The battle for the Anambra Central Senatorial seat has moved some of the strongest political machines in the state into overdrive

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

WHEN the national chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Chief Victor Umeh, declared his intention to vie for the senatorial seat for Anambra Central, the other two major political parties in Anambra State, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and All Progressives Congress, APC, knew that they had to present equally credible candidates to match his popularity.

It was therefore not surprising that soon after Umeh’s declaration, both the PDP and APC went to the drawing board to source for candidates that could give the APGA candidate a good fight.

For the PDP, six persons have lined up and all things being equal, one of them will fly the party’s flag for the Anambra Central senatorial zone. The PDP people in the race are Prince Victor Ezenwa, Senator Annie Okonkwo, Mr. Obiorah Okonkwo, Mr. Sylvester Okonkwo, Mrs. Uche Ekwunife and Mr. Kodilichukwu Okelekwe.

Victor Umeh

Ezenwa, the son of the second republic deputy governor of old Anambra State, Chief Austin Ezenwa, was secretary to the Anambra State Government, SSG, under former Governor Chinwoke Mbadinuju who governed the state from 1999 to 2003,  Before then, he had served as chairman of Njikoka local government area.

Recently, he told political stakeholders in the zone at his Abagana country home that his decision to join the race followed the wide consultations he made on the matter.

Governorship primaries

Another PDP aspirant is Chief Kodilichukwu Okelekwe who has remained loyal to PDP even when he was stopped from participating in the party’s governorship primaries after paying all the required fees in 2010. Some of his colleagues who were so badly treated left the party and later rejoined. For his consistent party loyalty, many PDP chieftains say he is the kind of senator the party needs.

Mrs. Uche Ekwunife is also aspiring to go to the senate on the platform of PDP. The two –term member of the House of Representatives is said to be favoured to clinch the ticket based on gender consideration. It was gathered that the federal lawmaker is getting the ears of the Nigerian First Lady who is believed to be clearing the envisaged obstacles on the way for her. Her only problem may be her penchant for changing political parties which, some people say, portrays her as an opportunist.

Like Ekwunife, Senator Annie Okonkwo has been jumping from one political party to the other just to remain relevant. He was PDP senator, after which he went to ACN and later APC and also romanced with APGA at some point before recently going back to PDP. The other two Okonkwo’s, Sylvester and Obiora, are new in the race, though both have enormous resources to prosecute their campaigns if nominated by their party.

For the APC, Senator Chris Ngige remains the sole aspirant for now, even as he is not forthcoming on whether he would vie for the position in 2015 or not.

Chris Ngige

With what is on ground in the senatorial zone, it is obvious that the fear of Umeh of APGA is the beginning of wisdom, and that is what has made the race in Anambra Central unique. For instance, in the seven local government areas that make up the senatorial zone, Umeh’s loyalists are totally in charge as elected local government chairmen and councilors.

To many of them, electing Umeh to go to senate is a pay back time and they are not pretending about it. It is therefore not surprising that no other aspirant has emerged from APGA to challenge him and while the other political parties are struggling to secure their parties’ tickets, Umeh is looking beyond party primaries and setting up campaign structures.

Besides, youths from the senatorial zone, irrespective of their political affiliation, are rooting for him because apart from being a house hold name in the state, they believe he would be an outspoken and quality senator.

It was gathered recently that if there is one senatorial zone where PDP might not put in much effort in 2015, it is Anambra Central because the ruling PDP at the federal level was said to have decided to compensate APGA and Umeh with the seat for deciding to support President Goodluck Jonathan in 2011 and in the forthcoming election.

However, the recent defection of the former governor of the state, Mr. Peter Obi who is from the same Anaocha local government area with him from APGA to PDP, and the pockets of opposition from those who lost out during the nomination of candidates for local government election conducted last year in the state, Umeh should watch out for the unexpected because, as they say, politics can be unpredictable sometimes.

While some politicians, especially those in opposition, are faulting the Independent National Electoral Commission’s preparations for the 2015 general elections, Umeh is optimistic that INEC is on the right course.

He said: “The first stage towards achieving free, fair and credible election is by empowering the electorate with their voters’ cards which is what INEC is doing successfully.

In the past, voters were finding it difficult to cast their votes and we have observed that in the present exercise, everybody that came with his or her old voters’ card found their permanent card, which is very commendable.”