Dr. Chike Obidigbo, from Umunya, is a graduate of universities of Salford, Manchester, and Lancaster, UK; one time lecturer; journalist; and  an industrialist engaged in product manufacturing and job creation for over two decades. He is presently the chairman of Manufacturers  Association of Nigeria, MAN, Enugu, Anambra and  Ebonyi states, and a member of National Council of Small and Medium Scale Industries.

Why politics? Thought you were contented with your success in business?
I believe that politics is not a field destined for any group of people. Politics is about adding value to the lives of the people, it is not about a field of any group of people. Anybody that has something that can be enjoyed by the society must find a way of getting into politics. I am from Anambra State. I have got lots of opportunities there given by the people of Anambra , Enugu and Ebonyi states. I was a product of the Federal Ministry of Education because I enjoyed the Federal Government scholarship for many years and, some how, you feel that, having benefitted from the commonwealth, there might be a need for you to make your own contribution towards the growth and welfare of the society. At this point in time, what does Anambra State need? Anambra and Imo states have the highest number of unemployed graduates. Anambra and Edo states have the highest number of girls who are educated but roaming the streets. What does it take to curtail this massive activity that is not impacting positively on the society? Anambra State with some other states in the South- East and some states in the South- South have the highest number of criminal activities, that is, kidnapping, armed robbery.

These are activities that come up as a result of non- availability of opportunities for the young ones to be employed; therefore, what do we need at this point in time? We need employment opportunities, we need the youths  to be empowered, it is only when we do this that we reduce crime, and when we reduce crime, we would have succeeded in reducing the massive  movement of business activities from the South-East and when that is done we can then begin to attract more investors into the South- East and when we attract more investors to the South- East, we create further growth in the economic of the Igbo nation.

I have previously done a lot of published works on the economy of the Igbo nation and I know that what we need now is to create an environment that will support  it. The youths have a lot of energy which is being wasted. I think in my position and capacity as a manufacturer of proven capability, I have something to offer. And that which I have to offer is what is needed at this point in time. In every civilized country of the world, president emerges based on a particular need of the country at a particular point in time. Take America for example, Nixon was a show of aristocratic, Reagan was the American showmanship, Bush was more of a fighting type, Clinton was about economy, Obama  is about international diplomacy. All these things have their time. The time for Anambra  now is economy and I know that of all the people that have come out, I am the most  qualified and suited to embark on the economy of Anambra State. I am an industrialist providing jobs at my small level, if I become the governor of Anambra State, I will have opportunity to provide more because I know how to go about it.

Aspiration is one thing, platform to actualize it is another. On what political platform are you hoping to actualize this aspiration?
I have got invitation from a lot of parties in the state but I have decided to stick to APGA.

For how long have you been in politics?
Not too long ago. You see, people were afraid that the democracy was not going to last long in the country and that is why people that have genuine business in politics turned their back from it because they don’t want to be rubbished because there is a lot of that in politics but, today, things are changing for the better. And when you see that things are changing, people are accepting issues, and no longer talking about money, they are now talking about who is going to solve this problem, who is going to deliver our youths from this problem, out of this quagmire they are into, it is question time and this is one of the revelations I got in the course of my extensive published works on the Igbo economy. I was confronted by people that I was asking questions, and they, in turn, asked me why not go into politics so that some these questions can be answered, and that was when I began to think that perhaps I could salvage these problems we have been talking about. So it is not an ambition I have been nursing for a long period, it is a pressure from the people who believe, given the opportunity, I would make a difference if I get into Government  House. And that is why when they came calling, it was not difficult to make up my mind.

That is why I chose APGA because I am a very choosy person because I want to have my freedom to work. I am not interested in the money, I am not interested in the name, I am contented because I have a business that gives me a good name. I have friends that know me too well that I am clean and therefore if I get in there, I will maintain my image and I will do the work and everybody will see it that is benefitting everybody in the state.

What are the items you want to tackle when you get into office and possibly the ones the incumbent is doing that you can improve upon?
In governance, to the best of my knowledge, everybody that comes on board, has his own idea of what he wants to do and what he wants to achieve. It is unfortunate that in this part of the country, people go into governance because they believe they have the money to run and win election and when you set the money aside, and look at the man behind the money, you see nothing. We have had many governments in the past, Ezeife came and did his best even though there was not much on ground to show; Mbadinuju came, he also did his best and every Anambrarian did not see much on ground what he did.