As the campaign for the November 16, 2013 governorship race in Anambra State enters its final, crucial stage, Associate Editor, Sam Egburonu, reports that Senator Chris Ngige, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, has garnered unrivaled support and endorsements
From the first day Senator Chris Ngige emerged the candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) in the November 16, 2013 governorship election in Anambra State, his opponents left no one in doubt he is the candidate to watch.
As a former executive governor of the state, Ngige has many supporters and political enemies to contend with. So, other candidates and the other major political parties in the race are worried over his electoral value.
Besides his personality and clout, Ngige’s political party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), is also a major source of worry for his opponents, according to informed stakeholders in Anambra State.
APC, a product of a mega merger of opposition political parties, in a grand plot to dethrone the ruling People’s Democratic Party ( PDP) at the centre, was born strong and established. From the day it was registered as a political party, APC became the major opposition party, boasting of state governors from South-West, North and South-East zones, aside reasonable number of lawmakers at the National Assembly and many state assemblies.
Emerging under such a platform, Ngige’s opponents in the Anambra State November 16, 2013 election understandably consider him the major threat that must be tackled.
This being the case, he has been made to contain with several obstacles and criticisms.
The hurdles:
As would be expected, one of the issues his opponents have tried to use to blackmail Ngige ahead of the election is his political party, APC, which was described as a Yoruba or foreign political party in Igbo land.
The former governor of Anambra State has stoutly disproved these allegations, pointing out that the party is not only a national party, jointly formed by progressives from every part of the country but also that he and many other Igbo politicians are foundation members of the party.
Responding to that allegation, Ngige has told newsmen that it is a fallacy to claim that APC is a Yoruba party. He also said it is wrong to claim that APGA is an Igbo party, when it is the ruling party in only one out of the five South-East states.
In an earlier interview long before his emergence as the APC candidate in the forth coming election, Ngige, who was a founding member of the People’s Democratic Party and had ruled Anambra State with the party’s ticket, had explained why he joined AC, when he left PDP, instead of APGA. According to him, “I couldn’t have gone to APGA, I went to court with APGA and like I gave you the history, they went to court and went up to the Court of Appeal and when they won the case, they felt they’ve conquered me and my supporters. The relationship between a conqueror and the conquered is that of servant and master. I never bothered to go there and all those persecuted joined forces to form AC. I, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, DSP Alameiyeishigha, so many of us, even though the group depleted along the way because not everybody has the heart for opposition politics.”
Another arsenal his opponents has thrown his way include a recall of the Okija Shrine oath before he emerged the governor of the state on the ticket of the People’s Democratic Party in 2003. To cast a stain on his personality, his opponents had touted it as a proof that Ngige is desperate for power and as a result can do anything.
Ngige, who faced all manners of attack from political godfathers when he was governor then, had not shied away from this issue.
He has in various interviews in the past and in many fora, at the course of the current campaign, taken time to explain what happened then. In one of such interviews in the past, he said:
“I have not been desperate for power. I have given you the history of my journey. Perhaps I did not add that if you go and look at my track record, I was a federal civil servant and I was trained as a medical doctor. First of all, a good medical doctor is a very patient person. He must be patient to take your history as you walk in as a patient. The doctor should obtain 90 per cent of his diagnosis from history taking, conservatively call it 70 per cent, then the others through physical examination and then tests. I am a well-trained doctor, I was trained when medicine was well taught and I am patient. I worked in the Ministry of Health. I practised in the clinic for 15 years before moving into administration. I did administration for five years before I left the service. I am not a hustler for power and more importantly, I started from the primaries of my party. I was a foundation member of the PDP, I was nominated to be a minister by Dr. Alex Ekwueme but Obasanjo refused because they fought a bitter primaries in Jos and I was in Ekwueme’s camp, so I was blacklisted. I was the assistant national secretary of the party before I came back to contest the primaries for Senate in 2002/2003, then I was begged by Chief Audu Ogbeh and others.
“Even the Ubas came to beg me as a last resort. That they were my benefactors was because it was when they were begging me that I caved in to run. I gave conditions for going to run and the major condition was that I should be able to run the place unfettered and give good governance to my people in Anambra State. They were the people who breached the agreement by asking me to sign money for them; by asking me to allow them to appoint all the commissioners, special assistants, Aide de Camp, chief security officer and personal assistant. We had no such agreement.
