The stage is set for all the 18 participating political parties and their aspirants to find out for the party primary to elect credible candidates ahead of the November 6th gubernatorial contest in Anambra State. Already, the heat is on against the purported preference of outgoing Governor Willie Obiano for former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria  (CBN) Professor Charles Soludo to clinch the ticket of the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) even over interests by stakeholders in the state. CAJETAN MMUTA reports

The stage is gradually getting set by the nation’s electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for another history-making process ahead of the epic Governorship election slated for November 6th this year in Anambra state. The election, from all indications, promises to be a contest of all sorts for the 18 participating political parties and an estimated 38 willing gubernatorial aspirants.

Already, both the parties and the various Governorship aspirants are not leaving anything to chance in their poise for a total showdown in what has generally been tagged as the battle of the billionaires. From the last count about 26 billionaires, out of the large number with keen interest, are eyeing the number one seat for the top job of effective service delivery, accounting and equitable distribution of the collective patrimony of the people. The big question now remains who among the many amid a litany of both written and unwritten campaign promises is indeed for the state and its people. No doubt, the Light of the Nation-State of Anambra yearns for a true servant with dynamism, ingenuity, capacity and sincerity of purpose and who has the vision and mission to turn around the huge potentials available to it.

Already, all the political parties are locked in a flurry of activities with oiling of their machinery, human and spiritual as well as physical evaluation, galvanization, overhaul and reengineering aimed at attaining all-round grils and drills towards achieving set targets when the whistle finally blows for the mother of all battles. Expectedly, the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), All Progressives Congress (APC), Action Democratic Alliance (ADP), Labour Party (LP), Young Progressive Party (YPP) and a few others are in the frontline to give heat to each other in the field of play.

Interestingly, both leaderships of the parties and their aspirants are working round the clock and dusting all files to keep clean the records of members ahead of party primaries in the next two months (June and July) when and where the party candidates are expected to emerge.

The party primaries are to hold across the 326 wards, 177 communities,  21 local government areas and three senatorial districts of the state. There is no doubt that intense lobby and pressure are piling up and on the party leadership both in the state and national secretariats of the parties in order to ensure q credible candidate of choice flies each of the parties’ flags at the end of the day.

However, the build-up to the election suggests that it is not going to be a child’s play given the doggedness, fierceness and resistance being packaged by forces within and outside the state. It is instructive that the quality of men with guts, influence, materials, financial muscles and connections in high and low places, who are seriously itching to take over from the outgoing Governor Willie Obiano, are not pushovers. Obiano’s eight years of stewardship in the Government House Awka the state capital will elapse on March 2022.

Presently, a ferocious contest is raging across the state with desperate schemes by many forces against Governor Obiano’s daring poise to back former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Professor Charles Soludo as his successor. Oppositions are rife over the plot by the outgoing Governor to arm-twist key stakeholders and intellectuals as well as professionals of Ndi Anambra following what they believe is the governor’s abysmal and poor performance since on the saddle. The argument hinge on the fact that Anambra state with its huge socio-economic and political potentials has nothing outstanding to showcase as outstanding testimony for the wasteful eight years of APGA led government, even with the litter of many urban slums across major towns in the state.

However, with the exit of Willie Obiano come next year, the question of which is among the three senatorial zones to produce the next Governor is certain. The contest has gone round and the sentiment being expressed favours the South and that strong agitation is what is pervading in all the parties. In the beginning, the south ruled the state by Governor Chukwemeke Ezeife for nine months (1999) under the Social Democratic Party (SDP) during the military era of Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, after which Dr Chinwoke Mbadinuju took over under the PDP for four years. Mbadinuju later fell apart with his party and was not given the opportunity for a second term in office. Dr Chris Ngige (2002-2006) presided over the affairs of the state for 34 months though with tumultuous legal overtures and opposition from various groups especially APGA which approached the Election Petition Tribunal with a claim that its then-candidate Mr Peter Obi won the election. #

The court invalidated the Ngige victory and declared Obi winner and Governor-elect. Ngige who is from Alor in Idemili South in the Central senatorial zone spent only 34 months in office. Obi is also from the same zone with the diminutive ex-governor and now minister of Labour and Employment. As fate would have it Obi spent two terms of right years in office. History had it that from Chief Ezeife and Mbadinuju to Mrs Virgil Etiaba the then Deputy Governor to Mr Peter Obi. She spent only four months while Obi was in court over his impeachment saga.

