As the November 18 date for the Anambra governorship election approaches, the three key competing political parties, namely, the All Progressives Grand Alliance, the Peoples Democratic Party, and the All Progressives Congress, are set to re-enact their old rivalry in the ensuing struggle for the control of the state, having now concluded their respective party primaries.
Already, Governor Willie M.Obiano bears the flag of APGA, while Oseloka H.Obaze has already won the PDP primary. Tony Nwoye, who hails from Nsugbe, emerged as the candidate of APC, after defeating Senator Andy Uba and six others in a tension-soaked primary election that took place in Awka last week.
The APGA candidate and the incumbent governor, Obiano hails from Aguleri; while Obaze, the candidate of PDP, is a native of Ogbaru. Tony Nwoye, who won the APC primary, hails from Nsugbe. It is expected that each of these communities would struggle to see their ‘son’ to victory, notwithstanding the fact that each of the successful candidates is still contending with pockets of opposition from some members of his party.
As Wike was sounding optimistic about PDP victory, the APC notched up their preparation for the contest with the election of Nwoye, an experienced politician, as its governorship candidate. Nwoye, who ran for the same position in 2015 on the ticket of PDP and lost, is expected to use his experience to give APGA the greatest political battle of their lives
CANDIDATES’ MINUSES
It should be noted that Obiano is still contending with the challenges coming from a faction of APGA led by Martin Agbaso, a group that went to Ezira in Orumba South Local Government area and allegedly selected Dr Hygers Igwebuike as its own gubernatorial candidate, to counter the candidacy of Obiano. It is not yet clear how far the Agbaso faction would go in their new adventure, as the national leadership of APGA has given full support to the candidature of Obiano.
It is the same problem for Nwoye of the APC, considering the alleged protest by some interest groups in APC, which were reported to have rejected his emergence as the candidate of the party at the end of its primary election in Awka.
Similarly, Obaze who served as Secretary to Anambra State Government under Peter Obi and the incumbent Governor Willie Obiano before he resigned for undisclosed reasons, is also facing own challenges from key members of the PDP, who felt that their preferred candidates were cheated in the course of the primary election of the PDP.
PARTIES AND THEIR STRATEGIES
However, the victorious candidates of APGA, APC and PDP have swung into action, making overtures to those that have been challenging and questioning their candidacy in the November election. The APGA chieftains who spoke on the issue of their preparation for the contest said that they were not leaving anything to chances, adding that they would not allow opponents of APGA to rig the election, no matter the pressure. The greatest opponent of APGA in this contest being PDP, a party which the APGA defeated in 2003, 2010 and 2015 is being prodded to the battlefront by the former Governor of Anambra State, Mr Peter Obi.
The PDP is fielding Obaze, an Obi loyalist as its candidate at a time the former governor is bent on delivering his party to victory, just like he delivered Obiano to victory in 2013.
Speaking on the chances of PDP in the coming election shortly after casting his vote during the primary election, a member of the House of Representatives, Chief Ben Nwankwo, said the PDP had a task to accomplish and that they would win the election if they were able to form a consensus. The Anambra State Caretaker Committee Chairman of the PDP, Prof. ABC Nwosu, who spoke to journalists at the commencement of the Ward congresses and primary election, gave an indication on their readiness for the contest, saying that they were on a rebuilding mission. Nwosu, who spoke to journalists in Awka, maintained that PDP had many ‘Goliaths’ that are working against the victory of its candidate.
Signs that the PDP took the coming election seriously began to emerge when the governors of River State, Nyesom Nwike, and his Ekiti State counterpart, Ayo Fayose, addressed party chieftains and their supporters at the party headquarters in Awka, few hours to the commencement of the already concluded ward congresses that took place in the 326 political wards of Anambra on August,2.
“We must work together and put our differences aside and make sure that the PDP take over the State. Let PDP be strong and win the governorship election. Nobody can stop us here because PDP owns Anambra State,” Wike stressed.
And as Wike was sounding optimistic about PDP victory, the APC notched up their preparation for the contest with the election of Nwoye, an experienced politician, as its governorship candidate. Nwoye who ran for the same position in 2015 on the ticket of PDP and lost, is expected to use his experience to give APGA the greatest political battle of their lives, more so as he is contesting under the party that is in charge at the Federal level. Nwoye is currently a member of the House of Representatives and a former PDP chieftain.
THE LESSER PARTIES
Other parties in the contest include PPA, with Chief Godwin Ezeemo, an international business man and publisher of ORIENT DAILY, a newspaper, as its candidate. The UPP too is fielding a former minister, Chief Osita Chidoka, who is a new entrant in the Anambra State governorship contest. Chidoka hails from Obosi in Anambra Central Senatorial Zone and it is expected that most Idemili people will vote for him in line with their “idenna” policy that binds them together as brothers; while Ezeemo who hails from Umuchu, Anambra South Senatorial Zone, will be banking so much on the support of people from the Old Aguata Union.
There is no doubt that the less fancied parties drawn from PRP, ID, ACDA, AD, Labour Party and ADC, among others, together with their candidates, are being positioned for effective bargaining and the endorsement of the eventual winner at the end of the contest, especially where the outcome of the election becomes contentious, a trend that has been the practice in Anambra State over the years.
