Despite massive backlash, Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State on Wednesday doubled down on his earlier statement that politicians promising one term in office required psychiatric evaluation, insisting that it was disingenuous for a candidate to make such promise whereas he rolls out a manifesto that cannot be implemented in 20 years.Asked if he did not think the statement was unbecoming of a governor of his stature given his pedigree, Governor Soludo attempted to put it in proper perspective, but maintained unapologetically, that “the person must have a mental issue”.
Taken to task on the claim when he appeared on Arise News Prime Time interview programme on Wednesday monitored by Newsmata.com.ng, Governor Soludo said, “You see, I said that in the context of the debate going on in my state. In a contest where you have established a process of zoning, and somebody wants to cut short that particular zoning or to, if you like, torpedo that. They come with this sweetener, oh, if you give me this, and then I will only spend this term. You know they have been disingenuous”.
Going down memory lane, he said, “They came with that argument in 2017 when my predecessor was running for a second term. They came here telling Anambra people, Oh, some people promised us, including some people on the terrain today, and Anambra people were quick to see through the disingenuity of that kind of promise and of course, voted massively for APGA.
“We won 21 over 21 local governments in that election. Nobody bought that crap as it were. And now, again, we are in for another election and some people are again, imagine in the same state; I am from the south and the north just finished, handed over to the south and the South would serve its term, and then it will go to Central.
“And now, some people from the South Senatorial zone are showing up. Because they realise that they are swimming against the tide, they now say oh, don’t worry, if you vote for me, I will spend only one term.
“Meanwhile, you see the manifesto that they are rolling out, you realise that even if they were to spend even 20 years, they won’t even scratch it. I mean, it’s just… I don’t know how to describe it.
“So, you’re just playing on the people’s intelligence. You just think everybody is a fool. You just think, sorry, if anybody saying that, it’s either he’s just being deliberately deceitful, or there must be something not working right upstairs to take the entire people of Anambra State as fools; to think that the entire people are fools not to see through the lie, not to see through the deception. Then, the person must have a mental issue”.