By Ambrose Okeke

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was first reported to the World Health Organisation (WHO) on December 31, 2019, in Wuhan, China. The Federal Ministry of Health (FMofH) confirmed the first coronavirus index case in Lagos State, on February 27, 2020.

On March 30,  the Nigerian government announced a 14-day lockdown of Lagos State, Ogun State and the Federal Capital Territory (FTC) Abuja to curb the spread of the virus in the country.

On April 11, Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State announced a total lockdown of the state following the confirmation of a suspected COVID-19 index case.

Lacking on the lockdown announced by both the Federal Government and Anambra State Government was the absence of palliative measures to mitigate the negative impact of the lockdown on the citizenry. Nigeria being a country with no social security for the people, announced a lockdown in the absence of palliatives for the people.

Consequently, people started seeing the lockdown as punitive rather than preventives measures. People were ready to take all the necessary risks in other to survive rather than to allow fear and hunger precipitated by coronavirus to overwhelm them.

Such was the situation in Anambra State where over 80% of the people are businessmen and businesswomen. The state government announced a lockdown without any palliative measures, was insensitive on the part of the government. The responsiveness on lockdown alleviation by the APGA-led government in the state was unfortunate. This threw up a challenge that may decide negatively the fate of APGA in Anambra State, at the 2021 governorship election.

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However, while APGA was slumbering and misfiring on lockdown alleviation responsiveness, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the main opposition party in the state took up the challenge. The party and its members were providing palliatives collectively and individually showing the party’s readiness to challenge and wrestle power from APGA in 2021 governorship contest.

As Anambra 2021 governorship election draws closer, one good thing that happened to PDP amidst Covid-19 pandemic was the ability of the party bigwigs to jettison individual politicking and embrace a united front.

The pandemic rather united the party, and if PDP can manage this unity that Covid-19 bestowed on them during the 2021 governorship contest, then they would successfully challenge APGA and move into the Government House, Awka.

Anambra State PDP under the leadership of Sir Ndubisi Nwobu was so united that Mr Peter Obi, former governor of Anambra State and the Vice Presidential candidate of the PDP in the 2019 general elections and some members of the party members in the state were able to come together and donated N125 million to the PDP to provide palliatives to Ndi Anambra.

Before this whooping donation, some individuals in the party who are aspiring to win the party’s ticket for Anambra 2021 governorship election were already providing palliatives on their individual capacities. Notable amongst these aspirants are: Hon. Amb Vincent Ike Oligbo, Dr Godwin Maduka and Sen. Uche Ekwunife.

Ike Oligbo was phenomenal during the early peak of Covid-19 in Anambra State.  Of all the PDP aspirants, he was the one who personally and directly identified with the masses in the campaign against Covid-19.

It is worthy of note that under the auspices of his Hon. Amb Ike Oligbo Foundation, he flagged off his awareness and sensitization campaign against Covid-19 at Eke Awka on April 1, 2020.

This was even before Gov. Obiano announced total lockdown in Anambra State on April 11, 2020. Oligbo sensitised the masses to the reality of Covid-19 and identified precautionary measures as well as sharing Covid-19 preventive kits which included face masks, sanitizers and hand gloves.

Thereafter, the medical team of his Foundation took the sensitization and sharing of Covid-19 preventive kits to the 21 local governments in Anambra State. The man was so active in his efforts that an admirer said: “Oligbo is a leader who leads from the front.  In him, Anambra shall be better”.

Dr Godwin Maduka, Okosisi, was also outstanding during lockdown responsiveness. Though he was not in the country he didn’t fail to do what he does best – providing succour to people. Of all the PDP aspirants he was the only one who shared palliatives: rice, face masks, sanitizers, etc. to all the 181 communities and 326 wards in Anambra State.

Senator Uche Ekwunife Iyom, as usual, was exceptional, she was the first person and the first woman to kick off Covid-19 awareness campaign. She started with an awareness campaign and sharing of Covid-19 preventive kits and finally other palliatives in the form of indomie noodles, tubers of yam, etc.

These trios of ODO governorship aspirants, Oligbo, Maduka and Ekwunife have exhibited extraordinary leadership qualities that with any of them as PDP flag bearer in Anambra 2021 governorship election coupled with the pervading unity presently in Anambra State, PDP, Agu Awka will be victoriously secured.  I say this, because, of all the opposition parties in Anambra, only PDP and her members have shown real hunger to occupy Agu Awka in 2021. To achieve this success, the PDP must avoid their avowed enemy – implosion after the primary contest.

Parties like YPP, APC and especially APGA are waiting for this implosion in PDP. The candidacy of Prof. Chukwuma Soludo who is favoured to emerge APGA candidate in 2021, coupled with the incumbency disposition of APGA, will be tough a challenge but surmountable if PDP can resolve its differences.

Sen. Patrick Ubah of YYP is not a pushover either. He has been in the business for more than a decade and has justified his political dexterity and determination with a senatorial victory with a non-popular party, YYP in 2019. Sen. Patrick Uba must be taken seriously.

APC, though not really visible in Igbo land, especially in Anambra State cannot be wished away. A party that came second during the last governorship election in Anambra State in 2017 has shown their willingness to occupy Agu Awka. With aspirants like Chief George Moughalu, a former National Auditor of APC and the current MD of National Inland Water Authority, NIWA, and Hon. Dozie Nwankwo, a member of the House of Representatives, representing Njikoka/Anaocha/Dunukofia Federal Constituency of Anambra State, the party may present a formidable challenge in 2021.

*Okeke, PhD, a political and social commentator, writes from Asaba, Delta State.

Vanguard