By Madu Onuorah
The gubernatorial election in Anambra State is due for next year and every variable shows it’s going to be another fierce battle. From inception, Anambra politics produces unique characteristics because of its peculiarity that is related to their gregarious lifestyle.
In the 2021 election, it was two straight fights between the ruling party in the State the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) which had Professor Chukwuma Soludo as flag bearer and the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), with the former President and Group CEO of the nation’s top conglomerate, the Transcorp Plc, Mr. Valentine Ozigbo as the standard bearer.
The battle ended with Professor Soludo and his APGA party emerging victorious and Mr. Ozigbo and PDP waiting to fight again.
In 2025, they will return to the trenches again but wearing different garbs. Soludo will be coming although still APGA but as an incumbent Governor. Mr. Ozigbo also is likely to appear under a new platform, not PDP.
In 2022, ahead of the 2023 general elections something phenomenal happened in Nigeria’s political scene. Former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi emerged as the Presidential flag bearer of the Labour Party and drastically reset the politics of Nigeria. After OBI’s emergence rather than talk of the two main political parties, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and PDP, a third force emerged in the Labour Party. The strength of the third force happened to be in the South East in particular Anambra state for obvious reasons, it’s the home of the Chief stimulant, Peter Obi.
So, unlike 2021, the gubernatorial tussle in Anambra State is going to be a straight race between APGA and Labour Party with APC and PDP as distant pretenders to the throne.
Soludo, even with the crisis in his party, APGA, is going to get the ticket of his party for obvious reasons of not having a better candidate. Ditto, the Labour Party. Valentine Ozigbo remains the front runner. The reasons are his experience in the game, and not having any baggage as he enjoys some reputation in his political and corporate life. He is however going to receive some stiff opposition. But in the end, he will be providing some of what his challengers won’t have.
Labour Party will be better served and far more ready with Ozigbo than with any neophyte entering the fray now. The party cannot afford the distraction of picking a novice and struggling to market him. Moreover, zoning is critical in Anambra politics and it strongly favour’s Ozigbo. Those who would have given him a fight are from zones not considered for now. Jettisoning zoning will only give Soludo and APGA an easy passage.
So, it would be politically sensible to assume that the fight is going to be between Soludo and Ozigbo. The mood in the State already is electric showing that Anambarians are already bracing up for another Soludo/Ozigbo showdown.
Interestingly, the two combatants have new additions to their credentials. Soludo is now the man on the throne unlike in 2021 when he was being helped by an outgoing Willie Obiano. Ditto, Ozigbo, now likely to wear a new garb of the Labour Party instead of the PDP. Labour Party may be new in Anambra State as a party compared to PDP or APGA, but its hurricane-like arrival in 2023 is still overwhelming the State.
Moreover, Peter Obi, the current political deity in the State is in Labour Party and it says a lot about what the electoral movement in the State will look like in 2025.
Governor Soludo’s expected incumbency advantage is coming with lots of bottlenecks created by his arrogant style. This has caused him to have issues with critical stakeholders like the Church and traditional rulers.
These two are huge electoral influencers in State politics and Soludo unwisely found himself at the wrong corner. Also, standing as a huge cog in Soludo’s electoral potential are his tax system which has no human face and the heartless behaviour of his Task Force team.
All these variables are combined to make the gubernatorial race in Anambra State tick and interesting. Soludo may also suffer electorally for needlessly trying to weaken the Presidential chances of their beloved son, Peter Obi, in 2023, a political sin they had vowed to punish him for.
Note that in this conversation, we have deliberately ignored bringing in APC and PDP because they are not serious contenders and are not in the race mobilizing for electoral victory, but rather hoping to Tinubnization or Uzodinmization of the State. But when the time comes, they will know that Anambra is not IMO or Nigeria but a State that is home to the first President of Nigeria, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, the first President of the Senate of Nigeria, Nwafor Orizu, Ikemba Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, Dr Alex Ekwueme, Dr Chuba Okadigbo.
All of them lived and died fighting for justice in their society. They are ancestors to the current Anambra citizens and they would not abandon the course and foundation left by their forefathers.
