By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

The governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the November 8th Anambra State governorship election, Mr. John Chuma Nwosu, has declared that only his party and the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) are in the contest.

Nwosu who made the declaration in a statement made available to journalists on Monday, said he is not maligning anybody.

He called on Nigerians to take active interest in the forthcoming governorship election, saying that the participation will help them see how far the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has improved in its election management strategies.

He stressed that while all eyes are on the terminal exit of the INEC chairman, Professor Yakubu Mahmood and how his successor would emerge, the greater interest should be on the commission itself as an institution

While noting that the electoral body is already matured from the rich lessons, Nwosu, who spoke on the incremental progress being recorded by INEC since 1999, stated that a lot still depends on political parties to inculcate internal democracy in the management of its affairs, particularly enlightenment of supporters and voters.

He added: "Due to the existence of mainly two broad alternatives on the ballot for the November 8 election, voters in Anambra State would have it easy to choose their next governor.

“Campaigns are going on and I can tell you authoritatively that from what we saw in the field, there are only two alternative political parties. We have the All Progressives Congress Grand Alliance (APCGA) and ADC.

“The outgoing governor declared that progressives are working together, by which he means that APC and APGA have become one. And, indeed, they are united in their record of disappointment for the Anambra people, especially in the area of security and citizens’ welfare.

"So, the balloting on November 8 has become very easy for our people, because they have the ADC as the credible alternative. Our seven-point SHEEEMS agenda is a social contract that guarantees focused attention on Security, Health, Education, Economy, Environment, Markets and Social Welfare for the people.

"Apart from running a balanced religious ticket comprising a catholic and an Anglican, I and my running mate, Dr. Ndubuisi Nwobu, satisfy the zoning arrangement that guides the distribution of political offices among the three Senatorial Districts of the state."

He gave assurance that when sworn in as the next governor of the state come March 17, 2026, Anambra people have something to hold him to account.

He said, “In line with my offer to serve out the remaining four years available for Anambra South, the ADC government is already focusing on the two issues of greatest concern to our dear state, namely, insecurity and over taxation.

"Coming from the private sector like Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State, I believe that governing a commercial state like Anambra State requires determination, planning and focus to achievement results within two years.

"Already the people have become very conversant with the ADC’s SHEEEMS developmental model and they are eager to begin to see evidence of good governance from day one instead of grammar and love letters,”

"The fact that Anambra State governorship election is coming at a time of great nation concern for socio-economic rescue holds a lot of significance for ADC. The coalition of patriotic elements would demonstrate their zeal by replacing the tears on the faces of Nigerians with smiles of relief."