2007: U ba's New Gospel

Chris Uba

The enfante terrible of Anambra politics, Chris Uba, has seemingly turned a new leaf as he preaches forgiveness whilst on a campaign trail

By Okechukwu Obenta , Awka

AS the stage is now set in Anambra State for campaigns towards the forthcoming general elections in 2007, the People's Democratic Party (PDP) has left no one in any doubt that it will be the party to beat in the state. Besides, the leader of the party in the state and self-acclaimed godfather of the state's politics, Chief Christian Uba (alias Eselu Uga ), arguably has the potentials of springing a great surprise in the election. Since the PDP kick-started its campaigns about a month ago at Choice Hotel, Awka, the state capital, with Uba leading the ground forces, the party by all indications has soared higher and higher in terms of popularity and growth of membership. This is no less evident from the mammoth crowd and array of aspirants already jostling for elective offices under the party platform in the state. The resounding welcome which Uba received in about seven local government areas already visited perhaps demostrates the level of acceptability the party now enjoys in the state. This development is indeed surprising considering the level of aspersion and mudslinging heaped on Uba during the three-year-rule of his former political godson, Chris Ngige as governor of the state. The fact that Uba still bestrides the political landscape of the state like a colossus while Ngige remains quarantined in self exile in far-away United States of America is indeed a clear demonstration of one of the ironies of life as explained by the popular belief that no condition is ever permanent in the life of any person. Before now, the name “Chris Uba” represented anything but good in the mind of the average Anambrarian. But today, all that has changed as mammoth crowd and various masquerades of note in the state turn out at every rally currently being organised by the party in each local government area to welcome him. Uba, himself, appears to have turned a new leaf politically. Since that very first day he stormed Choice Hotel, Awka with the Uchenna Emodi-led state executive of the party to set the tune for reconciliation among all aggrieved members of the party, Uba has become a rare grassroots politician. Immediately he arrives any local government since he began his mobilisation tour of the state, he would first visit top traditional rulers in the area, where he would tender apologies for all his past political mistakes, especially the losses the state incurred during the three-year reign of Ngige; explain the plans his party has for the state come 2006 before going out to the venue for the mobilisation rally proper.

Interestingly, Uba apologises only for the losses the state incurred during the Ngige era, to the extent that he was the person who foisted him on the people of the state and not that he was actually responsible for the damages done to the state during the period.

“I have realised that why our state experienced the level of turbulence it passed through and the losses it incurred in the last three years was because I by-passed the grassroots in making Ngige the governor of our state. So, when he decided to chase away every other member of our party from his government, he now turned round to heap all kinds of falsehood on me. And because I have seen that we have suffered for too long in this state, I have therefore decided to come to solicit your support because I know that once you give us your support, we have gotten the support of the grassroots because as traditional rulers you people have great influence on the people of your domains. And I can assure you that if you give us your support, PDP will not disappoint the state again as from 2007,” Uba told Igwe Christopher Idigo iv of Aguleri in Anambra East Local Government when he paid him visit a at his palace.

Infact, Igwe P.N Ezenwa of Oba who was among the prominent voices that supported Ngige during his turbulent ‘wars' with Uba categorically made it clear to Uba that he will support him in 2007. Uba had also made it clear that any aspirant that would fly the PDP flag in the forthcoming elections in 2007 must be a person that has the support of the majority in his constituency.

In his response, Idigo who led other members of his cabinet to welcome Uba in his palace assured the PDP chieftain that the people of his domain had accepted his apologies and pledged the support of the people of the area to the PDP in the elections.

In fact, Uba is now so popular in the state that a lot of voices are now calling on him to come and run for the governorship position of the state. This call, The Source gathered, is not only coming from his loyalists in the state chapter of the PDP but also from even some respected traditional rulers in the state. For instance, during his visit to the traditional ruler of Adazi-ani, Igwe Robert Nwankwo (Ogene Adazi-ani), the traditional ruler had assured Uba of his support if he decides to run for the state's governorship seat in 2007. Nwankwo said that he was ready to vacate his throne if Uba failed to clinch the governorship seat should he decide to run.

Afam Ilouno, the state publicity secretary of the PDP was, instructively, quite emphatic that there is a growing clamour from many political admirers on Uba to run for the state's number one seat.

