Barely 13 days to the November 18 Governorship Election in Anambra State, there are fresh puzzles as the participating political parties and their desperate candidates try to outdo each other in the final phase of the campaigns, reports Associate Editor, Sam Egburonu
GIVEN that the participating political parties in the November 18, 2017 Governorship Election in Anambra State and their candidates have barely 13 days to face the electorate, their campaign intrigues have assumed what an eye witness described as “a frightening dimension.” The Nation learnt that desperate candidates and their campaign managers have literally shifted attention from campaign promises to the dangers of voting in candidates backed by alleged godfathers. They adduce unending reasons to discredit such godfathers.
When, earlier in the year, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced the emergence of the 37 governorship candidates participating in the Anambra State’s election, we had reported that the way they emerged gave a hint of how the electorates would likely vote in the November 18, 2017 election. This was because before the primaries, there were high intrigues within the big parties where very influential and rich aspirants contested. By the time the parties held their primaries and announced the results, observers said some of the big politicians analysts thought would easily emerge, failed to make it while some others, who were not widely tipped to win, emerged the winners. According to Dr. Ephraim Okonkwo, a political analyst, “this has not only altered some informed permutations but has also raised fresh issues that would help to determine the likely result of the election.”
The candidates that emerged include Governor Willie Obiano for All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Tony Nwoye for All Progressives Congress (APC), Oseloka Obaze for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Osita Chidoka for the United Progressives Party (UPP), and Godwin Ezeemo for the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA). Insiders said, though these candidates are not altogether lightweights in the politics of the state, their ultimate weight would be better appreciated if one considers the political and financial weight of the forces behind them. Insiders said most of the candidates of the leading political parties, have known godfathers either directly taking over their campaigns or picking most of the bills. As a result, the November 18 election is not just a contest between the listed candidates and their political parties, but also that of the ‘loaded’ godfathers eager to settle one score or the other.
Can APGA contest as a united family?
Within the ruling party, where the governor, as the National Leader and Chairman of the Board of Trustees, should enjoy both the advantage of incumbency factor and lordship of his party, the first signal that the days preceding the election would be full of intrigues was the open division that persisted in APGA during and after the primaries. Supporters of APGA were worried when within the ruling party, another candidate, Chief Ifeanyi Igwebuike, emerged from the faction loyal to Chief Martin Agbaso, almost immediately after the other faction announced the governor as its candidate, thus creating serious uncertainty.
Concerned observers had said the misunderstanding would be resolved in time enough to enable APGA enter the race as one united family, but it seems this is far from what may ultimately play out on November 18.
The confusion arising from the ongoing legal battle in Abuja, over the candidature of the party, few days to the election, according to analysts has sent a bad signal for Governor Obiano and APGA. The Federal High Court in Abuja has declined to stop Governor Willie Obiano from parading or presenting himself as flag-bearer of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, for the November 18 governorship election in Anambra State.
It would be recalled that the Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja, had on October 25, failed to order Obiano to stop parading himself as the APGA’s governorship candidate as his opponents in the party had prayed the court to declare. But that was not the end of the battle. Followed an ex-parte application Agbaso and APGA, who were the plaintiffs, moved through their lawyer, Mr. O.O. Olowolafe, Justice John Tsoho, abridged the time allowed for INEC and Obiano who were cited as 1st and 2nd defendants in the suit marked FHC/Abj/CS/913/2017, to enter their appearances, from 30 to 10 days.
He also granted an order of substituted service of copies of the originating summons and all other court processes in the suit on Obiano through a publication in a national daily and by pasting same on the walls of Anambra State liaison office in Abuja and at the Anambra State governor’s lodge.
The learned judge held: “It is hereby ordered as follows: That having regard to the affidavit evidence in support of the plaintiffs/applicants’ motion ex-parte dated 25/9/17 but filed on 28/9/17, prayers 1, 2, and 5 are hereby granted.
“That prayers 3 and 4 for interim injunctions are declined.
“That the suit is adjourned to the 9th day of November for this application on notice.”
Ironically, just as the month of October was about to end, nine clear days before the November 9 adjournment, some online reports said a court had asked Obiano to stop parading himself as the governorship candidate of APGA in the Anambra election. As would be expected, this development has further deepened the confusion in the state, especially amongst APGA supporters.
Whereas Obiano emerged as APGA candidate from the primary poll that was conducted by the Dr. Victor Oye-led faction of APGA; the Agbaso-led faction presented Chief Ifeanyi Igwebuike as the party’s governorship candidate.
