Abuja — Former speaker of the House of Representatives in the Second Republic, Chief Edwin Ume-Ezeoke, after a thorough assessment of events in Anambra State yesterday declared that the state is full of evil men and women.

Chief Ume-Ezeoke, who is the National chairman of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) alleged that it is the activities of these men of evil that have impeded every effort to instal a people's government since 1999.

The ANPP chairman spoke at the party's national secretariat when the party received a nomination form from Chief Mike Nnamdi Ejezie, an aspirant for the 2010 governorship election in the state.

Chief Uzeoke, who addressed hundreds of supporters, said the ANPP was happy that the governorship election will be the only one to take place next year.

"God Almighty has decided this time around that those evil men (and there are many of them there) who have for long taken over the political affairs of Anambra State be stopped.

Now it is the time for the ANPP to come in with its people to salvage it.

"Everybody is aware that it is only in Anambra State that semi-literates who come across money by mistake think that the only way to spend it is to buy people and their votes.

"We have decided that enough is enough. We will chase away all the evil men in Anambra to pave way for good people to take over the mantle of leadership in the overall interest of the peopl," the chairman declared.

The former speaker also had a word for those he described as desperate politicians. "Time is gone when some opportunists will come and pick our tickets to win elections after which they will jump out and even abuse us.

"ANPP has decided that this must stop, time has come when only bona fide and patriotic members of the party would be given tickets for elections."

Speaking shortly after he had submitted his form for onward return to INEC, Chief Nnamdi Ezezie said he had decided to go into the race for Government House in order to rescue Anambra from the wrong direction it was currently heading to.

"We are all living witnesses to how ANPP opponents in the state have been using teargas, assault rifles and other forms of force to conduct mere party ward congresses.

Most of these lethal weapons will never be retrieved. They will, of course, end up in the hands of armed robbers, kidnappers and contract assassins.