Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo has said President Bola Tinubu has been fair to the Southeast geo-political zone with the distribution of appointments, despite losing five eastern states during the February 25 election.
Soludo who is the National Leader of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), said the president has not marginalised Ndigbo, citing the appointment of the former governor of Ebonyi State, Senator Dave Umahi, as Minister of Works.
Other ministers from Southeast include Doris Anite ( Industry, Trade and Investment; Imo state); Uche Nnaji (Innovation, Science and Technology; Enugu), Nkiru Onyejeocha, Minister of State, Labour and Employment; Abia); and Uju Kennedy (Women Affairs; Anambra).
During the last presidential election, the All Progressives Congress (APC), on which platform the president ran, got 127,605 votes in the South East.
Soludo praised the President for what he described as a “juicy” appointment to the region when Umahi visited him in Awka, the state capital, at the weekend, adding that Tinubu never considered the regional disposition and voting pattern.
“Given the totality of votes we contributed from Southeast and looking at the ministerial portfolios, we may not have the basis to begin to demand for “juicy” portfolios.
“But, the President graciously gave us one of our finest and best, one of the few engineers who pioneered concrete pavement as current standard for road construction.
” Nigeria is a federation. You cannot stay in your state, clap with one hand and expect noise. You need the other hand, which is the federal government, for things to work.”
“With you, Engr. Umahi in office, you are a perfect round peg in a round hole. Please, keep showing your leadership.
“What you said about the possibility of coming back again for us to move around in Anambra State will be fantastic because we have fundamental challenges on road infrastructure and especially how it’s delivered by the Federal Government”