Peeved by the outbursts of the PDP over his capabilities as a politician, Dr. Tony Felix Nwaka, the All Progressives Congress (APC) House of Representatives candidate for Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency in Delta state has fired back at the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to let its candidate Hon. Ndudi Elumelu presents his records of service.
Nwaka, a former local government chairman, two-term commissioner under Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan boasts of a good past record in service after serving as commissioner for eight years in the different ministries of Agriculture, Special Duties, Local Government Affairs, and was appointed twice as Commissioner for Education in the state.
The PDP had called Nwaka a candidate without a political background and cautioned him against tarnishing the image of Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with TNG, Nwaka said he’ll allow the voters to be the judge rather than tarnish the image of other party candidates.
“Those who know me would agree that it’s not in my character to demean the personality of anybody. I focus on issues. I simply cited the key achievements of previous occupants of the office, who were there for just a term of four years each, and I averred that our people expect more glowing achievements from Hon. Ndudi Elumelu who has been in the same office for three terms of 12 years and now gunning for 16 years.”
“Incidentally, that obvious fact did not sit quite comfortably with some people. Instead of them to respond to the basic matters I raised, they left all that to dwell on an amorphous broad-brush. Things that were of no instructive accord with my submissions. Although I have moved on and refused to be detained by trivialities, I must confess that such approach to political engagement is not only manifestly troubling but frankly lamentable. That’s not the way to deepen our democracy. Let us all present our records of service and allow the voters to be the judge,” he said.
Responding to allegations from the opposition party that he knows nothing about politics and has no idea, Nwaka replied: “Hahaha! And they expect any sensible person to believe that? A man who had contested and won election to become a local government chairman.
He did not only serve out his full term as a council chairman with evident accomplishments, he also contested and won another election at that time to become the Delta State ALGON Chairman (Chairman of Chairmen). The same man later served as commissioner for eight years in the different ministries of Agriculture, Special Duties, Local Government Affairs, and was appointed twice as Commissioner for Education, with notable footprints in every position. Same man also went ahead to contest and win the highly competitive primary of the APC to secure the ticket of the party for the 2023 elections into the Federal House of Representatives”.
“A man that was honored by Independent Newspaper as the best Council Chairman in Nigeria on Poverty Alleviation, and also by Guardian Newspaper as one of 50 Nigerians of Integrity and Distinction. My dear, that’s the man they say he knows nothing about politics and has nothing to offer. I believe by now you are already wondering what could their definition of politics be! Is it now that I left the PDP to join the APC that I suddenly became ignorant of politics and generally bereft of ideas? Isn’t that ridiculous”?
