I won’t reply Soludo for describing me as illiterate factory owner – NDC candidate, Onunkwo

The Anambra South senatorial candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Chief Ebuka Onunkwo, has said he will not engage in a political fight with Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, who recently described him as an illiterate factory owner.

Onunkwo said it would not be wisdom on his part to engage Soludo in war of words, insisting that it is rather a credit to him that Soludo acknowledged that he is an industrialist and owner of a booming business.

Last week, the Anambra State governor, during a visit to Ihembosi community in Ekwusigo Local Government Area, where Onunkwo hails from, to commission a road project, had told the people to vote for the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Senator Emma Nwachukwu.

Soludo told the people that governance and Senate representation was not for illiterates, urging them to call on their son, Onunkwo, who is an industrialist, to face his factory and leave governance for educated people.

But Onunkwo who spoke to journalists on Saturday at Nanka, during the celebration of the community’s New Yam Festival at Agbiligba Square, said he will not reply Soludo.

He, however, declared that he will defeat Soludo’s candidate in 2027 because he was sure of his popularity.

Onunkwo said: “If this question is why you people laid ambush for me, I can only tell you that I have no intention of responding to the governor or engaging him in a political confrontation.

“Although we currently belong to different political parties, my attention is focused on my senatorial ambition and the forthcoming election.

“The only thing I can say about our governor is that we belong to different political parties today, but the ultimate priority for me today is to prosecute my current ambition of going to the Senate.

“Soludo is my elder brother and my governor. Whatever he described me to be is not my concern. The only thing that should occupy my time now is the coming election.

“I was the chairman of his campaign organisation in Ihembosi for his re-election, and I was not an ordinary factory owner or an illiterate then. I even see it as credit that the governor who is my elder brother even agreed that I’m a factory owner and that makes me an industrialist.

“If it is about replying him, I will disappoint you because I will not. If we were from same parents, Soludo would be my elder brother, so if my elder brother attacked me, will I fight back? I will not.”

He however expressed strong optimism about winning the Anambra South Senatorial District election, saying he is sure the people of the zone are with him and will vote massively for him.

“The electorate are the only ones to determine our popularity. They will vote for whoever they see as popular and who they think can represent them well. I want to go to the Senate to represent my people well and lift standards. My people love me and I know I will win the election,” the NDC candidate added.