His words: “Chief Chris Uba, the caucus leader of the PDP in Anambra State and the South east and a member of the Board of Trustees of our great party is qualified to run for any election in Nigeria. But, recently, there has been a clamour from the people of Anambra State persuading him, imploring him, begging him to take the mantle, to take the position of governorship; that he is the most qualified person to do that”.

Also Chuks Okoye, legal Adviser of the party, Dr. Emeka Eze, co-ordinator of the local government chairmanship and councillorship candidates of the party, Deacon Ben Okeke, former governorship candidate under the PDP platform are among the several voices that have been angling to draft Uba into the governorship race.

Okoye particularly is of the view that Uba had shown demonstrable love for the people of Anambra State. He said that several indigenes of the state currently serving under many boards of Federal Government institutions are appointed because of Uba's benevolence. Also canvassing support for Uba's governorship race, Eze emphasised that Uba deserves to be given the opportunity to serve Anambra State as the governor, so as to afford him the opportunity of leading the state into “a full 100 per cent distance”. Besides, he stated that Uba deserves to become the governor of Anambra State in 2007 so that the people of the state would have reciprocated the immense favour he had done the state so far.

But Chief Emma Nkwocha, former Commissioner for Information and Culture under former Governor Chinwoke Mbadinuju has a contrary opinion on the clamour that Uba should be made governor. In his view, for true reconciliation to be seen to be done in Anambra State, the leadership of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) at both the National and State levels should concede the party's governorship ticket in 2007 to Mbadinuju. As far as he is concerned, Mbadinuju is one of the most unjustly treated members of the party by the party hierarchy, in view of the party's denial of its ticket to him to run for a second term in office when the party returned tickets to all its incumbent governors for the 2003 general elections.

Nkwocha, who spoke to The Source said: “ What I am saying in effect now is that I will not be surprised if Mbadinuju comes back to complete his second term, like every other (People's Democratic Party) PDP governor. And until that is done, the injustice meted to him will not be rectified”.

Be that as it may, indications are that hitherto aggrieved members of the party are beginning to find their way back into the fold.

Among members of the party whose presence and active involvement in the current mobilisation campaign rally of the party will certainly surprise any keen political watcher include Ben Nwankwo (current member representing Orumba Federal Constituency), and Alphonsus Igbeke (alias Ubannesse ), representing Anambra East and Anambra-West Federal Constituency. These were among the several National Assembly candidates of the party in the 2003 general elections whose elections were later transferred to other members of the party after the elections. Other big names in Anambra politics whose are actively involved in the party's current mobilisation campaigns include senator Ugochukwu Uba (Anambra North Senatorial District), Second Republic Speaker of Anambra State House of Assembly, Chief Ifeanyi Enechukwu, Chief Sam Okechukwu (former Nigerian High Commissioner to Ghana), Senator Ikechukwu Abana, Osita Egwuatu (Awka-North/South Federal Constituency), Chief Chuma Nzeribe (Ihiala Federal Constituency), Dr. Alex Obiogbolu, a governorship aspirant under the party platform, Dr. Jerry Ugokwe, Dr. Harry Ohanezi, Jessie Balonwu, Nobis Elendu, Chief R.O.C Okpalaoka, state secretary of the party, Chief Okey Odunze, Chief Christian Onyejekwe, Prince Ken Emeakayi, former Commissioner for Works under the Mbadinuju government, Chief Newton Iloegbunam, Chief Oguguo Nwosu (former State Financial Secretary of the party) the one of the plaintiffs who went to court and obtained an injunction against the Uchenna Emordi-led state leadership of the party are also back to the party as they largely attended the rallies held so far by the party.

