By Izuchukwu Okosi
The governorship aspirant of the African Action Congress (AAC) in Saturday’s Anambra Governorship election, Chidozie Nwankwo has sensationally stepped down from the race and has expressed support for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) flagbearer Valentine Ozigbo, Prime Business Africa reports.
The dramatic decision to support Ozigbo was made on Friday barely 24 hours to the polls and is the only one of such ringing endorsements in the election campaign.
In a statement issued on Friday, November 5, 2021, Nwankwo urged his structures and supporters to offer the same support he received to Ozigbo. “After due consultations with top aides, friends and family, we do hereby endorse the best candidate in this contest, Mr Valentine Chineto Ozigbo of the PDP, to win the governorship election,” the statement read on part. “Consequent upon above, we hereby collapse our campaign structures, the Kingdom Care Foundation structure and all the Pentecostal structures supporting our candidacy in this election to support the election of Mr Valentine Ozigbo of the PDP.”
On Thursday, the Labour Party also pledged its support for Ozigbo and the entire All Progressives Congress (APC) in Aguata Local Government Area decamped and joined the PDP, pledging their support for Ozigbo, “the leader who will take Anambra to the promised land.”
The VCO Campaign Organisation, when contacted for a response, confirmed that the two men had spoken on the phone and that Ozigbo was grateful for the endorsement.
Valentine Ozigbo who on October 30 participated in the election debate organised by Prime Business Africa to provide insight into the manifestos of the contestants is a multiple-award-winning global CEO whose rise in Nigerian politics has captured the imagination of Nigerians.
Ozigbo captured the interest of Anambra people with his ‘Ka Anambra Chawapu’ message which has ignited a political movement that has been labelled “the most significant in the South East.”
The aspirants rounded off their campaigns on Thursday.
Izuchukwu OkosiIzuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
In October 2004, Okosi joined Complete Communications Limited, publishers of Complete Sports newspaper and Complete Football magazine as a reporter and later script writer for the Complete Sports studio.
He worked there for 13 years until October 2017.
Okosi also worked various times as Correspondent, Content creator and Editor at Sports Market International Magazine, Opera News, All Nigeria Soccer Media and Iconic Media Watch.
He also undertook freelance writing gigs for some local and international organizations.
Okosi is a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Association of Voiceover Artistes of Nigeria (AVOA), Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
He has been part of cast in some Nollywood movies and radio dramas including Blood Money 2, Scores To Settle, Dead End 2, Another Campus Tale and Battle Line.
Aside mainstream media and the entertainment industry, he has interests in scouting/unearthing of talents in the sports and creative sectors, exports business and property development.