southeast can experience exponential growth through being integrated into national politics given the enormous resources and not empty, bitter wrangling’s.These criticisms and attacks against him are uncalled for.
“The issues the national chairman raised does not pitch him against Anambra State but the matter is about the policies of the state government vis a viz their inclusion at the centre to fast-track the progress of the state- principally the economic benefit of the people.
“For those now attacking Dr. Ganduje as a person they should know that the APC national chairman did not attack any Anambrarian, but only proffered possible solutions to the problems of the state, a move aimed at making better the situation of the people in Anambra State.
“Coming from another region of the country to empathise with the people of Anambra is in itself a hallmark of leadership transcending ethnic or regional sentiments. That Is Ganduje for you, a detrabalised and nationalistic leader.
“So, Ganduje should be appreciated for his concern for Anambra people to be redeemed from their economic and political backwardness and not derided. He should be encouraged for taking interest in the affairs of the Igbos with a view to engender and improve their socio- political fortunes.
“Ganduje is not against Governor Soludo or any Anambra man for that matter. He even captioned his comments as the way forward for Anambra and the South East as a whole, as he also described the Anambra governor as his personal friend.
“Governor Soludo should call these misguided boys to order and advise them on how not to address an elder. He should caution these mad political dogs who lack a sense of decorum. How do you describe a man who has seen it all in the political landscape as being ignorant?
“Ganduje was a two time governor of a state, a political leader with over thirty five years experience in politics and the current National Chairman of the ruling party of the country. We need to ask those who are attacking Ganduje, what their pedigree is, what is their antecedents and what do they represent? Our nation clearly does not need such lose canons.
“It Is shameful that it is lost on them that this is the first time a national leader of a political party is coming to identify and empathize with the people of the South East, Anambra in particular on how they can be better integrated into national politics and thereby enjoy more bounties of democracy.
“He should not be insulted but seen as a partner in progress and should be given accolades especially coming from another region. It shows that Ganduje is a bridge builder across the nation. This is the kind of politics that we need now in Nigeria,” Chief Okpala concluded
