Pharmacist Ikeagwuonwu Chinedu Klinsmann, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Dunukofia Local Government Area, has condemned Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo’s recent remarks describing the APC governorship candidate, Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu, and his running mate, Senator Uche Ekwunife, as “academic failures” and “unqualified.”

In a statement on Wednesday, Klinsmann described the governor’s comments “as a desperate attempt to divert public attention from the failures of his administration.”

“Politics is not warfare. Politics is not a marketplace of insults. It is, and should remain, a noble contest of ideas, visions, and programs for the betterment of the people,” he said.

The APC chieftain defended the party’s candidates, praising Ekwunife as a seasoned lawmaker and businesswoman with strong academic and professional credentials. 

“Far from being an ‘academic failure,’ Ekwunife has excelled as a banker, entrepreneur, and politician, serving two terms in the Senate where she sponsored bills, secured projects, and promoted transparency and women’s empowerment,” he noted.

On Ukachukwu, popularly called Ikukuoma Ndi Igbo, Klinsmann described him as a visionary businessman and philanthropist. 

“This is a man who has built businesses, created employment, and given back immensely to society. To call him unqualified is not only false but also a grave insult to the intelligence of Anambra voters,” he said.

Turning to Soludo’s administration, Klinsmann accused the governor of failing on key fronts, including security, infrastructure, economy, and social services. 

“Under Soludo’s watch, Ndi Anambra live in fear daily. The state has become a hellscape of insecurity, with criminal gangs operating unchecked,” he said. 

He also cited “decaying roads, overtaxation, crumbling schools, underpaid teachers, and poorly equipped hospitals.”

“The so-called ‘Dubai-Taiwan’ vision has become an empty slogan. Our markets struggle, SMEs are collapsing, and the vibrancy that once made Anambra the commercial hub of the South East has been eroded,” Klinsmann argued.

Presenting APC’s alternative, he described the Ukachukwu–Ekwunife ticket as “the Messiah Team” with a clear agenda to restore Anambra’s glory through community policing, job creation, investment in infrastructure, and improved education and healthcare. 

He added that the ticket enjoys strong federal backing under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda.

“Anambra is not the personal estate of one man. It belongs to all of us. We deserve leaders who uplift, not insult. With Nicholas Ukachukwu and Uche Ekwunife, the dawn of a new Anambra is here,” Klinsmann said, urging Ndi Anambra to support APC in the November 8, 2025 election.

Vanguard News