Candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the November 8 Anambra governorship election, Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu, has said his party will use next weekend’s by-elections in the state to show its grip on the state.
Ukachukwu said the APC has taken over Anambra State, and would use the governorship election to officially announce the takeover, while the Anambra South Senatorial and Onitsha North 1 State Constituency by-elections to replace deceased lawmakers will be a good avenue to show that the state is fully in its grip.

He spoke in Awka, while receiving leaders of market unions in the state who came on a courtesy call, and to endorse his candidature.

The candidate said, “We will use August 16 by-elections to show sample to Soludo that Anambra is APC state. I come from the same zone, and after the election on 16, we will know who is in charge of Anambra.

“We will show them that a barking dog does not bite. We will use that election to test our strength. I’m a child of destiny, I have come to work for you people and I have come so that Anambra will take its pride of place.

“Next weekend, there will be by-elections for Anambra South Senatorial Zone and Onitsha North 1 State Constituency, we urge you all to come out enmasse and let us make a categorical statement about the November 8 election.”

He continued that: “One thing is obvious, traders are not faring well in Anambra. If Soludo meant well for the Anambra people, the first people to take care of are traders because they constitute the highest number of people in Anambra.
“How can I be governor and NAFDAC will come and shut a market in my state for months? It can not work. We need to encourage our traders to do better.

“As a governor, I’ll set up a loan fund where traders can access money to do their businesses. Government can borrow with single-digit interest, so what I will do is to use the name of the government to borrow for traders and pay within five years.

“When you are growing, we too as a government, will be growing through revenue and you will be very fit to pay tax. We will collaborate with traders on what should be paid as taxes, not using revenue agents to pursue you everywhere.

“We are coming to practicalize governance, we are coming to put round pegs in round holes. Grammar does not govern, it is experience that governs. Once I become governor, my commissioner for trade and commerce must be a trader. I’m a trader and I’m proud of where I am coming from,” he stated.