Pic: R-L: Hon Commissioner for Industry, Chris Udechukwu (second in white senator), Chief George Onyekaba (third) Obi Nnewichi, others at the Obi’s palace during the supervision on August 16.
By David Onwuchekwa
The Commissioner for Industry in Anambra State, Hon. Christian Udechukwu, has said that the victory of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the just-concluded Anambra South Senatorial by-election was by merit and not by accident.
Commissioner Udechukwu in action, supervising
Speaking while supervising the by-election in Nnewi North Local Government Area on Saturday, August 16, 2025, Udechukwu said Governor Charles Soludo’s administration had performed creditably in less than three years for APGA to deserve electoral victory any time, any day.
He said the Governor had offered free education from kindergarten to senior secondary schools, free medical care for nursing mothers and their babies, with over 130 families benefiting, and had commissioned over 850 kilometres of roads while 600 had been built so far with construction still ongoing.
Udechukwu also said government had distributed two million palm oil seedlings and 500,000 coconut seedlings to over 150,000 families, trained over 13,000 youths under the One Youth, Two Skills initiative, and over 60,000 others in ICT.
He said the development programmes explained why APGA recorded massive votes in the by-election, adding that the same outcome would be repeated on November 8 during the governorship election.
The Commissioner dismissed allegations of vote-buying against APGA.
“Why would we do that when we are winning? What is the opposition offering? What vision do they have? Our people are wise, they cannot trade their future for money,” he said.
On Governor Soludo’s remarks about taxation in Nnewi, Udechukwu said the Governor only sought to sensitize the people that government projects were funded with public money.
He said that with the number of factories and businesses in Nnewi, described as the “Japan of Africa and economic hub of Nigeria,” there was nothing wrong in asking for more efficient tax payment so that government could do more.
According to him, the Soludo administration remained number one in prudent financial management, having spent only 64 per cent of a single year’s budget compared to the past 30 years.
Udechukwu also said Anambra remained one of the safest states in the country, explaining that the reason some security challenges lingered was that elements within some troubled communities were part of the conspiracy.
“Some battles are difficult to fight while some are easy. But overall, Anambra is secure and every community now knows the security law,” he said.
