The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on July 2 released the schedule of activities for Anambra State Governorship Election, 2013. As shown in the document released to journalists by the Anambra State office of INEC, the governorship election has been scheduled to hold on November 16.
INEC also fixed other activities that would take place before the election day of November 16 to include, commencement of campaign by political parties in public on August 18, last date for conduct of party primaries and resolution of disputes arising from the primaries fixed for September 2. Publication of personal particulars of candidates takes place on September 24, Last day for withdrawal by candidates/ replacement by political parties is fixed for October 2. Last day for the submission of nomination forms by political parties and publication of list of nominated candidates was equally fixed for October 17, while the last day for campaigns was fixed for November 15.
The release of time table of activities for the election and the election date represents a positive step towards conducting another governorship election in the state after the last election conducted in February 2010 was won by Governor Peter Obi as the All progressives Grand Alliance, APGA candidate. It is expected that with the election date now certain, the tempo of political activities would rise extensively as political parties and those seeking for their parties' tickets intensify their lobby.
Already, the list of political parties and candidates wishing to participate in the election has risen immensely, to the extent that hordes of hitherto moribund political parties and individuals with very weak political clout have invaded the major streets of Awka, Onitsha, Nnewi and other key towns where they have mounted billboards and party offices adorned with varying flags.
The veteran political parties that are gearing up for the election include, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, All Progressives Grand Alliance APGA, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) which have fused into All Progressives Congress (APC).
The list also include, the African Democratic Congress, Progressives Peoples Alliance, (PPA), Social Democratic Party, SDP, Kowa Party, United Progressives Party, (UPP), Peoples Progressives Party of Nigeria, Accord Party, New Nigeria Peoples Party, Labour Party and Advance Congress of Democrats, among others that are jostling for attention.
Apart from the political parties that have been positioning themselves for the election, there exists multitudes of candidates that have shown intention to contest for big post and many of who have been discreetly lobbying the key stakeholders in Anambra politics and party officials for support even as they fight for the ticket of their preferred parties.
The candidates who have shown strong interest in the election include the old brigades,many of who are regarded as strong contenders, and the new entrants, some of who have little chance of winning and who are apparently just there to bargain for appointment and favours from the successful ones at the end of the entire exercise.
The old brigades include, Dr Andy Uba,a senator who has since been lobbying to snatch the ticket of PDP, Dr Chris Ngige, former governor and ACN Senator who is being touted as the likely APC candidate, Chief (Mrs) Uche Ekwunife, an APGA member of the House of Representatives. She is fighting for the ticket of APGA. There is also Professor Chukwuma Soludo,he is also eyeing the PDP ticket, Dr Alex Obiogbolu is another key PDP ticket hopeful, Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu also a contender for the PDP ticket and Senator Emma Anosike also of the PDP.
The new entrants in the race include, Dr Ifeanyi Uba now hobnobbing with the Labour Party, Chief Godwin Ezeemo,a key financier and member of ACN,Mr Oseloka Obaze,the current Secretary to Anambra State government and a key contender for the ticket of APGA,Chief Chike Obidigbo, Chinedu Idigo,Chief Emma Nweke,Paul Odenigbo, Pat Obianwu,all these are contenders for the APGA ticket and Dr Ifeanyi Hygers of the CPC,among other numerous new entrants in to the governorship race. And,as more political parties and candidates show interest in the election,the pertinent questions borders on the issues of,what is their level of preparation and the chances of their candidates to win at the end of the contest?
Some of the parties, their preparedness:
Peoples Democratic Party
This is a party that has dominated the politics of Anambra State since 1999 when the new democracy took off. It produced Dr. Chinwoke Mbadinuju and Dr Chris Ngige as the governors who ruled the State from 1999 to 2003 and from 2003 to 2006 respectively. Its candidates have won key electoral positions at the Senate and House of Representatives. The PDP over the years had majority members in Anambra State House of Assembly, to the extent that it has produced all the speakers of the House, except the incumbent, Mrs Chinwe Nwaebili.
The fortunes of PDP in Anambra State started to decline after the abortive attempt to forcefully remove Chris Ngige from office. The abduction saga haunted the Party even to when Ngige was thrown out of office by the courts. And with the crisis persisting, it was clear that the battle among different factions fighting for the control of the party would affect its chances of winning the 2010 governorship election. Eventually, the election was held in February 2010 and PDP lost, as it was beaten by APGA's candidate, Peter Obi, who is now rounding off his second term.
Since the defeat of PDP in the governorship election of 2010,the Party has been dogged by dwindling fortunes. It does not have a fully recognised substantive State Executive Committee. The level of political socialisation in the party has been so low, that many of its leaders and members have discreetly joined the APGA and other contending parties.
