OKEY MADUFORO writes on the emergence of candidates for the forthcoming governorship election in Anambra State, following the conclusion of the primary elections of the leading political parties in the state
At a time that it seemed that established politicians in Anambra State have retired and that there are new kids on the block, the serial contenders have returned to their familiar terrain, following the emergence of Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu as candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), George Moghalu as candidate of Labor Party (LP) and the incumbent governor, Prof Charles Soludo, as candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
With such experienced politicians in the 2025 gubernatorial election in the state, there is no doubt that the stage is set for an interesting contest.
Soludo’s second term bid
For Governor Charles Soludo, it is his fourth missionary journey having made attempts for the governorship seat in 2010 on the platform of the PDP but could not make it.
Soludo tried his luck on the platform of APGA towards the end of the eight-year tenure of Peter Obi but was disqualified at the screening stage of the party ahead of the primary election.
His made another attempt during the second term bid of Willie Obiano but the then governor convinced him to drop his ambition with a promise of handing over to him after his second term Indeed, Obiano kept to his promise and backed Soludo as the candidate of the party and ultimately Soludo became the governor of Anambra state and now contesting for his second term.
Moghalu makes a come back
For the former National Auditor of the APC and ex-CEO/ MD of the National Inland Water Ways Authority (NIWA), it is yet another time to test his popularity and acceptability by Anambra electorate.
Moghalu contested in 2003 alongside Obi and Senator Chris Ngige on the platform of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) but lost.
He made yet another move 2014 under the platform of APC alongside Andy Uba but they lost the primary election to Tony Nwoye.
In the last gubernatorial election, Moghalu also threw his heart to the ring but couldn’t get the ticket of the party no thanks to the controversial primary election that produced Andy Uba. For the November governorship election, IMoghalu has emerged as the candidate of LP and is set for the battle.
Ukachukwu breaks the jinx
There is no doubt that it has not been easy for this former member of the Federal House of Representatives since after his victory as the lawmaker for Abuja Municipal.
He contested for Anambra South Senatorial District seat in 2003, which he won but the intriguing manner PDP godfathers dropped his name after the said election for Udochukwu Uba has remained a sad commentary for the party.
Ukachukwu alongside Ben Obi and Joy Emordi approached the election petitions tribunal over intraparty issues and the trio won their respective petitions.
At the Court of Appeal, the table turned against him while the duo had their way. In 2007, Ukachukwu joined the ANPP and became the candidate of the party but as it were the craze of Andimania had taken over the landscape of Anambra State hence he lost to Andy Uba who was then an aide to the then President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Still not deterred, he returned to the PDP to contest the primary election of the party and indeed he was the man to beat but till date Ukachukwu cannot explain how Nwoye upstaged him at the Alex Ekwueme Square, Awka, to clinch the ticket.
Since after the 2010 gubernatorial election, Ukachukwu appeared to have left politics for good and several younger politicians have taken over the centre stage. However, just last month, he made a come back and joined the APC and with the other aspirants of the party who had become more relevant than him Ukachukwu was never given a chance.
Then two weeks to the primary election of the party, reports had it that Ukachukwu may likely be the candidate of the party, and last weekend, he dusted high-flyers such as Prof Obiora Okonkwo, Sir Paul Chukwuma (who withdrew), John Bosco Onunkwo, Chuma Umeoji and a former gubernatorial candidate of the PDP, Valentine Ozigbo, to clinch the ticket of the party.
Era of horse trading
There are feelers that the PDP will also produce another old war horse irrespective of the fact that only one aspirant – Jude Ezenwafor – purchased its expression of interest and nomination forms.
It is believed that Ezenwafor, a feather weight in Anambra politics, is a place-holder for a likely candidate who will fly the PDP flag. It is also being touted that the likes of Obiora Okonkwo may approach him for the ticket of the party which he would ultimately accept to hand over during substitution of candidates.
Should that happen, it means another old war horse will complete the circle of old soldiers in the race but that is dependant on another feeler that Paul Chukwuma, who withdrew from the APC primary election may also try to contest on the PDP platform.
Before Ezenwafor purchased the nomination form of the PDP, he was a director in the Paul Chukwuma campaign organisation. Other political parties with lone ranger status have dusted their offices to receive the losers of the primary elections from the big parties as it is a common feature after every primary election in Anambra State.
Between experience and pedigree
No doubt, Soludo, Ukachukwu and Moghalu are very experienced politicians in their own stands and are not new to the electorate, they also have the required financial strength hence they are no push overs.
Similarly, they are all from Anambra South Senatorial District whose turn it is to produce the governor of the state and providence have always smiled at the state at the end of every primary election as the frontline contenders always come from the same senatorial district expected to produce the governor.
But what would indeed count is their pedigree in the management of human and material resources. For Ukachukwu; he is a businessman, making him a huge employer of labour.
His party, the APC, is at the centre and Ukachukwu believes that federal might would work in his favour in the coming election. For Moghalu, he has been in politics right from the military era and was a director in the late Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu campaign organisation in the old Abia State. He midwifed the formation of the then All Peoples Party (APP) that later became ANPP and was the longest serving national secretary of the party.
Like Ukachukwu, Moghalu is also a successful business man and has so much connection with Northern political leaders. The Labour Party which shook the foundation of the country in the last general election is one that has remained relevant and Moghalu hopes to leverage that in the coming election.
However, it is being feared that the leadership crisis rocking the party has decimated its strength. It is also not clear if the Obidient Movement would have the same steam that it had in the last general election. Soludo, on his part, is banking on APGA’s structures across the state, which has sustained the party’s strong hold on Anambra State. The party has produced three governors successfully and it appears that no other party can upstage it in the state.
APGA is a grassroot name in the state and all the past governors produced by the party delivered as promised hence making it pretty difficult for another party to have its way. Currently, Governor Soludo is the toast of the people due to his infrastructural development in the past three year.
The governor has paid his dues in politics and governance having served as governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria even as there is no doubt that most residents of the state are impressed with his achievements as governor so far. While others will be making promises of what they will do if elected, Soludo would be commissioning and flagging off projects. He also has countless achievements to flaunt.
The incumbency factor is also an aspect that would play out to his favour and the zoning arrangements is also to his advantage It is being agued that another governor from Anambra South, who would want to go for a second term, will giveAnambra South a three tenure of 12 years and denying Anambra Central its first term of four years. This, political watchers say, will distort the zoning arrangement in the state.
Also, against expectations that the APC is banking on federal might in the election, it is incontestable that such move has always ended up as an anti-climax.
Tony Nwoye was touted to win on federal might against Willie Obiano but then President Muhammadu Buhari looked the other way and APC lost .
As it stands, Governor Soludo is a member of President Bola Tinubu’s Economic Team and has been working with the APC government irrespective of party differences. But, the permutations and calculations, notwithstanding, it will surely be an interesting spectacle as the old political forces take on each other in the Anambra governorship.
