As Anambra State looks forward to its governorship election on 6th November, the All Progressives Congress is gradually gaining acceptability in the state, writes David-Chyddy Eleke
The All Progressives Congress (APC) is one party that could be said to have been totally rejected in Anambra State before now. Though it had very determined members, who were mostly supporters of the Minister for Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige. This cult-like following for Ngige was transferred to the party, but even at that, they were not in substantial number to make any impact in the state.
In the 2017 governorship election in Anambra State, not even the fielding of a young, determined and relatively popular and acceptable candidate like Dr Tony Nwoye could give them victory. The two dominant political parties in the state, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), had first poisoned the minds of the citizens with the information that APC was a northern party. They didn’t stop there, during the very heat of the onslaught against the country by the dreaded Boko Haram sect, the real campaign was that APC was not only a northern party, but a Boko Haram party.
This accounts for why, even in 2019 when President Muhamdadu Buhari won re-election, the only state in the South-east that totally rejected Buhari and his APC was Anambra State. The party did not only score a ridiculously low number of votes, it could not even produce a member in the state house of assembly, let alone a House of Representatives member or a member in the Senate.
The party is not unmindful of this bad image among the people of Anambra. To reverse this ill fortune, it has been steadily pushing for a positive change
Gradually, it seems there is going to be light at the end of the tunnel, as it has started gaining recognition among the people of the state.
As the date for the governorship election draws near, the party has gained enough followership that it is already basking in the hope that it will constitute the next government in the state, after the tenure of Governor Willie Obiano expires in March 2022. The party has drawn members from all parts of the state, and also marshaled out strategies for winning more members and strengthening the party for the battle ahead.
In a recent special stakeholders meeting held in Awka, leaders of the party brainstormed on how they can win Anambra State. To them, it was a time to tell themselves some home truth on why they have long remained unpopular in the state, and what could be done to help them win the forthcoming election. The chairman of the party in the state, Chief Basil Ejidike first set the tone for the meeting by stating clearly in his welcome address some of the challenges of the party, calling for the support of its stakeholders and national leaders.
He stated that the party lacked funding, insisting that the party in the state has been run on the pockets of some of its executive members who are already feeling the weight. He said, “This has adversely affected the running of the party. A high powered committee of committed elders has been set up to explore avenues of sustaining the party financially. There is no steady source of revenue for the daily activities and sustenance of the party. As chairman of the party, I personally pay the drivers, security aides, official aides, official travels and other official engagements of the party from my personal funds. This is also applicable to other officials of the party.”
Hon Tony Nwoye, a governorship aspirant of the party in his own address called on the leader of the party in the state to reach out to the party at the national level for support if the election must be fully prosecuted. He insisted that if the party continued to run the way it does, it would not be able to win the governorship election in the state.
“This is a special meeting where we need to tell ourselves the truth. Our leader, Dr Chris Ngige must play the role of a leader. He has to reach out to the party at the national for us to get the resources to discharge the election creditably. Let us tell ourselves the truth, we had the least votes in Nigeria for the presidential election and we had no Senate, House of Representatives or House of Assembly candidate who won in 2019 election. If we must grow, we must eschew all the past acrimonies and tell ourselves the truth and chart a course as to how we can win the forthcoming election.”
Also, Paul Chukwuma the immediate past national auditor of the party and Emma Anosike, a former senator representing Anambra North zone reiterated calls on Dr Ngige to speak to the national leadership of the party for them to “water the ground well for the party to be able to function in the forthcoming election”.
Anosike said, “I have never seen a party that is in power at the national level, but when there is election here (Anambra), we are given money from back pocket to prosecute it, but when there is election in other states in other regions of the country, they give money from front pocket. If they do not want us to be a part of the election, they should tell us early enough so we go and rest.”
Having frankly analyzed the problem of the party and jointly agreeing to tackle it, the party may be set to overcome them and also win over the state. Already, unlike before, there is a growing number of members flocking into the party, just as its aspirants are already growing by the day. In what can be said to be an all-time unprecedented high, the party already has at least 10 governorship aspirants, all of who are quality candidates, with the capacity to prosecute and win their elections, and also to govern the state.
