Anambra’s New Political Dawn

Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State

Intrigues and re-alignment of forces take centre stage in Anambra state, as politicians adopt intense mobilisation ahead the forthcoming 2011 general elections
By Okechukwu Obenta, Awka
In Anambra state, as in many other states of the federation, one development is paramount on the political stage: realignment of forces and mobilisation of supporters ahead the forthcoming 2011 general elections.
As a result, there has been cross- carpeting by several politicians from one political platform to the other depending on where one feels that his or her political forture would be better protected.
Also, there have been noticeable new entrants in the politics of the state, just as some others who have been in the game are announcing their exit.  Interestingly, most of those who are joining are basically those who hitherto distanced themselves from the politics of the state as a result of the rascally and crude manner some of the earlier players practised the game.
Among those in this category are Chief Emma Nweke who is currently aspiring for the Anambra central senatorial district seat under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) platform, even though not a few observers are of the view that his chances of pulling through his aspiration is very slim in view of the overwhelming popularity of the current occupier of the seat, Chief Annie Okonkwo in the zone. Also among the new entrants in the state’s political chess-board is the Editor of The Source, Victor Ogene whom it is gathered is being conscripted by his Ogbaru people of the riverine area of the state to represent their federal constituency(Ogbaru) in the House of Representatives.
The desire of his people–both home and abroad– for him to represent them this time around, this reporter gathered, is largely informed by the general feeling of disenchantment and disappointment by people of the area over the activities of the current member representing the federal constituency, Onyema. They are particularly embittered over his alleged role in the communal crisis that recently bedeviled his Ogwu-Ikpele community which has so far claimed many lives. Also his background as a journalist coupled with the impressive performances of his colleagues who are already in the nation’s legislative chambers such as Senators Ayogu Eze(Enugu North) and Smart Adeyemi (Kogi state) and Eziuche Ubani and Abike Dabiri in the House of Representatives. The Source learnt was among the reasons why his people have been sending emissaries who mount pressure on the vibrant editor to contest for the federal seat.
Meanwhile, Damian Okeke-Ogene is one of those who have called it quit, from the state politics. His decision was basically informed by what he described as the crude manner his former political party, the PDP turned the state into an “oil well”. He said that because of the rascally disposition of members of the party in the state– and his continued membership of the party– he is now being viewed as a criminal and therefore being avoided by most of those who earlier admired and held him in high esteem, especially members of his church. He there fore called off political participation in the build- up to the last Anambra state gubernatorial election.
Okeke-Ogene, who was former President of the umbrella body of the state town unions, the Anambra State Association of Town Unions (ASATU) was, however, at the time he announced his exit from politics chairman of the Orumba North local government chapter of the PDP.
Earlier, Emma Ojukwu, current Director of Communications, Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK),Awka, was among those wh decided to quit politics in the state. He left the terrain after being part of the bitter opposition against the administration of former Governor Chinwoke Mbadinuju, as orchestrated by the political pressure group set up by the multi-billionaire oil-mogul, Sir Emeka Offor, the Anambra Peoples Forum (APF). Ojukwu was the Secretary of the group. And it was a known fact that it was the activities of the group that laid the foundation for the eventual denial of Mbadinuju by the PDP hierarchy of the party’s ticket to run for a second term in office. Mbadinuju eventually became the only PDP serving governor then who was denied a ticket to run for second term– an action which forced him to contest under the then Alliance for Democracy (AD) platform and failed. Ojukwu had shortly after that dispensation called it a quit from politics, citing what he described as the rascally manner the game was being played in the state.
Notedly, the nature of the state’s politics changed after Government Peter Obi mounted the saddle at Government House, Awka, and made it clear that part of the priorities of his administration was championning the moral re-orientation of the people, so as to inculcate in them the culture of discipline. He, particularly, bemoaned the manner politics and governance were being conducted in the state, and observed sadly that “because mad people have taken over the running of the affairs of the state, responsible people taken flight from the state”. He therefore vowed to reverse the unfortunate situation.
Interestingly, the intrigues, realignment of forces,  the characters involved ,texture and complexion  of the mobilisation of supporters by politicians  from the various political parties that have taken place so far in the state ahead of the forthcoming 2011 general elections in the country  are indeed eloquent pointers to the fact that a new dawn has been ushered in, in the state’s political landscape. Politicians are now genuinely canvassing for the support of the electorate, unlike in the past when elective office-seekers basically based their calculations of victory on getting the support of one political god-father or the other.
In fact, there has been noticeable absence of the known political god-fathers of the state in the political scene since the build-up to the next elections commenced. Those who are now seen are ordinary politicians and unlike in the past when mobilisations ahead of elections were basically carried out in hotels in the major cities, especially, Awka, the state capital, Onitsha, the state’s commercial hub, Nnewi and the other industrial towns, politicians have now moved into the villages to mobilise support for their favoured contestants.