Instructively, one potential trouble that might be a source of discord among the members of the party, according to political watchers, will be the issue of who flies the governorship ticket of the party in 2007 if eventually the position becomes available in the election. For now, it is not clear whether or not there will be governorship election in the state considering the lingering controversy over the tenure of the incumbent governor, Peter Obi. Although Obi since he assumed office following the Appeal Court Enugu Affirmation on March 15, 2006– barely four months ago– that he was the actual winner of the April 19, 2003 gubernatorial election in the state and his subsequent swearing into office on March 17, 2006, had not done or said anything to show that he would seek the Supreme Court's interpretation of section 180 subsection (27) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to determine whether he would be allowed a full four-year tenure or not, The Source reliably gathered that the governor would certainly do that at the appropriate time. It is this possible action of Governor Obi, The Source learnt, that is discouraging many people interested in running for the state's governorship from declaring such interest for now. But Dr. Obiogbolu appears to be convinced that even if Obi decides to take such action he would fail. Obiogbolu has thus gone ahead to make public his gubernatorial quest for now, he is the only governorship aspirant whose campaign posters adorn virtually every conspicuous location within Awka, the state capital. Uba's own governorship campaign posters were sighted briefly in some parts of the state before they were hurriedly removed. The Source , in fact, learnt that Obi through the legal firm of Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), who handled his petition when he challenged former Governor Chris Ngige's election at both the lower tribunal up to the Appeal Tribunal, has already perfected all the necessary technical legal works that would enable him approach the Supreme Court for proper interpretation of his tenure in office.

But neither Obi nor his Chief Press Secretary, Mike Udah, would want to confirm this speculation. While Obi would not even want to talk about it when contacted, Udah emphasised that what was uppermost in the mind of his boss was how to realise his campaign promises, no mater how little within whatever limited time he would have to spend in office. “The immediate priority of His Excellency, Mr. Peter Obi is not the issue of his tenure in office, what he told me and which is what he had continued to emphasise in all his public speeches was how best he can put into use the one year left for him to be in the office as governor,” Udah told The Source .

He rather stated that Obi was not interested, for now, on issues of whether he would stay in office for one year or four years. However, it is this unresolved issue about Obi's tenure, The Source further learnt, that is responsible for the low morale among politicians in other political parties in the state particularly the All Nigeria People's Party (ANPP), the newly registered Advanced Congress for Democrats (ACD), and even the Alliance for Democracy (AD) among others.

Chief George Muoghalu, former gubernatorial candidate of the ANPP in the 2003 general elections recently confirmed to reporters at Nnewi during a meeting convened by C.I.D Maduabum (the member representing Nnewi North, Nnewi-South and Ekwusigo Federal Constituency) with his constituents, that he was still interested in running for the state's number one position in 2007. He, however, said that he would make his ambition public at the appropriate time.

But should the governorship seat of the state be vacant in the 2007 general election, it is believed that it would be a straight fight within the PDP. This is because even though there other aspirants positioning for the state's plum position in other political parties like in ACD where such names like the former speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief Agunwa Anaekwe, Sir Emma Anosike and even the immediate past governor, Ngige are being mentioned, political watchers are of the view that it would be an uphill task for any other political party including the incumbent APGA government to match the PDP's already overwhelming support base. And also going to be an added advantage to the PDP's overriding strength would be the support it is likely to enjoy from the federal might. Regardless, two major factors may work against the PDP in its Governorship, to do with how to choose a popular candidate and zoning. The people from the Northern Senatorial zone are contending that this time, it is their turn to produce the governor.

But Enechukwu does not see their argument as anything convincing as according to him, a zone which has produced the likes of late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe and late Ukpabi Asika, administrator of the defunct Eastern region cannot be complaining of any marginalisation in the opportunity to provide political leadership in the state.

But apart from this zoning advantage, Obiogbolu who incidentally hails from the Northern zone told The Source that his personal antecedents as a tested honest and visionary leader placed him at an advantage above so many of his co-contestants for the states Government House, Awka.

Chief Nicolas Ukachukwu is, however, from the Southern zone of the state just like Chief Chris Uba and his elder brother, Andy, who are also known to be jostling for the governorship race under the PDP. Ukachukwu had earlier lost his legal battle when he challenged the declaration of incumbent senator Ugochukwu Uba (Anambra South) after the 2003 general election. He had claimed that he was actually the person who won that election, having been earlier declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the PDP candidate who won the election before the commission withdrew the declaration and later returned Ugochukwu Uba. Indeed, political observers are of the view that the battle for the PDP governorship ticket would present another opportunity for both the Ubas and Ukachukwu, who are fabulously rich and highly connected to test their might once again. But the Ubas' most observers believe, would have an edge over Ukachukwu because of the huge investments the younger Uba had already committed into the party in the state.