As the All Progressives Congress (APC) prepares for its Primary Election, Ikeugonna Eleke reports that with the calibre of aspirants the party parades, there is a tough battle ahead.
Recently, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has become the toast of politicians vying for elective positions in Anambra State, but it didn’t use to be so. Long before now, the party was almost a pariah party, whose members were looked upon as outcasts.
It was even more during the days of the former President, Alhaji Muhammadu Buhari. Insecurity, occasioned by the activities of Fulani herdsmen, who seemingly had the nod of the then President, who incidentally was also a Fulani, caused hatred for the party.
At party rallies, it was common to hear a contestant deride their opponents in APC by asking the crowd: ‘Would you allow a Fulani Party to take over power in Anambra State?’ and the audience would chant a resounding ‘no’ in unison.
Today, however, some of the biggest politicians in the state have regrouped in APC, with more still promising to come. As the Anambra Governorship Election billed to hold on November 8, 2025 approaches, APC can beat its chest today and proclaim that it parades the biggest array of aspirants, all of who are known to have a huge support base and financial capability.
Currently, five aspirants are gearing up to slug it out for the ticket of the party in April. They include: Sir Paul Chukwuma, a former National Auditor of the party and Pro-Chancellor of Olivia University, Burundi; Prof Obiora Okonkwo, Chairman of United Nigeria Airline; Engr. Johnbosco Onunkwo, an oil and gas expert; Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu, businessman; and Chukwuma Umeoji, a former lawmaker.
Meanwhile, the recent inauguration of the state party secretariat in Awka, which was attended by the National Chairman, Dr Abdulahi Umar Ganduje, exposed the tough battle ahead for the party in choosing a candidate ahead of the November election. During the event, the various aspirants mobilized their supporters from all parts of the state to the secretariat, with the intention to show capacity, and each aspirant’s supporters working hard to outshine the others.
The secretariat being commissioned was donated to the party by Sir Paul Chukwuma, one of the aspirants, after years of staying in a rented apartment in a congested part of Awka. The state party chairman, Chief Basil Ejidike, who, during his address at the event, took time to disclose the efforts of the various aspirants, was also very emphatic about the contributions of two of the aspirants; Sir Chukwuma and Prof Okonkwo.
About them, he said: ‘I crave your indulgence to let me congratulate and commend the initiator of this project, Sir Paul Chukwuma (Onyechinazo), for being a good party man. He did not only get us this office but also provided the furniture herein for the State Chapter. He also replicated same for some local government areas and wards.
The on-going restructuring and strengthening of the party in the state could not have gathered such momentum, if not for the support of the sum of N100 million extended to the party at the inauguration of the APC Consultative Council in Abuja, last year. He also donated a bus to the youth wing of the party in the state. In all, he has remained a big pillar to our collective effort in building a party which we all should be proud of in Anambra.
‘We also commend the efforts of Prof. Obiora Okonkwo, who, some days ago redeemed his pledge of further making the state office a more conducive and befitting edifice. He made available a Mikano power generating plant, six air conditioners, five industrial fans, three Plasma television sets, and a 7000w high capacity wireless sound system for use in the new office.
His donation of the sum of N20 million for the on-going restructuring and strengthening of the party in all LGAs and wards is highly appreciated. Within this period, he has spent with us in the APC, he has proven to be a committed, supportive and loyal party man,’ Ejidike told the national chairman.
Things however, took a different turn when it was the turn of the aspirants to address the crowd. Each of them took jabs at the other, to the point that many feared the event would degenerate into a physical brawl.
The first aspirant, Onunkwo, took time to shower accolades on himself as a long standing financial pillar of the party. He used adjectives like the timber and calibre, caterpillar and bulldozer of the party, to describe himself, insisting that he had remained with the party all through thick and thin.
But Ukachukwu, in his remarks, took a different route when, instead of thanking the man who procured the office space, rather said: ‘I’m happy that we need to come together to send APGA packing. We are here to commission a rented office, but in the next one year, I will build a brand new secretariat for the party. We will do it, whether we win the governorship ticket of the party or not.
‘We will deliver governorship to APC, whatever it will take to do it, we will make it happen. If there is any candidate who the sitting governor fears much, it is me.’
For Okonkwo and Chukwuma, both went for each other’s jugulars. Okonkwo, in his remarks, seemed not to be comfortable with the accolades showered on Chukwuma. He reeled out his numerous acts of support to the party, insisting that it was only after he joined the party and started attacking the bad policies of the government in power that everyone started paying attention to APC.
He said: ‘I am happy the party has changed. We will lead the best and strongest campaign that will produce an APC governor. I assure the party that we will remain strong as members of the party and we will win the election. I’m happy for what Chukwuma has done and if you give me the ticket I will give you the C of O (certificate of occupancy) of the Anambra Government House. I support consensus, and when that time comes, I’ll remind you that I’m the oldest of the aspirants and will need to be considered as the consensus candidate.’
His lines and those of Ukachukwu did not seem to have gone down well with Chukwuma as he took to the floor to berate them. He said: ‘For my brother contestants, we are happy they are in our party. They have just joined us, but they should not come and kill us in our house. People should not come to a party that has been existing and claim that they gave it life. That is unfair.’
To Ukachukwu who promised to build a fresh and more befitting party secretariat, Chukwuma said: ‘We already have a party secretariat, and if you have reason to build a new party office, you would have built one in your local government, but you did not do so until I donated all of them, including state, local governments and wards.’
Meanwhile, another of the aspirants, Umeoji, seeing the heated exchange, decided to play the mediator, urging against division and urging aspirants to ensure they came together and support whoever emerged at the Primary Election as there was need for unity.
The charged atmosphere at the party secretariat was such that as the aspirants took turns to speak, while their supporters cheered them, supporters of other aspirants jeered and booed them, in what almost degenerated into fisticuffs.
A member of the party who refused to disclose his name, agreed that there would be a tough battle ahead. He also said: ‘My fears are that apart from Sir Paul Chukwuma who has remained a party man, all the others are not reliable. They can leave the party if they lose the ticket, and of course you know that they have the capacity to make trouble with the party and whittle down its influence during the election.
‘Johnbosco Onunkwo is also a strong party man, but he does not possess what it takes to win the election.
‘The race is obviously between Sir Paul Chukwuma and Prof Obiora Okonkwo. They seem to be the most popular aspirants in the party. The only fear Okonkwo may entertain is that, seeing what played out here today, it may not be out of place to say that the other aspirants may conspire against him, and that may cost the party victory at the main election.’
As the countdown to the APC Primary in Anambra gathers momentum, it will no doubt be interesting to know who finally clinches the sole ticket.
