The race for the Anambra South Senatorial seat has taken a new turn as Jude Emecheta, a prominent aspirant under the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), has officially withdrawn from the contest and endorsed industrialist Ebuka Onunkwo.
Emecheta, who previously served as the National Coordinator of Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s support group, Anambra Deserves Soludo (ADS), and as Managing Director of the Anambra State Signage and Advertisement Agency (ANSAA), announced his withdrawal during a strategy meeting with his supporters.
Why I Stepped Down – Emecheta
Explaining his decision, Emecheta said he carefully assessed all aspirants within APGA and concluded that Onunkwo was the best candidate to represent the party in the Senate race.
“Having reviewed the profiles of all other APGA aspirants, I found Chief Dr. Ebuka Onunkwo to be the most qualified candidate. He truly embodies what our party stands for in terms of representation. We need to present our very best for the Senate race, and I believe he is that person,” Emecheta stated.
He emphasized that his withdrawal was a personal decision and not influenced by external pressures, including financial incentives.
Emecheta said, “I had people ready to finance my election, so money was never a problem. But after assessing the situation, I realized that both Ebuka and I are from Ekwusigo. Instead of spending resources fighting each other, it makes more sense to unite.”
Emecheta also clarified that Onunkwo did not approach him to step down.
He clarified, “Ebuka did not ask me to step down. This decision was entirely mine after careful thought. Let’s support him because I know what he is capable of achieving.”
With Emecheta’s withdrawal, the battle for APGA’s ticket in the Anambra South Senatorial by-election will now be between Chief Ebuka Onunkwo and Chief Akai Egwuonwu.
