No fewer than 300 tricycle operators, under the umbrella of the Anambra Keke Drivers Forum (AKDF), have declared support for Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo’s reelection bid in the 2025 governorship election in the state.
They said they are backing the governor to enable him to complete the ongoing road construction projects across the 21 local government areas of the state.
Speaking to journalists shortly after embarking on an on-the-spot assessment of the ongoing road projects in Awka, the Public Relations Officer of the forum, Amos Nweke, said that although they had not received any physical cash from the governor, they had saved so much money from frequent visits to the mechanic workshop.
He said, “We want to march around the capital city and see for ourselves the massive road construction being carried out by Soludo across the state.
“During his campaign, the governor promised us he would transform Anambra into an African Dubai. We’re very happy he’s keeping his promise, and we call on him to continue.
“With these massive road construction projects across the state, we believe that other promises, including the eradication of touts in the state, are a sure bet.
“Although Soludo did not give us any money to carry out this rally, if I say he has given us money, I won’t be lying because of the money he has saved for us.
“Before he came in, we’ve been paying through our noses in the hands of the touts and unions. We also visit the mechanic regularly because of the bad roads.
But as soon as he came, he eliminated those funds. Before now, I used to visit a mechanic every week. But the story has changed. The last time I visited a mechanic was in January. I only visit to change the oil.
“Even though some mechanics are ignorantly boasting that the reason we’ve not been frequenting their workshops is because of their expertise,. But we know it’s because of the good roads.
“I ply from St. Faith to Agulu Awka. Before now, especially during the rainy season, we usually struggled with flooding. But now, the road is a motorway.
Another member, Peter Umemadufo, described Soludo as a man of his word and exceptionally different from his predecessors.
“Honestly, the governor has done well. During his campaign, he promised to declare a state of emergency on Anambra roads. That promise he’s keeping.
“We will mobilise to ensure that he is reelected in the 2025 governorship election in the state
“I’m personally happy with him. Soludo has no competitor as far as the 2025 election in the state is concerned. We’re telling our people to get their PVC ready.
“The devil you know is better than the angel you don’t know. What he’s done in less than two years—I don’t think any other governor before him has done that. Over 400 km of road across local government areas of the state.
The coordinator of the group, Comrade Osita Obi, said the rally had no political colouration.
He said, “The essence of the roadshow being carried out by over 300 Keke drivers is to see what the governor is doing and where the taxes they’re paying are deployed.
“We praise the governor where he’s doing well and ask him to continue. We also want more Keke drivers to come into government tax rates so the government will have more money to embark on more roads.
“This exercise is not politically motivated. I’m not swayed by any political party, but totally dependent. I praise what is good and criticise what is bad.
“This is my brainchild. I’m the sponsor, originator, financier, and facilitator. Go and check my pedigree. I started this project over 40 years ago.”
