The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige has declared the intention of his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) to take over the governorship of Anambra State in 2018 to continue with the good programmes he started during his 34 months leadership in 2003.

He made the declaration at his country home Alor in Idemili South Local Government Area of the state while addressing Journalists, saying that APC is coming to the stage to win.

Ngige, who became governor of the state in 2003 before he was removed by the Supreme Court in March, 2006, said APC would be in very serious contention for the Government House in Awka during the governorship election billed to take place next year.

While stating that it was still too early in the day to commence campaigns, Ngige declined to say if he would be running for the governorship seat next year but there are already talks in some quarters that the Minister would be entering the stage again to vie for the coveted seat.

It would be recalled that Ngige contested against the former governor of the state, Mr. Peter Obi for the office in 2010 and against the incumbent governor, Chief Willie Obiano in 2013 and was a senator from 2011 - 2015 before he was appointed a Minister by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The former governor over the weekend held a meeting with APC officials in all the 326 political wards in the state during which he reminded them that they were the engine room of the party and emphasized on the need for them to ensure the growth of the party in their areas.

He however, harped on the importance of party loyalty, arguing that a situation whereby some of them collected money for electioneering, only to go home to sleep on the day of the election, as many of them did during the last general elections, was not in the best interest of APC.

In his words: “APC will be in serious contention for the office of governor next year because we are determined to take over the Government House. However, it is too early to begin to talk about whether one will contest or not since, by the Constitution of Nigeria and the Electoral Act, the governorship election will take place perhaps, in December next year.

“Before then, the marshal plan APC has for Nigeria would have been on ground properly as we believe that will help us during the campaigns. For now, anybody saying he is campaigning for the governorship is only wasting his time as there is still enough time for that.

He noted that with his performance as governor between 2003 and 2006, his party would be in good stead for the race, saying that former Governor Peter Obi and his successor, Chief Obiano, could not equal his performance.

“Even when they tried to do multiplicity of roads, their roads have collapsed, while the ones I did are still in perfect conditions. Even the handover of schools they are priding themselves with, was started by me as I had already signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the religious leaders and handed over 37 schools on paper before we left office.

“If they had followed my agricultural road for money map, Anambra State would have been feeding the whole nation with rice by now. If I were to be governor today, I won’t be going to Abuja for money because our state would have been self-sufficient.”

•Photo shows Ngige.