Coming as the third off-cycle governorship election in the country, the All Progressives Congress (APC) seems to have bitten more than it can chew preparatory to the November 8, gubernatorial poll in Anambra State. More than six billionaires have rebuffed the party’s attempt to use high nomination fees to limit the number of aspirants to a manageable number. LEO SOBECHI reports that the party has a tough choice on its hands whether to use direct or indirect primary to avert crisis.
Nine clear months to the November 8 gubernatorial contest in Anambra State, the All Progressives Congress (APC) is already dominating the election environment as the main challenger to the incumbent All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
The legendary ‘federal might’, which gubernatorial gladiators perceive as the antidote to power of incumbency and dominance of state governors, has turned the previously languid opposition party into the cynosure of all.
And, barely one month to the April 5 straw poll to pick the party’s standard bearer for the election, tension is already brewing within the APC as the billionaire contestants seek to corner adventitious advantages to carry the day. How APC conducts the primary and manages the anticipated boisterous fallout from the exercise is currently constituting source of serious worry for the party leaders.
This week, top governorship aspirants on the platform rushed to purchase and return the completed N50million Expression of Interest (EOI) and Nominations forms. But, checks by The Guardian revealed that out of the half a dozen governorship hopeful, only two could be considered as real bona-fides, while others are recent migrants from other political parties.
Dr. Paul Chukwuma and Hon Chukwuma Umeoji have been in the party before the current frenzy. Umeoji sneaked into APC from APGA immediately the Supreme Court ruled that the incumbent Governor Chukwuma Soludo, and not him, was the validly nominated candidate of the party. Umeoji was irked that the then outgoing governor, Chief Willie Obiano, invested the full benefits of incumbency on the former Central Bank Governor.
The born-again broom-swinging aspirants include, Abuja-based Real Estate mogul, Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu; founding CEO of United Nigeria Airlines and 2021 gubernatorial candidate of Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), Prof. Obiora Okonkwo; former CEO of NICON Hilton and 2021 PDP governorship candidate, Mr. Valentine Ozigbo.
Recall that before his sudden demise in London, the lone Senator elected in the platform of Young Progressives Party (YPP), Senator Ifeanyi Patrick Ubah, abdicated his position as the YPP leader and crossed over to APC in readiness for the gubernatorial showdown.
Of all the defections, those of Okonkwo and Ozigbo appear very spectacular. In the build up to the 2021 governorship, both men who were then in PDP competed for the party’s ticket. Although Ozigbo carried the day, Okonkwo accused the 2023 Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) of infringing on the laid down electoral procedure to favour the former CEO of NICON Hilton.
In anger and detestation of what he called blatant juggling of the delegates list, Okonkwo moved over the Chief Dan Nwanyanwu-led Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
Many governorship aspirants in the state started taking serious interest in the party shortly after the Edo State instance ended in a disputed victory for the federal ruling party. Prior to the Edo State governorship election in which APC walloped the incumbent Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Anambra State chapter of the party remained as a fledgling opposition.
Right from its founding in 2013 and subsequent emergence of former President Muhammadu Buhari as its presidential standard bearer on December 5, 2014, APC was largely derided as a northern party. That negative characterization took a turn for the worse when Buhari became its flag bearer.
However, more than ten years on as the ruling party controlling the Federal Government and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu retaining the Presidency on its behalf, APC has suddenly expanded its electoral biceps. The caliber of personalities joining the party in Anambra has gone far in deodorizing the sentimental stench that used to ooze around it as a Muslim party.
But, as is usual with such competitive jostling, the influx of many men of means into the party is already creating tensions within the state chapter and at the national headquarters of APC. Also, the basis of the competition continues to dangle from money, religious denomination, zoning and mode of primary and ability to defeat the incumbent Governor Soludo and APGA.
Why APC?
State Assistant Secretary of the party, Ozo Sam Osita Oraegbunam, dismissed the claims in some quarters that the billionaire guber aspirants found APC as their choice platform in order to use the coercive institutions of the Federal Government to win.
Oraegbunam said that contrary to the erroneous notion that APC will use rigging or federal might to win, Anambra people have seen that after 26 years in office, PDP and APGA failed to deliver on the promise of good and accountable leadership through governance.
He argued that when PDP showcased abysmal failure, Anambra voters turned to APGA, stressing that having enjoyed the governorship for 20 years APGA has proved to be a huge disappointment to the state.
“I can tell you for free that it was the disappointing performance of the incumbent that propelled the candidates to join APC as the next viable platform to respond to the yearnings and aspiration of the people for good governance.
“Original members of APGA had been removed. Those that petitioned against the current leadership and real followers of APGA had been scattered. Even the church that normally support APGA has been ignored. The traditional institutions that used to deliver APGA has been desecrated.
“Governor Soludo is just an outlaw in Anambra state and such outlaws don’t normally get a second term mandate. So, the big players are all joining because they know that Soludo has failed Anambrarians. So, they are all joining to seek an alternative platform to defeat Soludo,” Oraegbunam stated.
Concerns for a challenging primary
WHILE the ranks of Anambra State APC have swelled with high net worth politicians, concerns are rife that the plethora of billionaire contestants presages a bad omen for the party.
Sources within the party expressed apprehension that some of the governorship aspirants may have been talked into joining with a dubious assurance of securing the APC ticket. There is also small talks that after the demise of Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, President Tinubu confided in some party leaders that he likes the former CBN governor, Soludo, noting that supporting the incumbent could serve APC’s long term strategic interest.
It is based on this alleged understanding that some APC chieftains in Anambra State fear that the governorship primary could end up creating unending bad blood and prolonged litigation to distract the part and serve the underhand plans.