For instance, Chief Annie Okonkwo, the current senator representing Anambra central during a recent meeting with his supporters in Awka warned them to start working hard to mobilise support for his re-election, warning that the “forthcoming general elections will be decided by the masses through their votes”, as according to him “the era of god-fatherism and writing of results in hotels has gone, it is now one-man, one vote”.
Interestingly, virtually all the political observers interviewed by The Source concerning the emerging political phase in the state ascribed the development to the refined culture of civility introduced by the APGA government under Governor Obi.
Anaya Ugwu, Secretary of the state chapter of the United National Party for Development (UNDP) was emphatic that Obi’s style of politics was responsible for the resurgence of a masses- oriented political culture.
Ugwu: “Peter Obi has actually made people to realise that there are people called the masses and that elections can be won through the masses from the way and manner he handled his last electioneering campaigns. His campaign was not elite- oriented, it was masses -oriented.” His view was corroborated by two other keen watchers of political events in the state.
For instance, Chukwunweike Mmadu, the Correspondent of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) in the state in his reaction to the unfolding political culture simply said, “Peter Obi has become a rallying point, politically in the state”. His view was further supported by Jude Atupulazi, Correspondent of the Next newspapers who said, “The party (APGA) has done well in the state and has enjoyed the goodwill of the people, and any politician naturally wants to associate with the popular side”.
As a result of the emerging revolution in the state’s political culture, there have been demonstrable realignment of forces among members of the political class, choice of words by politicians in soliciting support from the masses both for their elective aspirations and political parties. For example there have been several decampment of politicians from one party to the other, while strong emphasis is being made to the effect that “votes will now count and no more rigging or writing election results in hotel rooms”.
The APGA, however, appears to be the highest beneficiary of the current wave of realignment of forces. Indeed, at the last count last week, about six political heavy-weights in the state have dumped their parties and crossed over to the ruling All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA). Those who made the list include former member of the Upper chamber of the National Assembly, Senator Joy Emodi (Anambra North), two members of the Lower legislative chamber, Uche Ekwunife(Anaocha/Dunukofia/Njikoka) and Chinedu Eluomuno (Oyi), as well as three members of the state Assembly, Benson Nwawulu (Idu) and Adaora Chinwe Nwaebili ( both representing Ogbaru 1 and Ogbaru 11 state contituency respectively) and Sylvester Okeke (Anaocha1). Except Ekwunife who actually joined from the Progressive People’s Alliance (PPA) where she anchored after leaving the PDP to in the run-up to the last February 6, 2010 gubernatorial election which she contested under the party’s platform all the decampees were formerly of the PDP.
On the same day that Ekwunife decamped to the APGA along with the party’s chairmen in 18 out of the 21 local government areas in the state at a crowded ceremony at St. John’s Catholic field, Neni, Anaocha local government area, the PPA chairman in the state, Tony Igboka, also jumped ship to the PDP, with less than 10 other members of the party at a ceremony held at the Enugwu-Ukwu civic centre.
Notedly, out of the 62 registered political parties in the country only six really  have presence in the state. They are the ruling APGA, PDP, Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and the All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP), Labour Party (LP) and Hope Democratic Party (HDP). Even at that only two out of this number, APGA and PDP are being reckoned with by observers as being capable of fielding credible candidates in the coming general elections of 2011. For instance, the only reason ACN still maintains presence in the state is because of its gubernatorial candidate in the last election Chris Ngige who is currently challenging Governor Obi’s victory at the poll in the tribunal. LP has a member of the House of Representatives, Chukwuma Umeoji (Aguata) to its credit, while HDP is still being mentioned because of its deputy governorship candidate in the state during the last election, Mike Okoye who went to the tribunal to challenge the outcome of the election.
Joining of forces with APGA by Ekwunife is seen by many as a union of like -minds considering the masses-oriented campaign she ran during the campaigns for the last gubernatorial election.
 Joining APGA by Emodi is also regarded as a wise political decision because she was also robbed in the 2003 general election when her mandate was taken away and given to Emma Anosike by the godfathers in the party then. She only managed to recover the mandate through the courts. Besides, just like Ekwunife, Emodi is a thorough grassroots politician with an overwhelming support base in the state.
At the reception ceremony for Ekwunife and Okeke at the St. John’s Catholic church, Neni field, National Chairman of APGA, Chief Victor Umeh warned party members who are aspiring for elective positions to work hard to become popular in their respective constituencies, emphasising that the party would place premium in picking its flag-bearers on the popularity of each aspirant and not how long such person had been a member of the party. He said that the party is committed to entrenching true democratic culture in the nation’s democratic practice. Umeh’s views are collobarated by Dubem Obaze, state Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, who recently told an army of aspirats from his native Ogbaru local government area to turn to the electorate for support.
Meanwhile, apart from those who have already publicly joined the party, reliable sources even have it that many more members of the PDP-controlled state Assembly, including the Speaker, Chief Anayo Nebe are also gearing up to decamp to the APGA.In fact, as a result of the emerging political revolution in the state, which places emphasis on strict compliance with laid-down democratic principles in the conduct of elections, political pundits are of the view that it will be difficult to manipulate the outcome of the next general elections in the state.