Senator Chris Ngige and Prof. Chukwuma Soludo have suffered a setback in their bid to succeed Anambra State Governor, Mr. Peter Obi, who completes his second four-year tenure in March next year.

The two men, who lost in the past to Obi, had made separate trips to the home of Prince Arthur Eze, one of the power brokers in the state, to seek his blessing for their governorship ambition but were hugely disappointed when he pointedly told them not to run.

Prince Eze, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), disclosed this on Monday while receiving Dr. Alex Obiogolu, a PDP governorship aspirant, who paid him a courtesy visit in his Enugu residence in neighbouring Enugu State.

He revealed that he told Senator Ngige, of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and Prof. Soludo, of the PDP, “to drop their aspiration for now” as he (Prince Eze) had decided to support power shift to Anambra North Senatorial District, which has never ruled the state.

Prince Eze commended Dr. Obiogolu, who comes from Anambra North, for his decision to run. He promised to follow Anambra North into battle with all his resources “for the sake of equity, fairness and justice.”

•Photo shows Arthur Eze.