The inactivity in PDP has persisted up to this period when another governorship election is fast approaching. Although, hordes of strong contenders like Andy Uba,Soludo, Obiogbolu, Obinna Uzoh are now jostling for its ticket,there is no strong group yet on the ground to mobilise the abandoned members and reposition the Party effectively for the coming electoral battle.Every thing about the State chapter of PDP,including how its gubernatorial candidate would be selected is now being allegedly done in Abuja, a development which has alienated and kept many of its members in darkness, as they do not know what is happening to the party. And with this trend persisting, it is doubtful whether the Party will perform very well against the incumbent, who is perfecting plan to have another APGA candidate succeed him.
All Progressives Grand Alliance
This is another key political party that has been struggling to effectively position itself for the scheduled governorship election for some months now. It was a less fancied party among political leaders in Anambra, at the inception of democracy in 1999, however, its fortunes began to rise when Obi took over power as governor in 2006,with the result that today its membership has been boosted by decampees from the major parties, like the PDP, ANPP,ACN and others.
In 2010,APGA under the control and leadership of Obi retained the governorship post having won the election held in February of that year. After winning the election and having been sworn-in for another four years in office, Obi kept busy plotting and executing developmental programmes that would make his government to be ranked highly among its contemporaries. The government matched on successfully with its ANIDS programme and by the beginning of last year, key stakeholders in the Party felt that it was high time APGA is reorganised and its leadership and membership widened to give it a national outlook, more so, the end of the tenure of Obi is fast approaching with the prospect of a fresh governorship election. Those who were working for the reorganization of the Party called for the resignation/removal of Chief Victor Umeh from his national chairmanship post to make the envisaged reorganization possible. Since this development, the party is now torn into two contending factions of those loyal to Obi and Umeh respectively.
The loyalists of Obi have been strenuously canvassing for the removal of Umeh from his position, while those supporting Umeh are bent on retaining him as National Chairman. The contending groups have taken their case to courts which gave varying judgments, the latest being the Court of Appeal Judgement which set aside the judgment of Enugu State High Court which initially sacked Umeh from his post.
Although the crisis tearing the Party apart has not been fully resolved, this fact has not prevented large number of aspirants from seeking to pick the ticket of APGA during the November election. So far, while Governor Obi is rooting for a candidate from the north to succeed him as governor, the National Executive Committee of the party led by Umeh has said they will throw the ticket of the party open to all the aspirants. It will be recalled that Umeh had upon his arrival from Enugu where he got a favourable Court of Appeal Judgement told anxious supporters at the Late Emeka Odumegwu- Ojukwu's compound in Nnewi that they will conduct a free, fair and credible congress for all the aspirants who are seeking the ticket of the party.
The feeling of most aspirants is that notwithstanding the prevailing crisis in the party, whoever gets the ticket of APGA, a party the incumbent governor is seriously promoting, stands a better chance of winning the governorship election. This is a presumption which veracity will be fully tested with time, even as the public watches with keen interest to see the extent those who control APGA would go in bringing unity to the party by reconciling the feuding members and leaders, who have crucial roles to play for the victory of the party during the gubernatorial election. The party is one of those being considered as likely to making a successful outing on the election day, more so, its major rivals, the PDP is still engulfed by endless crisis,while the ACN, ANPP and CPC are still involved in the merger process.
All Progressives Congress
Although the merger and fusion of CAN, ANPP and CPC into APC has not been fully actualised, they have since been preparing to present a common candidate who would hold the ticket of APC. And as the election approaches, APC is one of the key strong contenders for the governorship post.As part of its preparation for the election,t he two main aspirants in the party, Senator Ngige and Chief Godwin Ezeemo have been going around wooing voters and key interests groups in the state with sundry gifts. The strength of APC revolves mainly around Ngige and Senator Annie Okonkwo, both of who are well connected across the State. The Party stands a good chance of performing very well in the election, provided it puts its house in order and quickly constitute a common State Executive Committee that would mobilise the entire membership of the party, as well as map out and execute its campaign plan, when eventually campaigning in public starts. It is not yet clear who the party will field as its flag-bearer, however, one thing that is obvious is that, either Ngige or Ezeemo, both of who are very influential in the party, would likely at the end of it all, be selected as the flag bearer of APC.
Labour Party
Although it is one of the key political parties in Anambra jostling for public support and electoral position, its major problem is that its structure in Anambra for now is narrow as it does not have strong presence in all the 324 political wards of the State. However, its major strength lies in Dr Ifeanyi Uba, businessman and chairman of Capital Oil, who recently joined the party. It is expected that Uba with his vast empire would mobilise the party so that it could compete favourably with its contenders during the election.