Besides the open legal battle between the Agbaso faction and Oye faction, the division within the party could be traced to the circumstances that led to the exit of the party’s former leader and former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi. Although, Obi has left the party and is now in PDP, where he has come out fully to support the party’s candidate against Obiano, insiders said the remnants of his supporters in APGA are also the major challenges that Obiano’s current political godfather, Chief Victor Umeh, the former Chairman of APGA, who is the governor’s campaign chief, will have to tackle. “Although Chief Umeh is evidently the pillar upon which Obiano’s campaign in built today, the numerous political enemies the former National Chairman of APGA has garnered will no doubt serve as an inherited political debt for Obiano and APGA in the coming election,” said Chief Kingsley Obinna.
Another puzzle APGA and Obiano must unravel and defend satisfactorily is well-publicised allegation that the administration performed abysmally in its first tenure.
How far has Tony Nwoye reconciled with other bigwigs?
Before his victory, not many analysts predicted that Tony Nwoye, a medical doctor, who flew PDP flag in the last governorship election, will emerge the candidate of APC in the forthcoming governorship election. Described as a grassroots person, Nwoye, from Anambra North Senatorial District, however emerged the party’s candidate, beating influential aspirants like Senator Andy Uba from the South.
Given the demand by many for the ticket to be given to the North, his emergence may be described as positive to the zoning sentiment but his challenge may be the allegation that he is being sponsored by one of the old political godfathers, a development his critics alleged “would enslave the state again.” Since his emergence, commentators and critics of APC have repeatedly levelled this allegation.
For example, a commentator, Echezona Okechi, wrote: “Nwoye has only one key supporter: Prince Arthur Eze, a wealthy businessman. Eze is the person suspected to be bankrolling Nwoye. Interestingly, Eze has always insisted on bankrolling candidates in Anambra State gubernatorial elections. But none has ever made it. Prof. Charles Soludo, the outstanding former Central Bank governor, was heading for a landslide victory in the 2009 election, until Eze became his open supporter and biggest financier. Most analysts believe that Mrs. Joy Emordi would have done better than she did in the 1999 polls as the All Peoples Party (APP) candidate but for the strong financial support from Eze. Four years ago, Eze supported Nwoye as the PDP candidate, and the result was a rejection of the party.”
The fear currently expressed by APC stakeholders in the state is if the party and the candidate would be able to disprove this allegation. Describing allegation of existence of a godfather as ‘a baggage we can’t afford now,” they said if APC and Nwoye hope to get the votes of ordinary people in the state and if they hope to dislodge APGA, they may have to convince the people that Nwoye is his own man.
The Nation investigation during the week however shows that since after the primaries, especially since the other APC bigwigs, like former governors Chris Ngige and Andy Uba, gave their support to Nwoye, this allegation of being Eze’s candidate seems to have waned significantly.
Immediately after the primaries, The Nation reported that another major challenge the APC candidate may face would be how to retain the support and cooperation of the influential aspirants and their supporters who either withdrew at the last minute or lost out at the primary. This seems to have been achieved to a very large extent.
It would be recalled that by June this year, about 20 influential politicians were linked with the ambition to pick the party’s ticket. Apart from Nwoye, others bigwigs linked with nursing the ambition to fly the party’s flag included Senator Andy Uba from Anambra South; Dr. Chike Obidigbo, from Anambra North; former Senator Uche Ekwunife, who served in the Senate on the ticket of the PDP; former PDP governorship aspirant, Dr. Obinna Uzor; APC National Auditor, Chief George Moghalu, Engr. Barth Nwibe, among others. After the primary election, some of them reportedly levelled allegations against the candidate and the process that threw him up.
How far the party and the candidate have gone in reconciling with the powerful party members will determine, to a very large extent, the fortunes of the party in the November 18 election.
PDP and Oseleke Obaze
Another major contender is Dr. Oseleke Obaze, the PDP candidate. Born in Ogbaru, he is a native of Ochuchu Umuodu.
A product of Christ the King College, Onitsha, he studied Political Science and International Relations and have had an interesting career in Diplomacy.
Between 2012 and 2015, Obaze served as the Secretary to State Government (SSG) in the then Governor Peter Obi-led Anambra State Government. Even when the current governor, Willie Obiano took over from Obi, he retained Obaze in that position for a while.
He emerged PDP’s governorship candidate after polling a whopping 672 votes in the party’s primary election held on August 28, 2017.
