RAYMOND OZOJI reports
As Anambra electorates decide who pilots affairs of the state for the next four years today November 8th 2025, premonitions and possible likelihoods are that the incumbent governor Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo maybe reelected not because of the power of incumbency but because of the visible transformations in the state occasioned by his disruptive change mantra.
Although the dramatis personae in the Anambra governorship contest seemed to have one thing in common which is a fresh start for the people, the expected outcome of the governorship election isn't farfetched because there seems to be consensus of opinions that the incumbent governor has not only surpassed expectations of the citizens but has also surpassed performances of his predecessors in just three years and six months which they feel is totally different and unprecedented in the state's political history.
Since electioneering campaigns commenced, candidates of political parties have traversed the nooks and crannies of Anambra state selling their manifestos and preaching the gospel of good governance to the people from their own perspectives.
But what is most remarkable in the campaigns is that the villages and communities took over the campaigns of the incumbent governor Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo and donated generously to support his re-election as seen in the most recent N200 Million donation from Isuofia community, his country home. This is just one out of the numerous communities and individuals that have rendered some form of financial supports and endorsements just to ensure that he is returned.
Rather than be intimidated by these waves of endorsements for the incumbent governor, the likes of Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu the gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Sir Paul Chukwuma, governorship candidate of the Young Progressive Party (YPP), John Nwosu of the African Democratic Congress (APC), George Moghalu of the Labour Party and others are not leaving any stone unturned as they have equally gathered momentum at the grassoots even as they seek a level playing field for all the candidates in the November 8th governorship polls.
While the Building Materials International Market Ogidi and all other markets in Anambra State including transporters have openly declared that it is Governor Soludo they would vote for on the election day, the pendulum tends to swing on the side of the incumbent governor because he seems to have earned the love, respect and admiration of the people.
Meanwhile the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the nation's apex electoral umpire had at several fora assured all political parties, stakeholders and candidates participating in the election of a free, fair and transparent electoral process but the execution of this all-important constitutional assignment poses a big question mark judging from the commission's history of late arrival of electoral officials, materials and machines to polling centres.
Although the new INEC national chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan at a press conference at INEC headquarters Awka, made it categorically clear that the commission has made all necessary arrangements for the Anambra State November 8th governorship election including contingency arrangements because the aim, according to him, is to ensure electoral justice for all participating in the polls.
Amupitan who stated that INEC's duty is to conduct credible polls for Anambra electorates, equally maintained that elections would be suspended in polling units where there are established cases of violence, vote buying and other forms of electoral malpractices and misconducts even as the commission's chairman revealed that staff have been adequately trained and prepared for the Saturday gubernatorial polls. That INEC has all that is required to conduct credible polls for Anambra citizens. It was equally gathered from the commission that 20 political parties fielded candidates and about 23,000 INEC staff were ready for Anambra guber poll on Saturday.
For the Director media and publicity of the Nicholas Ukachukwu and Uche Ekwunife campaign organization of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Mr. Chido Obidiegwu, he said they would be law-abiding and play by the rules as stipulated by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). He also said they have instructed all their party faithful that would be working in the Saturday election to play by the rules but they are equally concerned about non-state actors like Udo Ga Chi Security Service and Agunechemba vigilante operatives repeating what they did during the Anambra-South senatorial district by-election.
He said that the IGP has proscribed them for this election but they want to believe that they won't be anywhere close to the polling units, adding that the APC has all it takes to win the Anambra governorship polls.
The National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) Mazi Ejimofor Opara, opined that APGA has done everything necessary to win the Saturday election provided INEC allows the votes to count. He also boasted that APGA is the only political party on ground in Anambra State and that if the process is credible, then APGA will win landslide.
Opara was equally of the opinion that it is expected that everyone who signed the peace accord would adhere strictly to the agreement and ensure that they give peace a chance in the election.
Meanwhile Dr. Ebuka Onyekwelu, who is the Director of media of Sir Paul Chukwuma and Uzu Okagbue campaign organization of the Young Progressive Party (YPP) said the party has toured interiors of the 21 local government areas of Anambra State and that the responses from the people showed that YPP would win the November 8th governorship election in the state.
Onyekwelu however advised that the direct stakeholders in the election like INEC and the Police should allow the will of the people prevail. He said they are certain and confident that if the will of the people is not subverted, the YPP candidate Sir Paul Chukwuma will win the election.
On the other hand, in the move to determine who becomes Anambra next governor, the Anambra State Police Command also assured electorates of a hitch-free election on Saturday this week. This was the assurances of the Inspector-General of Police IGP Kayode Egbetokun following the deployment of CP Abayomi Shogunle to take charge of security operations for Saturday's governorship election in the state.
Shogunle has upon assumption of duty activated IGP's Enforcement Protocols on Anti-Electoral Offences designed to ensure zero tolerance to ballot box snatching, vote buying, political thuggery and voter intimidations. Apart from that, Shogunle also enhanced activities of the Electoral Offenses Desk to monitor social media and online platforms for cyber-related electoral offences for prompt investigation and prosecutions.
A joint deployment of over 60,000 security personnel drawn from under the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security to secure the state's 5,720 polling units inter-local government boundaries, and designated election collation centres. Shogunle therefore reiterated the total ban on all vigilante groups including Agunechemba and other quasi security outfits as only federal security agencies are legally authorized to perform election security duties.
##
0 Comments