In a little less than one week from now, the people of Anambra State will go to the polls to elect a new Governor. Ikeugonna Eleke presents an analysis of how the candidates for the election stand.
On November 8, 16 candidates from various political parties will slug it out to replace Prof. Chukwuma Soludo as Governor of Anambra State. The Professor of Econometrics who is the incumbent Governor of the state is also fighting hard to retain his seat, as he stands as the defending champion of the game where others are trying hard to topple him.
Among the 16 candidates in the election are; Prof. Chukwuma Soludo of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA); Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu of All Progressives Congress (APC); Sir Paul Chukwuma of Young Progressives Party (YPP); Mr John Nwosu of African Democratic Congress (ADC); Dr George Moghalu of Labour Party (LP); Oti Echezona of Allied People’s Movement (APM); Ms. Chioma Ifemeludike of AAC; Ozo Jeff Nweke of Action Alliance (AA); Charles Onyeze of Accord; Geoff Onyejegbu of New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP); Jude Ezenwafor of People’s Democratic Party (PDP); and Chukwudubem Nweke of Action People’s Party (APP).
Others are Jerry Okeke of Boot Party; Ndidi Olieh of National Rescue Movement (NRM); Martin Ugwoji of Zenith Labour Party (ZLP); and Vincent Chukwurah of Social Democratic Party (SDP).
Among the 16 however, only about six of them have strong presence in the state and have been noticeably carrying out campaigns. Even though the ruling party, APGA has an overwhelming presence in the state, these other parties have continued to work to ensure that they come out victorious, just as their candidates are hoping to carry the day after the election.
Chukwuma Soludo – He is the incumbent Governor of the state, a position that already affords him a privileged edge over the others, placing him far ahead of other candidates. Soludo is running on the platform of APGA, the party that has for almost two decades held sway in the state. He is running with Dr Onyeka Ibezim, younger brother of the Anglican Bishop of Awka Diocese. Considering the trend of religious politics in the state, both men are well placed; with Soludo, a Catholic, a faith that has continually produced the Governor of the state after the last Governor from the Anglican Faith, the late Dr Chinwoke Mbadinuju.
Soludo is from the Southern Senatorial District; the zone favoured by the rotational arrangement in the state. The chances of Soludo and his party, APGA in the election are very high, especially as a greater number of people in the state believe he has done well in his first term.
Nicholas Ukachukwu – Businessman, entrepreneur and real estate mogul, is the candidate of the APC. His chances in the election are also high, especially considering the fact that he is running on the platform of the ruling party in the country. He is paired with Senator Uche Ekwunife, a grassroots politician who is also known to have given the top seat a shot.
She is popular in the state too, and her popularity will complement that of Ukachukwu in the election. However, Ukachukwu’s perceived poor academic qualification has been a major campaign point for Soludo and his APGA members who insist that a state with a large number of a literate population cannot allow a poorly educated person like Ukachukwu to lead.
On the other hand, the Ukachukwu camp believes that Anambra under Soludo has broken irretrievably and needs to be fixed. He promises to fix it, alongside his running mate. He is also from the favoured Southern Zone, but not so favoured by the denominational politics that is rife in the state as he is of the Pentecostal stock.
Paul Chukwuma – Many believe that he is the best candidate which APC never had. Chukwuma left the APC after he lost the primary election and moved to YPP. He is brainy, full of ideas and seen as the only one who can match Soludo’s intellect, but two things stand in his way.
They are the perceived obscurity of his party and his roots. He hails from Northern Zone, which had just finished their eight years tenure with Chief Willie Obiano. Chukwuma however, does not see any of these as a barrier. He is one of the most noticeable candidates in the election and has visited every nook and cranny for campaigns.
He believes that good governance should not have any origin, and has argued strongly against zoning and cited examples of those who violated it, including the incumbent, who contested against Peter Obi in 2010. He also believes that what is good for Anambra is good governance, irrespective of party. He is running with Uzu Okagbue, former Chief of Protocol to ex-Governor Willie Obiano.
John Nwosu – He is a fine gentleman in the mould of the Presidential Candidate of Labour Party in the 2021 Presidential Poll, Mr Peter Obi. Nwosu, like Obi, does more thinking and less talking. He was in the Labour Party and enjoyed the support of both Peter Obi and members of his Obidient Movement until after the primary election of the party, when he moved to ADC.
Nwosu’s candidature is believed to be popular among the bigwig politicians who signed up for the ADC coalition, and the forces are expected to show up for him during the election. He is among one of the few in the race who have a well-documented manifesto for use in developing the state. Be that as it may, many factors may determine who carries the day, and Nwosu’s popularity and his platform will be put to a serious test.
George Moghalu – Immediate past Director General of National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) is the Candidate of the Labour Party. Moghalu, an Nnewi indigene, has fought so hard to keep the ticket of the party. This is because of the controversy surrounding the national leadership of the party.
He is a veteran Governorship contender and started the journey long ago during the days of APP in 2023, when he also ran for Governor. He has secured the support of the leader of the party, Mr Peter Obi, but that is not all he needs to secure victory. Moghalu is an Anglican by faith. His campaign has been more against the incumbent, and putting the flaws of the current administration in full glare, than advertising his own programmes for the state. His chances for the election are not so bright.
Jeff Nweke – If there is any candidate that has played the role of a mediator since the electioneering, it is Nweke. He has been an advocate of a peaceful campaign, devoid of mudslinging. The security expert and real estate mogul hails from Awka in Anambra Central Zone. Even though his aspiration violates the unwritten zoning arrangement in the state, he has a cult following among his Awka folks and the younger generation.
He has pledged to solve the teething problem of security bedeviling Anambra State. He is better known as ‘the bad boy governor’, with his dressing casting him in the mould of popular characters in American thriller movies. His chances of victory against Soludo can’t be adjudged bright, but he is making a mark with his campaigns and sees himself as the David that will defeat the Goliath.
The other Candidates not captured here are believed to be making up the numbers and will probably be preparing, do the usual business of supporting the eventual winner, if there is any controversial outcome and cashing out.
