With the emergence of political parties governorship candidates in the off-season Anambra gubernatorial poll scheduled for November 6 this year, the political temperature in the state is hitting up to the extent that many assume that, if not checked, it may literally contribute to global warming. Even those in Imo towns bordering Anambra are already feeling the heat of Anambra governorship politics ahead of the titanic battle of the giants.
The joke aside, the main topical issue now is that Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Valentine Ozigbo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Andy Uba of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and some others have emerged as their party’s flag bearers in the only off-cycle election for the year. Barring any last minute hitches, all of them will participate in the fierce electoral contest to determine who among them will occupy the Government House in Awka. In this contest, as in previous ones, no candidate should be underrated. Every one of them stands a chance to win the poll. Good enough, all of them are from the South, which in keeping with Anambra power rotation arrangement will likely produce the next governor of the state after Willie Obiano.
Although some of the parties primaries ended in confusion and produced more than one candidate in a party, that has been the nature of some party primaries in Anambra and other states since we embraced multi-party democracy in 1999. It is one of the characteristics of our own brand of democracy. It is likely that some of the parties may enter the poll with two or more candidates considering the galaxy of stars that feature in the exercise. Let’s hope that the major parties such as APGA, APC and PDP will put their acts together to avoid being in this trap. It is time to stop the courts determining who wins in an electoral contest. Let the voters decide who wins and not the courts.
The contentious factional primaries can be traced to the rat race to get the plum job many believe has enormous power and prestige. The ‘do or die’ primaries in some political parties stems from the fact that in Anambra State, there are many men of means, men of timber and caliber, who can throw their weight behind any particular candidate. With their deep pockets, they can bulldoze their way and produce parallel candidates for the poll. Some participants also see politics as a business venture with higher returns on investment, while others see it as a vehicle to serve the people and develop the state. Unfortunately, the latter are very few.
For Soludo, the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and a recurring face in Anambra politics, this must probably be one of his happiest moments having clinched the much coveted APGA ticket at a time it mattered most. Soludo is coming to the Anambra political scene adequately prepared for the job. This is not his first attempt to target the plum job. Soludo made a First Class honours degree in Economics in 1984 from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN). He later got his MSc in 1987 and PhD in the same discipline in 1989 from UNN. He was appointed a professor of economics at UNN in 1998. Soludo was also appointed as the Chief Economic Adviser to former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Chief Executive of the National Planning Commission of Nigeria. His tenure as the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) witnessed the restructuring of the sector for more efficiency. His capitalization policy in the sector prevented the collapse of many banks. His past efforts to win the gubernatorial election in the state under the banner of PDP did not succeed. He later moved from the PDP to the APGA. As the flag bearer of APGA, Soludo is one of the best candidates for the November 6 exercise.
For Ozigbo, who is a first timer, he must also be celebrating this moment for it is not easy to reach thus far for a beginner in politics, especially Anambra politics where the stakes are always high and their brightest people are featured. Ozigbo studied Accountancy at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He also got an MBA in Banking and Finance from UNN in 1994, and an MSc in Finance from the Lancaster University, United Kingdom.
He is also a chartered accountant. But he is coming into politics with many years of experience in the corporate world. As the immediate past President and Chief Executive Officer of Transnational Corporation of Nigeria Plc (Transcorp), Ozigbo is adequately made to manage the affairs of Anambra State if elected. Besides, he was also the Managing Director and Chief Executive of Transcorp Hotels Plc. All this has exposed him to the efficient management of men and resources. His 17 years experience in the banking sector having worked with NAL merchant Bank, Diamond Bank and others will come into play if he wins the poll.
For Andy Uba, it is a familiar turf. He has been there before and he knows the terrain. All the same, he should be happy to be counted among the hot contenders to the diadem. Uba is a well known face in Nigerian politics since 1999. He was appointed Special Assistant on Special Duties and Domestic Affairs to President Olusegun Obasanjo. He was elected the governor of Anambra State in 2007. The victory was challenged by former governor Peter Obi based on the fact that his tenure which began on March 15, 2006 was yet to be completed before that poll and the courts obliged him. Since then, he has been operating from the senate to run for gubernatorial polls in the state. Based on his political experience and exposure, Uba is duly qualified for the post.
One feature of Anambra politics which other states in the South East zone must copy is the quality of governorship aspirants and candidates. No other state in the zone has reached the Anambra standard in terms of producing world-class candidates in gubernatorial polls. From past governors in the state, especially Dr. Chris Ngige and Chief Peter Obi, Anambra’s governance template has been there before and Governor Willie Obiano has also raised the bar higher with his people-centred administration and governance model. Anambra has good roads, health institutions, schools and workable governance systems to show since 1999 that the current political dispensation came into existence. Anambra can boast of the best rural roads network in the South East geo-political zone, thanks to good governance and people-centred leadership.
For the lucky candidates for the Anambra November 6 poll, the stakes are so high and the expectations are equally very high. Past leaders in the state have set high records of achievements and what the people of Anambra State expect now is someone who can surpass the past ones and never someone who will perform below them.