By Obi Egwuchukwu
Next year’s gubernatorial election in Anambra State is attracting all the interests, for obvious reasons. After all, it is the home State of Labour Party’s 2023 Presidential flag bearer, Peter Obi. The State is currently governed by the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), which is not among the three top parties with a national outlook.
With Labour Party’s electoral performance in 2023 in the State, many political pundits believe APGA is sitting on a borrowed chair.
Incumbent Governor of the State, Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, on his first term in office, is also desiring and gearing to have a second term. Anambra State is also unique with four political parties in hot chase for the Agu-Awka home of government in the State. In addition to APGA, there are the All Progressives Congress (APC), the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the raving Labour Party.
Preparations for the election in all the parties have been heightening with the accompanying intrigues.
The ruling APGA in the State is undergoing a major crisis that is visibly threatening the second term of its flag bearer in the State, Governor Soludo. The change in national leadership of the party via the Court has put Governor Soludo in a precarious situation.
The PDP in the State has long been decimated by the electoral hurricane of the Labour Party. Ditto the APC whose case worsened with the sudden demise of Senator Ifeanyi Ubah who was being projected to fly the party’s gubernatorial flag next year. The Labour Party, whose electoral strength in the State is not in doubt ahead of the governorship race, is also not enjoying the needed harmony.
One had expected that the passing on of Senator Ifeanyi Ubah wouldn’t have been much of an issue given the fact that his APC was not a serious contender to the throne. But feelers from the State are showing that his exit has disrupted a lot of equations in the other parties.
While Senator Ubah was copiously an APC man, credible underhand information shows that he was also doing political business with the Labour Party which would have seen him pick up the Labour Party ticket instead of the APC.
No Labour Party person will confirm this now that he is late but a credible source confirmed that he facilitated the Labour Party’s controversial National Convention in Nnewi Anambra State. It is believed that Senator Ubah provided both accommodation, security and political cover for the questionable National Convention.
Even the Labour Party Congresses held in Anambra State recently were designed to build the structure for him as it was hijacked by some top elected and party functionaries towards a designated outcome. The front-runner gubernatorial aspirant for the Labour Party, Valentine Ozigbo, was schemed out as the LP’s former National Organizing Secretary (NOS) now the Deputy National Chairman, Clement Ojukwu, an Nnewi native, was the party’s link with Senator Ubah who made sure Ozigbo was thrown under the bus. In fact, they already had a tailor-made LP Governorship aspirant who would have been a place-holder for the late Senator.
The sudden death of Senator Ubah has therefore opened further intrigues as the group bent on stopping the front-runner Ozigbo in the Labour Party is currently in search of another candidate.
A newcomer to the party, George Muoghalu, also from Nnewi, the same as Senator Ubah, is being seriously considered but they have the uphill battle of upstaging Ozigbo who controls the core of Obidient supporters in the State.
This group in the Labour Party is also toying with getting a Senatorial candidate for the vacant Senatorial seat left by Senator Ubah from outside Nnewi to open the way for Muoghalu as Nnewi cannot produce Senate and Governorship candidates at the same time in the zone within the party.
Some Obidient supporters are still surprised at some close aides of Peter Obi who continue to undermine the frontrunner Ozigbo who has done much to keep the group in the State. Some Obidient members in the State fear that this intrigue might affect the performance of the party in 2025 as frustrating Ozigbo will create division in the party.
A united Labour Party can deliver any candidate in the Labour Party because Governor Soludo has made things easier with his antagonistic leadership which has made it difficult for the people to desire him for a second term.
If LP fails to take advantage of the shambolic politics of Governor Soludo and continue to undermine itself and fail to unite, it may regret it by paying the price of avoidable disunity, which is losing a State that ought to be in its kitty.