Among the aspirants are; Barr Ben Etiaba, Dr Amobi Nwokafor, Hon Azuka Okwuosa, Dr George Moghalu, Paul Orajiaka, Dr Chidozie Nwankwo, Engr Johnbosco Onunkwo, Senator Andy Uba, Arc Geoff Onyejekwe and Hon Tony Nwoye.
The aspirants all exude confidence not just that the party has the capacity to win the election, but that each of the aspirants has a large support base that has been brought into the party to boost its numerical strength, just as they are also known to have the financial muscle to individually prosecute and win their elections. One of the aspirants for example, Dr Chidozie Nwankwo, an industrialist and businessman who recently declared to run for governor on the platform of the party has swelled the strength of the party, both in number, acceptability and resources.
The very popular businessman who is the CEO of Wichtech Industries, makers of roofing tiles is also a philanthropist whose wealth has touched a number of people in the state, transforming into his popularity. In a recent event, Nwankwo said as the party prepares to start membership registration, he would bring all his supporters to register for the party.
He told THISDAY recently that he was in the race to win, and that no stone would be left unturned to achieve it. “Just watch, you will see that the APC will form the next government in Awka. Then, you will know that I am a man of God. I don’t say things that don’t happen. Going forward, there will be change in the ruling party. APGA will not form the next government of Anambra State. That will let you know that I am not just an ordinary aspirant. Yes! And that has been my life. I don’t go into things that I am not convinced about. If you ask people who know about me, they will tell you,” he stated.
The businessman turned politician described himself as a very innovative person who thinks ahead of time, and that such attribute has helped him to pioneer his chains of businesses. “Go and check, everything that I have ever done, I add lots of innovation to it. When I started selling these roof tiles, nobody knew about it in Nigeria. But today, it is the in-thing everywhere. I have always thought ahead. The paint I am selling today, this paint is the first in human history that silicon base is used to make paints. There are some technological innovations that have never been used in any paint before. So, I always like to drive things. I study situations ahead of time.”
The industrialist who sits atop chains of industries across seven countries of the world promised to bring his full financial worth to bear in ensuring that his ambition to be Anambra governor was prosecuted to a logical conclusion. “I am a very busy person. If people had come to beg me to contest for this election, I would not have accepted, but I received a divine call to come and liberate Anambra people. I have decided to leave my business to come and grow Anambra. I know that my businesses will suffer while I govern Anambra, but it is the price I must pay for this state,” he said.
Already, the national leadership of the APC has started showing interest in adding Anambra State to the number of APC states in the South east. At a South east stakeholders meeting held last week, the duo of Imo State governor, Sen. Hope Uzodinma and the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu said there is no possibility that the All Progressives Congress (APC) would lose the Anambra State government house.
Uzodinma who addressed party faithful said, “We will win Anambra State in the November election. At the appropriate time, the forces will be mobilised to do the battle. We are working on reconciliation of aggrieved members and in the end victory shall be ours.”
Onu in his own address said, “The venue of this meeting is very symbolic. It is just steps away from the Anambra State government house, and we know why it is so. This will constantly remind us the journey to the government house. I want to remind our party’s aspirants that all of them are very qualified to be governor of Anambra State, and I want to also remind them at the same time that only one person can be the governor at a time. It is better for them to work for the party to win the election than insisting on being the ones to win. There is a lot is benefit in the party winning, than letting another party win. Of course, there is no way APC can lose the Anambra government house with the resources; material and human that we have in this party. We must all bear that in our minds,” Onu assured the party.
QUOTE
Having frankly analyzed the problem of the party and jointly agreeing to tackle it, the party may be set to overcome them and also win over the state. Already, unlike before, there is a growing number of members flocking into the party, just as its aspirants are already growing by the day. In what can be said to be an all-time unprecedented high, the party already has at least 10 governorship aspirants, all of who are quality candidates, with the capacity to prosecute and win their elections, and also to govern the state.
Among the aspirants are; Barr Ben Etiaba, Dr Amobi Nwokafor, Hon Azuka Okwuosa, Dr George Moghalu, Paul Orajiaka, Dr Chidozie Nwankwo, Engr Johnbosco Onunkwo, Senator Andy Uba, Arc Geoff Onyejekwe and Hon Tony Nwoye. The aspirants all exude confidence not just that the party has the capacity to win the election, but that each of the aspirants has a large support base that has been brought into the party to boost its numerical strength