In addition, Chief Andy Ubah (South) of the PDP spent 17 days in office as Governor.

What the calculation means is that the Central spent eleven years and ten months in power. From the Central, the governorship slot fell on the North which saw the emergence of Willie Obiano. Going by the permutations and expressed sentiments, the South is ripe to produce the next Chief executive of the state has spent about six years on the number one seat in the state. As it stands, the attention tilts towards the south and this explains why all the aspirants of the ruling APGA are believed to have come from the south.

The Chief Victor Oye national leadership of APGA has zoned the governorship ticket to the south zone. At the moment the roll call of APGA gubernatorial aspirants include Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo, Akachukwu Sullivan Nwamkpo, ThankGod Ibeh, Hon. Okwudili Ezenwankwo, Nicholas Ukah, Umeoji Chukwuma, a member of the House of Representatives for Aguata federal constituency and Nonso Smart Okafor respectively. Calculations from government quarters and others are that Prof. Soludo is a front liner in the race and is believed to have the strong backing of the government of the day to clinch the party’s ticket when APGA holds its primary next month.

Further findings showed that the ex-CBN boss and Isuofia born political czar may not have an easy ride to the Agu Awka Government House. This is because many party chieftains and stakeholders are of the view that Soludo is too elitist. They point to the fact the financial guru, though experienced in economic matters, is not a grassroots politician and does no relate well with the people at that level.

He is seen to be ego-driven and has the tendency of always frightening people with not acquiring PhD as he did and he is believed as one who may not run an inclusive government if elected Governor of the state.

More still, while the outing Governor Willie Obiano is favourably disposed to having Prof. Soludo as his successor, his wife is reported to have vehemently opposed to Soludo’s candidacy.

Those close to the First Lady of the state have often quoted her of allegedly saying that the ex-CBN boss is strong-willed and may not be amenable to any form of manipulation.

It is even suspected that the governor’s wife may have been in strong support of those who threw up Chief Chukwuma Umeoji who is from the Ezinihite community in the Aguata council area of the state, to contest the party’s primary. Should Soludo win the primary poll, there is strong indication too that he may still be confronted with litigations from all fronts especially opposition groups from the Umeoji camp and some aggrieved lawmakers in the state House of Assembly who are allegedly hell-bent at not having Soludo for the plum job. It is also feared that many more are lining up their arsenals to stop the soft-spoken politician at all cost when the time comes.

One of the APGA governorship aspirant, Nze Akachukwu Nwankpo in reaction gave reasons that offer him the edge over his major rivals; Prof. Chukwuma Soludo and Rep. Chukwuma Umeoji, in the race.

Nwankpo, a former aide to President Goodluck Jonathan said his roots to communities added to his exposure in both private and public sectors give him an edge over the two major rivals contending with him for the APGA governorship ticket. According to him,

“I feel like I’m favoured.  Beyond God’s favour is the experience. Right training was instrumental for the experience. Of all the aspirants in APGA, I’m a village guy who grew up in the village, mixing with the people for the past 3-4 years. Having mixed with the people, I have knowledge of real issues and on things bordering the people.” He added

“I understand Anambra state, I understand the people and their needs. I understand the potential of Anambra state and also the works are done by the governor and the party he represents. I have gained experience that came from working for various governments both at state and federal levels.”

Two Reps leave PDP, APGA, join APC

Also, Chief of Staff of Anambra State Government Mr. Primus Ugochukwu Odili has described Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo as the most credible aspirant for the 2021 governorship contest in terms of his antecedents in local, national and international assessments, evaluations and records.

He said it was time Anambra state had a standard it must not fall below, especially, as it concerns who occupies the office of the governor of the state. Odili urged the electorate to do a fair assessment of the aspirants so as to get the best candidate, stressing that Soludo stands out amongst the crowd.

He explained that Governor Willie Obiano has achieved numerous lofty projects in the areas of education, health, transport, infrastructure and other sectors of the economy but emphasized the need for the electorate to be vigilant and careful about their choice of who takes over from Obiano as he strongly believes that Soludo is a more suitable successor.

Analysts are of the opinion that as the storm gathers ahead of the feverish preparations by various political parties to choose their candidates during the party primary election, it is expected that there might be surprises which at the end will herald finally what is to be expected during the main election come November 6th this year.