By George Ozalla
Former Anambra governorship candidate, Valentine Chineto Ozigbo, has broken his silence over his political movement ahead of the 2025 election, explaining that his decision to leave the Labour Party for the All Progressives Congress (APC) was guided by conviction and love for Anambra State.
In a heartfelt statement addressed to “My Dear Anambra People,” Ozigbo reflected on his political journey, acknowledging the questions and emotions that have trailed his recent choices. He said he understood the curiosity, disappointment, and anger expressed by some supporters, but stressed that his decision followed deep reflection on the realities of the state’s political landscape.
According to Ozigbo, at the height of the Labour Party’s popularity in Anambra, he was not only fully involved but also deeply committed to the ideals of the movement. He recalled that he was openly endorsed by the party’s grassroots leadership, supported by the Obidient movement across Nigeria, and personally sponsored what he described as the largest Obidient gathering ever held in the country — in Onitsha — without seeking reimbursement or recognition.
He further cited an independent online poll conducted at the time, which showed overwhelming support for his candidacy. “When respondents were asked who Ndi Anambra should support for governor in 2025, 93 percent chose my candidacy while the sitting governor polled under four percent,” Ozigbo said. “Another question asked who the Labour Party should field as its candidate. Ninety-five percent voted in my favour, while the remaining aspirants shared five percent. Even with every reasonable margin of error, the message was unmistakable.”
Ozigbo alleged that his political momentum was derailed by what he described as “a level of betrayal and sabotage within the Labour Party top leadership” that went beyond anything he had previously experienced in public life. He noted that while he had chosen to avoid publicizing every detail out of respect for party institutions, the internal power play revealed “a troubling reality — that the very culture we condemned in other parties had taken root there, and in some cases, even deeper.”
He said that despite his efforts to ensure a fair and transparent process, “a deliberate effort was made at the leadership level to stop my candidacy at all costs.” Ozigbo added that his eventual departure from the party was met with relief among certain leaders, a reaction he said was enough proof that something had gone fundamentally wrong within the party.
According to Ozigbo, remaining in the Labour Party would have meant “fighting a lost battle,” as the leadership’s actions eventually crippled the platform. He noted that only two political parties — the Labour Party and the APC — had the structures capable of challenging the current administration in the state. “With the Labour Party weakened beyond repair, only the APC remained a viable option,” he said. “That was why I made the difficult but necessary decision to join the APC — not for personal gain, but for the love of Anambra.”
Ozigbo said his trials did not end with the defection. “Those who once opposed me in the Labour Party began to whisper falsehoods, creating the narrative that I had become a mole in the APC. It was a painful irony — attacked where I left and doubted where I arrived — yet I remained focused,” he stated.
He recounted how his political journey was tested “from screening, to the primaries, to the High Court, the Court of Appeal, and ultimately the Supreme Court,” adding that he walked through fire not out of desperation but to uphold fairness and dignity in Anambra’s politics.
Ozigbo said he was sharing the message not out of grievance but out of gratitude. “Gratitude that I stood without compromise; grateful that I still have peace in my soul; grateful that the love I hold for this land remains unshaken,” he said.
He ended with a prayer for strength, forgiveness, and divine guidance for Anambra and Nigeria, expressing faith that “destiny rarely unfolds through comfort” and that the state’s story “is not finished.”
“To every young dreamer, every weary patriot, and every mother praying for a safer state — do not surrender your hope,” he wrote. “Anambra will rise, not through bitterness or blame, but through wisdom, courage, and a people united in truth. When that dawn breaks, we will recognise it. It will carry the fingerprints of God, not man.”
Valentine Chineto Ozigbo, a former boss at Transcorp Plc and the 2021 PDP governorship candidate in Anambra, defected to the Labour Party ahead of the last general elections before formally joining the APC earlier this year.
