Ikeugonna Eleke looks at the campaign strategy of the Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, how he fared in the last three and a half years as Governor, and concludes that his victory at the polls for re-election was well deserved.
The Anambra Governorship Election has finally come and gone. This is not only so, the election proved to be one of the easiest in the History of Governorship Elections conducted in the state, with many having already predicted a Soludo victory long before the election took place.
The Anambra State Governorship Election commenced with preparations close to two years ago with mounting opposition; first from the late Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, and, later, other opposition politicians who consistently mouthed the same thing: “Remove Soludo”. Despite efforts that were glowingly applauded by prominent individuals and ordinary persons alike, opposition politicians remained resolute about the desire to remove Soludo, using even things as serious as tragedies as campaign tools for his removal.
It was not also a rosy period for Soludo as the insecurity that had plagued the state constantly put it in the news for the wrong reasons at every short interval. For example, while Soludo was engaging ground breaking projects – construction of roads in places across the state where none was previously seen, reviving existing primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare facilities, reintroducing pipe borne water in the state, careless incidences like killing of an indigene of the state by renegades, or the brutalization of residents by local security or even altercation by tax collectors with an individual, were escalated to discredit the Governor.
Unluckily for Soludo, his coming as Governor was at a time when criminals masquerading as freedom fighters had used the sympathy of marginalization to garner support for themselves, wreaking havoc in parts of the state, and annexing places to themselves. Knowing that the activities of the hoodlums were putting a dent on his work in the state, early this year, Soludo launched the new Anambra Homeland Security Law, and followed it up with the creation of both Agunechemba and a joint military operation, Udogachi.
It could be said that the Governor knew exactly when to strike and how to do so. Despite that the activities of criminals posing as separatists predated his tenure, he solved it once and for all and rescued several communities from the jaws of killers – all these to the admiration of many Anambra people.
Yet, this didn’t satisfy his opponents. Every unfortunate incident was escalated and made a national issue, but luckily for the Governor, many Anambra people were steadfast with him, having seen the difference between what he could do and what others had done.
Though his major challenger, Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, later died, others never gave up as they frequently described him as a one term Governor. But Soludo remained focused, continued to work, insisting that his was an agenda with a deadline.
‘I bid for the job and Anambra People hired me. Only they, can renew my employment,’ Soludo always said. Soludo constituted his Campaign Team, combining it with work in the office, insisting that his job should never suffer because he was seeking re-election, although many could argue he had no choice.
A total of 15 Candidates from diverse parties, faiths, and zonal backgrounds, challenged Soludo during the election, but he kept faith, managing work and campaign. Soludo ran an extensive campaign, visiting all the 21 local government areas. What was even more intriguing was that for every local government he visited, the indigenes were quick to applaud him, including reeling out landmark projects he did for them. Soludo’s acceptance became glaring when communities began making donations to him to fund his election, citing his capability to govern.
This was unlike what was usually obtainable, where communities waited for Candidates to splash the cash to them as a way of buying their support. But this development was criticised in some quarters as they wondered why communities which had many problems should be donating money to the Governor, rather than using such to tackle their most critical problems. Others saw it as a sign of vanity by Soludo, maintaining that he should have refused such donations.
Nevertheless, and as expected, in the November 8 Election, Anambra people spoke loudly, affirming their choice of Soludo. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), while declaring the result of the election, was emphatic. Declaring the final results of the election, the State Collation Officer, Professor Edoba B. Omoregie, SAN, who is the Vice Chancellor of the University of Benin, announced the total tally for the election, putting the total number of registered voters in the state as 2,788,864; while the total number of accredited voters was 598,229.
Omoregie announced that the APGA Candidate, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, scored 422,664 to emerge as the highest scorer in the election. Three of his challengers, Ukachukwu of APC scored 99,445; Paul Chukwuma of YPP, 37,753; Moghalu of LP, 10,576 and Nwosu of ADC, 8,208 came a distant fifth, as Soludo’s score constituted 73 percent of the entire votes cast.
Omoregie after computing the results, said 10,481 total votes were affected in areas where there were skirmishes, but stated that the figures were added up and found not to be up to the number of votes between the leading Candidate and the runner-up, declaring that the margin did not affect the winner.
Declaring him reelected, Omoregie said: ‘I hereby certify that I’m the Returning Officer of the election. I also certify that the election was contested and a winner emerged. I declare that Soludo Charles Chukwuma, having satisfied the requirement of the law, and scored the highest number of votes, is hereby declared elected. I must add that the winner scored the required votes in two third of the local governments. There are 21 local government areas in the state, and the Candidate scored two third in all the local government areas.’
The election is already a foregone conclusion as Soludo has accepted his victory and extended a hand of fellowship to other Candidates who contested against him in the November 8 Election.
The Governor also praised President Bola Tinubu as a democrat for allowing the will of the people to prevail, while also mourning one of his supporters, a Councillor, who was shot dead shortly after voting in a border town of Owerre-Ezukala.
The Governor who addressed journalists in his country home in Isuofia, Aguata Local Government Area, said: ‘This is a moment to say congratulations to Anambra People. Four years ago we were elected with 112,000 votes, but this time you spoke loudly with 73 percent of the entire votes.
This is a show of solidarity and a very emphatic statement. Out of 326 wards, we lost only six wards, and we won the entire 21 local governments and that is a very emphatic statement. We are in partnership with people at all levels in the state and we are marching on to gear four. We are in gear three as it were and we are moving to gear four. Thanks to Anambra people for renewing our employment.
We thank Mr President; he has proven to be a very good democrat. I thank the new INEC Chairman. It was his first outing and as the saying goes, you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression, and you have proven that with this election. Every election year is getting better and better in Anambra.
‘Except for a few cases, I think the election was very free, fair and credible. I thank the ICT section of INEC, as at last night, they had uploaded up to 99 percent of the results and we already knew where the election was going. To my brothers (fellow contestants) I say, we were 16, and obviously only one person will win.
We have had fun, we have fought but we will still meet at functions at weekends and share drinks the Anambra way. I extend a hand of fellowship to you and we will work together make Anambra better. For me, we will work for Anambra people and no minute is lost. Ours is an assignment with a deadline.’
Many have described Soludo’s victory as deserving, saying both in his first term and in his campaign, he did well to merit the victory. The National Chairman of APGA, Barr Sly Ezeokenwa, said: ‘This victory is quite deserving. The Governor worked hard for it, visiting every community and canvassing for votes. It did not come to us as a surprise,’ he said.
But while Soludo gets set to move into the second half of his tenure, many would want him to mellow down on what they describe as his penchant for loose talk. Soludo has often come under attack for needlessly trolling his opponents, with one incident nearly rocking the foundations of the state when he engaged in a war of words with the Deputy Governorship Candidate of APC, Senator Mrs Uche Ekwunife.
He has also been criticized for attacking the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 Election, Mr Peter Obi, a man that can be described as very much adored by the Nigerian masses.
But it does not seem as though Soludo is listening as he last Tuesday, while addressing his party faithful, unleashed another attack on Obi, describing him as a frustrated man who needed to be taken to the Solution Fun City to cool down. Soludo was probably responding to Obi’s claim that he was now operating on a higher league and not the local as he did not contest for the recent Guber Poll.
Soludo’s constant jibes at Obi is seen as a blemish in his character and it is something that has divided his fan base.
Additional report from Jude Atupulazi.
