In the past seven months, the Anambra South Senatorial District has been anticipating the day it would have a representative to replace late Sen Ifeanyi Ubah. OKEY MADUFORO looks at the long wait and its effects on the District
On that fateful day, the news broke that Sen Ifeanyi Patrick Ubah slumped and died in faraway United Kingdom. It indeed came as a shock to many in Anambra state and beyond that such a young vibrant man can die in his prime hence creating a vacancy at the Red Chambers as well as in Anambra South Senatorial District.
Since then, it is not clear if the Senate has been factoring in the fate of the District or not and the other sitting Senators don’t seem to be playing that comradeship role of protecting one of their own irrespective of party difference.
It has also been a ding dong affair between the Senate and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) each passing the blame of either not writing to announce that the seat of Anambra South Senatorial District is vacant, while the other party has not made any arrangements for the conduct of the election.
Recently the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Anambra State, Queen Elizabeth Agwu, while announcing the readiness of the body to conduct the gubernatorial election in the State failed to announce a date for that of Anambra South Senatorial District election.
“But for the Anambra South Senatorial District election and Onitsha North 1 Constituency election there is no notice for election yet and that one is on a shorter period. So, we will give notice for the two elections and it is a bye election in due course. As INEC our job is to prepare for elections and we are prepared for the three elections this year ” she said.
The Convener of Coalition Of Anambra South Progressives (COASP), Mr. Obi Chukwuemaka while addressing reporters in Awka, has lamented what he called the level of infrastructural decay and abandonment occasioned by the long wait for the bye election in Anambra South Senatorial District.
“We urge the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to ensure that the bye election is conducted in a free, fair and transparent manner. The Commission must provide a level playing field for all candidates and ensure that the will of the people is reflected in the outcome of the bye election.
“We also call on INEC to fix the date for the bye election within the next two months. Infrastructure is decaying in Anambra South while our youths and women yearn for empowerment, but because we do not have a representative in the Senate, we have no means to access what is due to us ” he said.
Challenges before Ubah’s successor
Apparently, the next Senator for Anambra South Senatorial District surely must be stepping into big shoes, in view of the sagacity of late Sen Ifeanyi Ubah at the Red Chambers. The coming senator of course not going as a ranking member has to go extra mile as a green horn to impress members of his Senatorial District.
Already across political parties, aspirants have indicated interests in the tickets of their respective political parties hence setting the stage for politicking. For the All Progressives Grand Alliance APGA it appears to be a roller coaster in the coming election since the District is Governor Charles Soludo Senatorial District as he must strive to protect his own.
Governor C Soludo has kept silent on who the candidate would be, maintaining that he has no preferred candidate while the party continues to celebrate bazaar in all the seven local government areas.
For the eventual lawmaker the stakeholders of the zone are demanding a full bride and independent person that shares the vision and mission of Sen Ifeanyi Ubah and has the capacity to hit the ground running immediately.
So far, five aspirants are in the race for the APGA ticket and the contest is getting interesting following the horse trading that is currently pervading in the party. Some of the contenders are:
Egwuonwu and fate of Nnewi South
Apparently one of the top contenders Chief Akai Egwuonwu may have the nod of the delegates but for yet another aspirant Chief Emma Nwachukwu from the same Nnewi South Local Government Area with Egwuonwu.
There has not been any effort by the two aspirants to interface and allow one aspirant to emerge from the local government area. This makes it more like a tall dream for him despite his capacity in the party and this is what Ebuka Onunkwo gained when Sir Jude Emecheta from Ekwusigo stepped down for him, hence ensuring a bulk vote from the Council area.
Ubajaka fighting for late brother’s seat
Ubajiaka is from the same Nnewi North Local Government area with late Sen Ifeanyi Ubah and he is indeed another heavy contender to the ticket of the party. He has been consistent in saying that his brother’s tenure must be completed by him hence insisting that the ticket should be zoned to Nnewi North Council Area.
He is sure of a substantial number of votes from the area given the fact that he has no other aspirant from the Council area.
Agbodike and Ihiala Agenda
Agbodike is currently a member of the Federal House of Representatives for Ihiala Federal Constituency and his argument is that the current Ihiala Local Government Area has not produced a Senator.
His contention appears valid but his traducers are of the view that Ihiala had its fair share under Sen Ifeanyi Eriobuna of the old Ihiala local government area. But his supporters insist that Sen Eriobuna is from Ihembosi town in the current Ekwusigo Local Government Area though as it were his ambition was an Ihiala Agenda.
Onunkwo and fate of Anambra South
From all indications, it is widely believed that the aspirant of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) Chief Ebuka Onunkwo, would not only emerge as candidate of the party but also winner of the bye election in the area.
So far to his credit, four political structures across the major political parties have collapsed into his organization, a development that has sustained apprehension among other aspirants across party lines.
Given this permutation it is the stronghold of Onunkwo which is the battlefield for the coming election such as Aguata, Orumba North and South local government areas.
According to the Old Aguata People’s Forum a pressure group that has been shadowing political activities in the area Convened by Prince Hypolite Okoli;
“We the three local government areas are the deciders and I want to tell you that the Old Aguata Union have spoken and Chief Ebuka Onunkwo is our man for Senate”
“We have in our fold and also in his support base the former local government Chairmen across political parties since the 1999 set as well as Councilors but serving and former in the wards of the seven local government areas ”
“Already other aspirants from other political parties have opened talks of alliance with the Chief Ebuka Onunkwo Campaign Organization and more are on their way ” he noted.
Similarly, the Old Nnewi Forum which appears to have been balcanised as all the aspirants are from Nnewi North, South, Ekwusigo and Ihiala local government area is being touted to be closing ranks for Ebuka Onunkwo.
It was gathered that at a crucial meeting at the instance of major stakeholders at the Senatorial District the political structure of late Sen Ifeanyi Ubah announced it’s collapse into Chief Ebuka Onunkwo hence giving Indications that even Gov Charles Soludo would surely ride on that crest during his own election.
According to the former Media Assistant to late Sen Ifeanyi Ubah Mr Kameh Ogbonna, they are yet to make a public pronouncement on where they are going in respect of the November 8th gubernatorial election in Anambra State.
“But as for that of the Senate it is Chief Ebuka Onunkwo all the way and that meeting was far reaching and it has nothing to do with which political party that one belongs to. It is purely Anambra South affairs and 70 per cent of Anambra South had collapsed into Onunkwo structure and we are still counting” he said.
It is believed that Chief Onunkwo knows that the challenges before him are humongous and has to rise to the occasion as late Sen Ifeanyi Ubah did even at his first term as a Senator which earned him a second term in office.
Political watchers are of the view, however, that having come from the private sector just like the Ifeanyi Ubah and having been a political gladiator in the past 20 years and has continued to shoulder the responsibility of not only building the socioeconomic status of the Senatorial District but a key player among the political class as well, he cannot afford to disappoint the District at the Red Chambers if all things being equal.
