By Deborah Coker
Mr Chinedu Klinsmann, a chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Anambra, has dismissed the zoning arrangement being championed by the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), as hypocritical and self-serving.
In a statement on Sunday in Abuja, Klinsmann said that no single political party had the right to dictate the leadership selection process for the state.
He described the arrangement as “APGA gimmick imagination” designed to extend Gov. Charles Soludo’s hold to power.
According to him, the zoning is an internal arrangement of APGA, which has never been democratically agreed by the people of Anambra or endorsed by other political parties.
“The future of Anambra must be determined by competence, vision, and leadership excellence, not by an artificial rotation of power among senatorial districts.
“Zoning is not an Anambra agenda; it is an APGA agenda. It was neither a collective decision of Anambra people nor a consensus among political parties.
“APC, PDP, and LP have all rejected zoning, insisting that the next governor should emerge based on merit, not regional bias,” he said.
Klinsmann emphasised that the APGA’s insistence on zoning was not based equity or fairness but a calculated move to narrow the political space and sustain its dominance in the state’s politics.
He argued that the state governor and his party were aware that in a free and open contest, Anambra people would reject them for their abysmal performance.
“That is why they are desperately pushing zoning as a strategy to eliminate competent candidates from other parties,” he said.
He further said that in spite of APGA’s control of Anambra for nearly two decades, zoning had not translated into meaningful development.
“If zoning was truly a magic formula for good governance, Anambra would have been a model state by now.
“But under APGA’s zoning system, we are still battling insecurity, unemployment, bad roads, and economic stagnation.
“Clearly, the problem is not where a governor comes from but their capacity to lead,” he stressed.
Klinsmann also said that zoning had never been fair or beneficial to the state, alleging that even within Anambra South, certain local governments have disproportionately benefited from the governorship and senatorial positions while others have been sidelined.
“Aguata Local Government has produced three governors; Dr Chukwuemeka Ezeife, Senator Andy Uba, and Charles Soludo as well as multiple senators.
“Meanwhile, Orumba South, Orumba North, Nnewi North, and Nnewi South have been left out. If zoning is truly about fairness, why has APGA never addressed these disparities?” he queried.