Onitsha – Former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, may be the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s candidate in the 2010 Anambra State governorship election.
Daily Champion investigations revealed that Soludo is gradually getting the support of the cross-section of stakeholders in the State, and this may throw him up as the consensus candidate for the party for the election.
Our source said Soludo may soon declare his intention to govern Anambra State since he has almost completed the ground works and got the nod of the stakeholders in the state, the party and the presidency.
We gathered that the Presidency and the state PDP have been having sleepless nights on how to re-gain Anambra State for the party, but may find it difficult if a wrong and unpopular candidate is chosen for the governorship race.
The party, said our source, will equally be overstretching its luck too far if it bring just any candidate against the incumbent, Mr Peter Obi and former governor, Dr Chris Ngige, who is being speculated to run under Action Congress (AC).
A prominent businessman in the state who pleaded anonymity, said stakeholders have been meeting to draft Soludo into the race and that the Catholic Church, a powerful block that has a lot of influence on voters, was shopping for a compromise candidate apart from Ngige and Obi, who are both Catholics.
Our sources said the former CBN governor is keen to run for the coveted post, but has been cautious to avoid any mistake that could hamper his chances.
When contacted immediately Soludo’s tenure expired at CBN, on his handset, a close aide of Prof. Soludo, after prevaricating, confirmed that his boss was considering the option of plunging into the murky waters of politics, but wants the coast to be clear first.
What has made the coast clearer now for Soludo was last week’s outcome of Andy Uba’s case against Obi.
But Daily Champion gathered that the presidency seems to have given Soludo a clean bill of health for the race. The avalanche encomiums showered on Soludo during the CBN’s 50th anniversary and during his exit from the apex bank are indicative of the support Prof Soludo is having from the Presidency.
In fact, the source said in the next few weeks, the erudite scholar and eminent economist will formally declare his interest in the governorship race of Anambra State.
from ALPHONSUS NWEZE – CHAMPION