Mr. Ben Etiaba, the Governorship Candidate of Action Alliance (AA) in the November 6 election in Anambra State, has warned people of the state to be cautious of the activities of moneybag politicians ahead of the poll.
Etiaba gave the warning in an interview on Monday in Awka.
He identified money politics as one of the major problems currently affecting the welfare, development, and security of Nigerians.
“Before now, most politicians used approach elections with buying-and-selling mentality,” he said.
Before crossing to AA, Etiaba was a governorship aspirant under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He, however, left the party as a result of the issues that arose after the June 26 gubernatorial primaries.
“I left APC for AA to make sure that I achieved my major purpose of vying for the November 6 governorship election in the state.
“One key thing I intend to do is to campaign to our people without giving them money, rice, salt, and other items.
“I know that some other fellow contestants are doing all of that, but I feel that is the bane of our society vis-a-vis governance, and it must stop”, he said.
Etiaba, the first son of Dame Virgy Etiaba, Nigeria’s first female governor, challenged the people of the state to shun politicians offering them money and gifts so as to set agenda for other states, ahead of the 2023 general elections.
Flanked by Mrs. Regina Uchebo, his running mate for the election, Etiaba said that people of the state should treat politicians who visited them with gifts as Ghanaian youths did to their politicians in a recent viral video.
“In that video, we saw youths in Ghana rejecting bags of rice and other items brought by their politicians. I feel that is the way to go if we must make progress in Nigeria.
“I expect Anambra to blaze this political trail, to redefine politics and governance in Nigeria”, he said.
Etiaba, who said that he would campaign in all the 21 local government areas of the state, added: “I am the only candidate moving without excess money to throw about in the course of this election.
“I do not even have a police escort because I cannot afford it and have put both my ambition and security in God’s hands,” Etiaba said.
The governorship candidate urged people of voting age, community, and religious leaders in the state to help in the campaign for re-orientation of people on the dangers of money politics.