“They breached that agreement, so I said okay, if you breach the agreement, then there is no agreement anymore. On the way, they noticed some resentment from me that showed that I was no longer happy with the journey. They said they needed loyalty. So, one of them suggested it (Okija) and they now formed themselves into a cabal. One night they said, ‘If you don’t go with us to Okija shrine, we will shoot (you).’ It’s only a living general that can tell the history of a war. If I was shot dead, the story could have been distorted. I have to be alive to be telling you this story. I asked them, ‘What should I do?’ They said, ‘Let us go to Okija shrine and I said okay, let’s go.’ When we got there, I noticed they didn’t have guns, then I said I wasn’t going in. One of them said he could swear for me, I said go ahead, so he did it for me. But I did not believe in what they were doing because I am a staunch Catholic. I am a knight of the Catholic Church, so I never listened to what they were saying, they were just fooling themselves.”
In the course of the campaigns, Ngige’s opponents had also blown some issues beyond proportion in a bid to discredit the APC governorship candidate. For example, as soon as he was declared a candidate, he was loudly held responsible for the alleged deportation of some Anambra State people from Lagos State to Onitsha. Given that Lagos is under an APC government, the campaign against Ngige has been that he is flying the flag of a party that hates Ndigbo.
Like in the other issues raised, Ngige has taken time to explain what went wrong. He explained how he investigated the matter, how he met Governor Babatunde Fashola to ascertain what really happened. According to him, Anambra State government also had its own fault as it did not respond appropriately when it was officially informed of the impending relocation. Other states involved, according to him, including some South-West states and others states in other zones, responded by confirming that the people to be relocated from Lagos were indigenes of their states. They also made proper arrangements to receive their people but Anambra State Government, he said, mishandled the matter, thereby creating a situation that made the relocated people, most of who were neither Anambra indigenes nor Ndigbo at all, at Upper Iweka in Onitsha. That notwithstanding Ngige also stoutly condemned the way some Lagos State officials handled the matter by dumping the people by the roadside, and therefore impressed it on Fashola to apologise to Anambra State and to Ndigbo, which he did openly.
Another issue that has been used by opponents against Ngige, in a bid to reduce his ever growing popularity, was the timing of his flag-off campaign in Onitsha, which coincided with the period of Ofala festival. This, according to reports, had angered the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Achebe. The Nation learnt however that the misunderstanding caused by that unfortunate development has since been resolved as Ngige is said to enjoy now, as has always been the case, a very warm relationship both with the Obi of Onitsha and his council.
There is also the issue of zoning, which the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance had made a campaign factor. APGA is campaigning that it is the turn of Anambra North to produce a governor for the state. The party followed it up by presenting a candidate from the senatorial zone and have consistently told whoever would listen that Ngige is not from that zone.
But from Ngige’s camp, and from other critics of APGA, the feeling is that besides the fact that Anambra State governor has never emerged through any zoning arrangement, zoning will only be genuine and acceptable if merit is considered and if the the people concerned are allowed to present their choice through a free and fair electoral process and not like the current situation where Governor Peter Obi of APGA allegedly imposed his candidate on the people.
Besides, Ngige, a former executive governor of the state, whose development records are still being applauded, said he needed to go back to the Government House in Awka to complete the projects he could not complete when his government was caught short.
His support base
Even before Ngige finally declared interest and emerged APC candidate, representatives of 26 market associations in Anambra State under the aegis of Anambra State Markets Amalgamated Traders Association (ASMATA), paid him a solidarity visit and threw their weight behind his candidature in the November election.
Citing what they described as “the senator’s track record as a former governor of the state, as well as his sterling performance as a senator in the National Assembly,” they said he deserved the support of ordinary citizens of the state as he has demonstrated his capacity and interest to fight their cause. In his response, Ngige had said: “Your visit to me today is a clear indication that the people of Anambra are not ingrates, that you do not forget one’s good actions. I remember that in my first stint as governor I did a lot for the markets and we achieved so much together, we built the necessary infrastructure, provided security, acceded to every of your welfare demands and ensured that you were neither harassed nor threatened in carrying out of your day to day activities.
“Let me assure you that I will do more if voted into office come November 16, 2013. I will ensure that the basic needs of the trader in Anambra will be met by my administration, we will take a look at the system of levies and where necessary we will revisit.”
Mr. Ikechukwu Okoye, a former Public Relations Officer of Electronics Onitsha, who responded on behalf of the delegates went further to highlight what he described as “the many achievements of the Ngige administration and how it touched the lives of the ordinary Anambra man and woman,” adding, “For this reason, we feel rest assured that the man in Senator Ngige has all it takes to govern Anambra State and deliver to the people the required dividends of democracy. Ngige has our votes.”