Although he defeated his opponents overwhelmingly, including the second runner-up, Alex Obi-Ogbolu, who scored 190 votes and Ifeanyi Ubah, who got 94 votes, The Nation learnt that the party has labored hard to resolve the resultant internal wrangling that observers fear may affect the party’s fortunes in the governorship election.
Even before the result of the primary was announced, it became clear that some major stakeholders were not satisfied with the outcome of the election. For example, at the middle of the primary, one of the aspirants, Ifeanyi Ubah, suddenly grabbed the microphone and protested the result, alleging that the election was marred by irregularities.
He said the delegates list was only given to the aspirants two days to the election unlike what obtained in other parties where, according to him, aspirants got their lists about four weeks before the primaries.
Because of such sentiments, while some of the aspirants withdrew shortly before the primary election, others threatened to go to court to contest against the process.
Whether the disagreements had been resolved successfully or if they were simply suppressed will determine how united and formidable the opposition party will perform in the election.
But these issues notwithstanding, The Nation gathered that the influence of Peter Obi, Obaze’s current godfather, is considered by many observers as a major boost for PDP. They said Obi’s factor in Anambra State politics can no longer be dismissed with a wave of hand. How the party will exploit this perceived advantage remains to be seen on November 18.
UPP, Chidoka and Ojukwu’s supporters
The United Progressives Party’s candidate, Chief Osita Chidoka, was a former Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) and later Minister of Aviation. Although he obviously enjoys support of youths, arising from his youthful countenance and his acclaimed successes while he served in FRSC, the intrigues that trailed the party’s primary election is one of the issues he and his party will need to manage carefully for him to emergence the state governor.
It would be recalled that Chidoka’s opponent at the primary, Hon. Chudi Offodile, had, in a press conference after the primaries, described the August 19 primary as “a sham,” stating that “the party had derailed from its objectives.”
Announcing his resignation from the party, he had said, “I have noted the willful and corrupt manipulation of the party delegates list by Chief Chekwas Okorie, but it is the display of gross insensitivity to the life of a party member that has made me reconsider my membership of the UPP. Responding to the allegations, the party leadership said the former lawmaker was just playing true to type, adding that he “wants to reap a political fruit without sowing the seeds.” The party traced the events that led to the delegate’s death to the confusion allegedly caused by Offodile’s supporters.
That sad event notwithstanding, our investigation shows that the party, UPP, led by Chief Chekwas Okorie, has achieved visible popularity in Anambra State. Loved by the youths of Anambra because of the father-son relationship between the late Dim Odumegwu Ojukwu and Chekwas Okorie, UPP, has emerged a major contender in Anambra State politics. It would be recalled that it was Okorie, who founded APGA. Initially, most people never believed such a party, with obvious Igbo stamp, would ever be registered. So, once the political party was registered, Okorie, though from Alayi in Abia State, proudly took the certificate to Ojukwu, a man he took as his political father and mentor, and ensured that the Igbo leader was honoured as the conscience, the leader and the only presidential candidate of the party until his death. So, as a result of that action, real admirers of Ojukwu still feel very bad over the manner in which Okorie was threated and pushed out of his baby, APGA, by opportunists. Keen observers of Anambra State politics said Okorie’s image in Anambra is therefore very high and hence the support his party is currently enjoying.
And PPA’s Ezeemo calls for rejection of money politics
Born June 20, 1954, Mr. Godwin Chukwunenye Ezeemo, the candidate of Progressive Peoples Alliance, (PPA) and founder of Orient Group of Companies, may not be in one of the biggest political parties, but his persistent call for rejection of money politics may indeed be the final puzzle that would be unraveled on November 18. As soon as he got the ticket of his party, Ezeemo called on the electorates to shun money politics and be guided by their knowledge of the candidate’s antecedents and not just because of their political parties.
“The electorate should now choose their candidate, who they want to vote for according to who that candidate is and not according to what his political party is.
Because we have followed this routine in the past and that is the reason why we are shocked; that is the reason why we are held up in the forest.
“But in our own, we are not buying the electorate. We appeal to the conscience of the electorate for them to make a choice between us and some other persons that are in the race. So, they know that their association is not based on the money they have collected. Do you understand that?
“My appeal to the electorate is for the electorate to start to look at candidates now from the point of view of their antecedence, from the point of view of what they have done in the past, from the point of view of who they are; what they have been able to do in the society at large.”
As the campaign enters its final stage, it remains to be seen if Ezeemo’s plea has been accepted both by his fellow candidates and the electorates. Will the usual sharing of money dictate the voting pattern? Only time will tell.
