Anambra 2021: Issues, Intrigues and the Soludo Candidacy

The political situation in Anambra state is gradually becoming tensed and intriguing as the days of Governor Willie Obiano winds down. Our Anambra Bureau Chief, TONY ORAEKI, looks at the intrigues and the rotational formula as it favors Charles Soludo and  if such understanding or phenomenon has a place in the political history of the state.

THE decisive moment of changing the baton of leadership in Anambra state is no longer a distant journey sequel to the state’s different electioneering standpoint from other states on governorship elections. The change was occasioned when the former Governor Peter Obi was unconstitutionally impeached in 2006 and later re-instated, after seeking for court’s interpretation for tenure elongation which was granted. This eventually led to this twist of date of swearing-in of elected governors in Anambra on March 17. At this point, the next governor after the incumbent governor, Chief Willie Obiano should be sworn-in by March 17, 2022 and this has quickly set the political grinding mill rolling that compels early preparations via flights by night to nocturnal meetings amongst politicians.

The moment affords politicians the opportunity to draw modalities ahead of the election period and test-run the efficacies of maneuvering mechanisms which had been the first paragraph in the lexicon of political wizardry in the state. Succinctly, the old order in the political history of Anambra of handpicking a governor by a particular dynasty is a forgotten issue due to the new dynamics in the recent political game set in the state. Those ugly days of hero worshiping when a certain family was like a lead mule, bestrode the state like a colossus; had the undue grant of exclusivity to determine who would be the governor, Senators, Reps and even council Chairmen.

It was like a birthright to them for donkey years and the beneficiaries were willing lackeys who were subservient to their unholy allegiance. Nevertheless, the outcome of the last elections provoked the consciousness of Anambra people that took divine swipe to unbind the state from the shackles of godfatherism, thus demystifying the dynasty and the empire collapsed. This created an enabling environment and smooth ride for Governor Willie Obiano to manage the affairs of the state without any external encumbrances or strong opposition criticisms.

Within the six years spent on the saddle, Obiano tried to place some innovations through some reasonable developments of infrastructural projects in the state. In spite of these developmental strides, some political watchers who had X-rayed and juxtaposed the Obiano’s achievements so far with his predecessors, still lean on the inference that nothing tangible has been recorded under his watch. Also, for the fact that people were murmuring about Obiano’s bad orientation towards grassroots fundamentals, political observers feel that the next governor must be a home- brew politician than having ‘Americanas’ that are bereft of grassroots importance.

Governor Obiano seemed to have foreseen how this could affect his plans to produce a trusted successor in the next election, considering the recent legendary misspeak by oppositions against his administration, the shopping for a winnable and marketable material from Anambra South Senatorial’ Zone became a top priority.

Even at this, some stakeholders of the party feel uncomfortable with Soludo’s bogus dossier with mere suspicion that he could be more centrifugal in decision making and not amenable to create chance for bootlicking if he becomes governor. However, this led the agitation against the rotation of the governor slot to Anambra South Senatorial zone where Soludo comes from, as Obiano has barely two years to complete his 8 years in office. The apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohaneze Ndigbo and some other groups clamour for the governorship slot to move to South in the spirit of equity and equality.

But some sections eroded the conception as erroneous contraption, instead maintained that 2021 governorship race doesn’t contain any zoning formula in APGA. The traditional ruler from Anambra North wants the contest to be thrown open, and shortly after a meeting of traditional rulers from Anambra North, their leader and host, Eze Dr. Nkeli Kelly said there was no basis for the clamour for zoning as every election in the past had been contested by candidates from all the zones. According to him, “rather than clamour for zoning, what the state needed was the best candidate that would address the needs of the state.

The former CBN governor, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, who is the Chairman of the Anambra State Vision 2070 Committee, used the opportunity of the meeting to present a blueprint of the state’s developmental plan to the elders. But the reaction to the concluding part of his eloquent lecture maintained the biblical saying that better is the end of a matter than the beginning.

Many see Soludo’s presence in the meeting as part of the reason for the support of the elders for the zone, as he hails from the south, just as he has become the choice candidate of APGA and also the choice of the incumbent governor of the state.

SOURCE: Nigerian Pilot News