Ngige’s popularity amongst traders has further been confirmed since he emerged APC’s candidate. When he visited major markets in Lagos, the crowd of Anambra and Igbo traders that trooped out to welcome him was, according to Onyeka Udochukwu, a trader in the popular Ladipo Spare Parts Market, “unbelievable.” Describing the visit, he said, “Young men and ladies of Anambra descent could not hide their love as they trooped out in tens of thousands, dancing and rejoicing over the return of their hero. We know Ngige and will travel home in mass to vote him in,” he said.
Aside youths and women, who many believe constitute Ngige’s support base, recent events have confirmed the deep support he is enjoying from the clergy and the leaders of the Christian faith.
For example, on October 19, 2013, when the APC candidate paid visit to the Catholic Bishop of Nnewi, His Lordship Valerian Okeke and his Anglican counterpart, His Lordship, Most Rev. Dr. Godwin Okpala, the reception was also significantly warm. Eye witnesses to the meeting said there was visible excitement as the top clergymen received Ngige, who, it would be recalled won elections in the area, Nnewi, in both the governorship election in 2003 and senatorial election in 2011.
At Our Lady of Assumption Cathedral, Nnewi, Ngige solicited for the Bishop’s blessing which he got. He, in addition, got an overwhelming support and prayers of the parishioners.
An eye witness account said, “The presence of the APC candidate at the Cathedral that day generated great excitement among the parishioners who, it seems, did not know beforehand that he would be there also. So, when they saw Ngige, the entire visinity erupted in joy. It took great effort for the former governor to leave the place.
“Also, when he tried to exit the industrial town through Nkwo Nnewi triangle, so as to pay a courtesy visit on the Anglican Bishop of Nnewi, His Lordship, Most Rev. Dr. Godwin Okpala at the Bishop’s Court, Ngige also reportedly ran into an already cheering crowd of admirers, including Nkwo Nnewi displaced traders, artisans and jobless youths at the quadrangle.
” They danced and cheeered so much that even the presence of security details attached to the Senator failed to deter them from demonstrating their deep love and support. They sang his campaign jingles with ease, dancing joyfully and rushed for his posters. Many hours after he left, many were still waving brooms, singing, “again, Ngige is our man,” The moon shall shine again” APC Save Our Sour Soul.”
Endorsing APC candidate, Bishop Okpala said Ngige “proved himself as a good servant of the people when he was governor,” adding that he hopes he would perform better if voted into power again.
Reiterating that Ngige worked well when he was governor, Bishop Okpala noted that if it is the will of God for him to return to power, it will come to pass.
He also urged the masses to “vote for a candidate who would work for them and uplift the state.”
Apart from the two Bishops, many other Christian leaders and influential Christian groups have openly endorsed Ngige’s candidacy. For example, the Pastoral Council of Nnobi Episcopal Region, Umuoji, Idemili Local Government Area recently prayed for his victory at the election.
Rising from its meeting at Holy Family Catholic Church, Umuoji, the council prayed God to intervene and enable Ngige to emerge triumphant in election, reminding the APC candidate that a similar prayer was said for him during his senatorial election in which he emerged successful.
The Episcopal Vicar of the Region, Rev. Fr. John Anosike, in his remark described Ngige as “a known lover of Anambra State, whose public service records are indelible in the minds of the people.”
Ngige’s candidacy has also recieved blessings from numerous royal fathers, their council of elders and chiefs and other community leaders.
For example, when he visited the palace of his Royal Majesty, Charles Ezeudogu, the Igwe of Ichida, in Aniocha Local Government Area, his reception was not only warm but his endorsement was done openly both by the monarch and his council of chiefs.
This has consistently been the pattern whereever his campaign train sets its feet. For example, his visit to Obosi not only to campaign, but also to felicitate with the people of the community on the occasion of the Ofalla festival, was turned to some form of a political carnival.
Eyewitnesses confirmed that the route leading to the mini stadium was filled with crowd of people, a development that made it difficult even for the campaign train to ply, as everyone wanted to catch a glimpse of the APC candidate.”
Ngige soars
Given the overwhelming reception and acceptability of Ngige by the old and the young, the leaders and the people, wherever his campaign train has reached across Anambra State, close observers agree that the former governor and serving senator has not only soared above the mines his opponents have buried along his way to Awka Government House, but is poised to wear the crown.
Time is however ticking steadily and everyone is holding his breath in great expectation ahead November 16, when the people of Anambra State will make their final statement.
