By Madu Onuorah
No State in Nigeria has produced more political drama in their gubernatorial elections than Anambra. It’s the first State in the country in this political dispensation to deny an incumbent a second term for non-performance. That was Dr Chinwoke Mbadinuju of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) whose first term in office from 1999 to 2003 was abysmal. Dr Mbadinuju’s tenure was profoundly bad and even his party, the PDP, did not want to risk their chance of fielding him for a second term.
Dr Chris Ngige who took over from Dr Mbadinuju as PDP flag bearer also produced his own drama as he was removed by the election tribunal after three years in office. But Dr Ngige did well for himself before he was thrown out, leaving a landmark achievement in governance that endeared him to the people. His aborted abduction was all part of the political drama Anambra State is known for.
Peter Obi, who came after Ngige upon retrieving his mandate from the court, tried to stabilize the State by introducing a unique governance style that set him out. Willie Obiano who succeeded Obi could not match the standard he set but did well in some areas.
The coming of Professor Charles Soludo, former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor and World Bank Economist, was relieving to many who thought Anambra under him would witness significant transformation. When Soludo said during the electioneering that he was going to turn Anambra into a Dubai Taiwan, not a few believed him because of his background within and internationally as a foremost economist.
But three years down the line, Anambra State is not a Dubai or Taiwan. It is a Gaza Strip, what with the bloodletting going on in the State under his watch which can equate with what is happening in the war-torn Middle East.
Aside from the insecurity prevalent under his watch, his government is literally at war with virtually all critical stakeholders in the State – the Church, the traditional institution and the traders. Soludo’s administration is only interested in revenue collection and taxation which he performs through ‘aka odo,’ meaning crude way of deploying thugs and cultists for revenue mobilization.
The only thing that will make Governor Soludo still think of getting a second term is because in Nigeria democracy votes hardly count and the opposition rarely gets together against an incumbent.
This is actually what prompted this conversation to talk the opposition in Anambra State into having a unified platform for the November 8, 2025 poll. For now, four notable political parties are expected to file out in the State as front runners – the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), the All Progress Congress (APC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP).
Feelers from the State show that the three opposition parties, APC, PDP and LP are almost unanimous that Governor Soludo has lost his way in governance and should be given Dr Mbadinuju’s treatment. But how can they achieve that if they are not willing to coalesce to have a formidable force? Even within APGA, the ruling party, some groups are not enthusiastic about pushing Governor Soludo as their flag bearer.
Even as an isolated incumbent, if the four parties go it individually, they will be helping the man the people do not want.
Unity of opposition is essential to defeat an incumbent in an election because it allows the opposing parties to present a united front, increasing their chances of winning. When opposition parties are fragmented, they often split the vote, making it easier for the incumbent to win.
There are so many positives for unified opposition especially as resources are pulled together and they will have more financial, human, and material resources to run a more effective campaign. It would also help them to present strong and credible options, and offer a clear and coherent alternative to the incumbent’s policies and vision, making it easier for voters to choose them. Unity will also help them in mobilization of the populace by increasing turnout and enthusiasm of voters.
By such a united force and choosing a more visible candidate among them for name recognition, they would be countering the incumbent’s advantages such as name recognition, funding, and experience.
All the Anambra opposition should do if they really desire to unseat Governor Soludo is to prevent Voter Splitting as much as possible. Avoid splitting the vote among multiple opposition candidates, which can lead to the incumbent’s re-election.
The critical area that always truncates opposition unity is the sharing of the booties, the spoils of office but this shouldn’t be a problem.
Top positions are available to be shared – Governor, Deputy Governor, Secretary to Government, Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, among others.
In conclusion of this discourse, it’s necessary to reiterate that political leaders must dispose themselves to make huge sacrifices for the betterment of the State. It’s not in doubt who among the gubernatorial aspirants in the three main opposition parties that are the front runner. Overall, let’s restate the fact that unity of opposition is crucial to defeating an incumbent in an election, as it allows the opposing parties to present a strong, credible, and unified alternative to the incumbent’s rule.
