Governorship seats: A flurry of aspirants eye Anambra, Ekiti
As the administrations of Governors Willie Obiano and Kayode Fayemi of Anambra and Ekiti States draws to a close, the battle for who succeeds them have intensified.
Governor Obiano tenure will end in March 22, 2022 while Governor Fayemi tenure ends on October 16, 2022.
In Anambra, the battle for who succeeds Obiano from the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) has intensified.
Although the election is about 10 months away, the battle for the soul of the Anambra state has increased going by the January 19, 2021 timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for political parties participating in the election to hold their primaries between June 10 and July 21, 2021, while the governorship election is slated to hold on November 6.
Hitherto, political party offices, which before now, were dormant, have become a beehive of activities in the state.
Among the top contenders are highly successful professionals, business tycoons, technocrats and career politicians.
Presently, more than 40 sons and daughters of the state have signified their intentions to battle for the top job. While the numbers will certainly decrease as parties conduct their primaries in June and July this year as directed by INEC, a few of the contenders stand out for their rare combination of experience, passion, competence and youthfulness.
Investigation by showed that only a former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Chukwuma Charles Soludo, is being touted as a contender for the APGA governorship ticket.
However, the situation is not the same in the APC and the PDP, as no fewer than three persons each have thrown their hats into the ring in the two opposition parties.
Those who have so far indicated an interest in the APC include a renowned businessman, Dr. Chidozie Nwankwo; Johnbosco Onunkwo, a sequential governorship aspirant; Senator Andy Uba; and the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), George Moghalu.
In the PDP, those who have so far shown interest in the race include Senator Uche Lilian Ekwunife, Dr Ifedi Okwenna, Dr Obiora Okonkwo, and a former Chief Executive Officer of Transcorp Nigeria Plc, Valentine Ozigbo.
Since leaving his top job at the CBN in May 2009, Soludo has made two failed attempts to run for governorship in Anambra. In 2009, the PDP picked him as its consensus candidate in a field of about 47 candidates.
His bid, however, failed following an inconclusive primary that ended up with court injunctions. His effort in 2013 after joining APGA also failed.
Senator Uche Ekwunife is an experienced politician and a veteran in governorship contests in Anambra State.
In 2007, she contested under PDP for Njikoka/ Anaocha/Dunukofia Federal Constituency and won.
Again, in 2010, she contested for the governorship position of the state on the platform of Progressive People’s Alliance (PPA), while still a member of the House of Representatives.
The gender and the zoning issues in PDP could be an issue in her way to Government House, Awka.
Ifeanyi Uba, currently, a senator of the Federal Republic, can safely be described as a veteran of governorship contests in Anambra State.
He contested under the Labour Party in 2013 and failed. He tried under PDP in 2017 unsuccessfully before defecting to APGA. He was, however, successful following his contest for the Senate on the platform of YPP. He has since indicated interest in the governorship contest for 2021.
He lacks political flair, but has proven to be no pushover, as he defeated some known political giants on his way to the Senate in 2019.
Moghalu and Uba are old warhorses in Anambra politics. Moghalu first contested the governorship in 2003 on the platform of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP).
He has remained consistent in politics since his days in the ANPP, which merged with other parties to form the APC in 2014.
Uba, on the other hand, was a PDP stalwart and served as an aide to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo for eight years. He contested the governorship position in 2007 and was declared the winner by INEC.
He, however, governed the state for a few days as his election was later nullified by the Supreme Court.
He served as Senator on two different occasions, first on the platform of the PDP and later on the platform of the APC.
Johnbosco and Chidozie, who are new entrants into the governorship race, equally have their support bases among the ordinary folks in the state.
In Ekiti State, the battle for who succeeds Fayemi from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) has not yet in intensified.
Only former Governor Segun Oni and a PDP chieftain in Ekiti, on Monday, said that he would re-contest the governorship post in the state in 2022.
Oni, a former Deputy National Chairman (South) of APC before defecting to the PDP, stated this in Ado Ekiti while opening his campaign office christened: `PDP family edifice’, in preparation for the forthcoming poll in the state.
Oni, while expressing his interest in the number one seat in the state, said that the PDP would work with the masses.
He promised to work with former Governor Ayodele Fayose, Senator Biodun Olujimi and others, to reposition the party and make it formidable ahead of the poll to achieve the task of winning the election then.
“I have been in politics for long and I understand the importance of unity. Let all leaders play their roles. Politics is a team game. As for me, I am not going to engage in names calling,” Oni said.
The former governor said that he decided to name his campaign office `PDP family edifice’ to convey the sign that politics should not be perceived as acrimony, an enmity and something meant for character assassination.
“We want to tell Nigerians that there is a new formula in town, which is the formula of friendship, unity and oneness. I don’t believe in character assassination and exclusion; it is good for all of us to be together.
“Except the parameters change, I am interested in the governorship. Though, only God knows tomorrow; but, as of now, yes, I am contesting and we are projecting that God will sanction it.”
He said that Ekiti PDP was not afraid of the power of incumbency.
“At a time in history, Nigeria was being controlled by the PDP. But, Nigerians changed their minds and voted for APC in 2015.
“If you look at the mood in town now, the people have changed their minds going by what they are saying in town.
“People are not inclined to have APC after the next expiry date in 2022 in Ekiti, that is, after Governor Fayemi.
“No government is undefeatable. President Donald Trump wanted to conquer America. He introduced Mafian styles, thinking that he could not be defeated. Where is he today? He is in Florida in retirement. That is the power of the people.
“Politicians should be able to subject themselves to the will of the people, so that we won’t destroy the system.’’
He said that if democracy had not been disrupted with the military coup of 1966, Nigeria would have been be better for it now.
“All of us must subject to the will of the masses. No one should think he can perpetuate himself in power.
“In the Ekiti governorship poll, I won’t advise anybody to do anything funny, that won’t be in the best interest of anyone,” he said.
Oni was the governor in Ekiti between May 29, 2007 and October 14, 2010 under the PDP.
In the PDP, those who have so far shown interest in the race but, not declare yet include the 2018 PDP governorship candidate and the former deputy governor of the state, Professor Kolapo Olusola Eleka, former House of Representatives, Hon Segun Adekola, former Ado local government chairman, Deji Ogunsakin, Mr Kayode Adaramodu, Mr Aribisala
In the APC, nobody has yet shown interest in the race due to two groups (Fayemi and Tinubu) in the state but some clamour for south senatorial agenda.
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