But, in a chat with The Guardian, the Deputy National Organising Secretary of the party, Nze Chidi Duru, said to his best of knowledge, there was no such understanding with President Tinubu or anybody for APC to work for Soludo’s second term.
According to Duru, “There is no truth in that speculation. It is not true. Politicians that joined APC to contest the governorship poll came out of their own volition. They found that only two political parties are cohesive and stable enough to stand for the November 8 election.
“That is to say, only APC is available and viable to challenge the incumbent. Further, if you go to Anambra you will notice that the party resonates with the people as a credible alternative to the party currently in power.”
Nonetheless, the DNOS regretted that instead of a manageable number of aspirants, say two or three, the fact that six to seven big men are jostling for one ticket gives room for concern. He said claims that one aspirant was advised to rescind his ambition on the basis of zoning are unfounded, stressing that zoning was not in the thinking of Anambra State APC.
On the issue of direct or indirect method to choose the party’s candidate, Duru maintained that APC would always respect the wishes of the people. He added that the fact that APC has a national chairman that has been noted for conducting credible primaries is a source of big relief.
“His Excellency, Dr. Ganduje conduct the primary in Edo and Ondo. He has established that record and Anambra will not be different. For a man that is expert in holding transparent primaries, there is no doubt that Anambra people will trust whichever process that would be adopted,” Duru assured.
But Oraegbunam said a lot depends on the national leadership of the party, adding that only a credible primary would avert the possibility of litigations after the exercise on April 5.
He stated: “When you talk about litigations, people go to court once the primary is not free or not done with some level or degree of fairness and equity. Even if it is you, if you spend millions, buy forms for ₦50million and you are not given a level playing ground, definitely you will go to court to challenge the exercise.
“So, I charge the national leadership of our party to make sure that after collecting this money, that they keep to the rules. Let there be firm guidelines for the primaries. We at the state are talking about delegates primaries so that these things will be free and fair. And, so that anybody that will be defeated will be defeated fair and square.
“But, we keep hearing rumours of national headquarters wanting direct primaries. We cannot do direct primary in Anambra State given the security situation in the state today. We have about seven local governments or so, where you can’t even hoist political party flag.”
“And, when you say direct primaries, who is going to do the primaries in those seven local government areas. Who is going to bring the results that we will use there?
“So. if the national leadership is interested in winning Anambra, if the national leadership is interested in allowing Anambra to produce a government, definitely they will allow us to go through delegates election and hold a free and fair primary so that whoever that wins will know he has won the election or whoever that is defeated will know that people do not want him.
“When you talk about money politics, politics is about money, that is why you are seeing billionaires only running for this governorship. Now when somebody says he used money, it doesn’t matter what people use. We have seen people who spent money in politics and still failed.
“So, for us as the party at the state level and for us an Anambrarians, we know what we want. Allow the people of APC to choose who they will have as their flag bearer and let the others support him and that will give us the victory that we desire.”
On his part, the APC chairman, Ganduje said nothing has been cast on stone. He asserted, “When you mention the option of direct or indirect primary, as an institution, I assure you. We will sit down and the National Working Committee in conjunction with the leadership of the party, we will come back with whichever method for the primary.”
Contest of billionaires amid concerns for a challenging primary
Prince Ukachukwu heralded the point that the question of who ultimately flies the APC ticket would be resolved by capacity to fund the gubernatorial contest without depending on the party. Upon his entry and declaration to contest the 2025 governorship, Ukachukwu announced a donation of N63million with a pledge to do more for the party.
Explaining the rationale for the donation, Ukachukwu said “there is the need to oil our party machinery for optimal performance in the coming governorship primary election and the Anambra state governorship election.”
While declaring his intention to seek the party’s ticket for the November 8 governorship, the former member of the House of Representatives, outlined how the money should be disbursed. He stated that while N30million goes to the state chapter of the party, each of the 37-member state executive was to receive N600, 000, even as N400,000 goes to each of the zonal executive members in the state.
Chairman of United Nigeria Airlines, Okonkwo devised a different by hosting different segments of the party leadership including ward and local government executives at his country home in Ogidi. As the visitors left the Dikeora mansion in Ogidi, their faces bristled with smiles, but none disclosed the content or weight of what was enclosed in paper gift bags they were holding.
For Paul Chukwuma, the immediate past national Auditor of APC, the belief that the party’s ticket was not for new entrants motivated him into establishing, equipping and funding state, local government and ward offices across the length and breadth of the state as well as paying N200million each to the stakeholders.
Worried by the gradual descent of the contest for APC guber ticket into a billionaires’ championship, the party’s national chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, cried out.
The former Kano State governor warned that the development could set the party on the path to confusion and conflagration, even as he pleaded with the Anambra billionaire contestants “not to use their money to scatter the party ahead of the governorship primary fixed for April 5, 2025.”
The APC chief executive, who spoke when a support group called ‘Both to Booth with Bola Tinubu’, visited him at the No 40 Blantyre headquarters of the party, declared that all contestants will enjoy a level play field.
Ganduje noted that the conduct of a free, fair and transparent primary election remains the preoccupation of the APC National Working Committee, stressing: “As a party, for us to have good primary in the state, all our stakeholders are supposed to be born again.
“We told them that this time around, business should not be as usual. Let us support the system. We know they are very rich, they have a lot of money, but they should not use the money to scatter the state.
“They should not use the money to scatter the state but to develop the state and build APC. In fact, I will be highly interested if they can produce a candidate, consensus, I will give them an award,” Ganduje declared.
Harvest of confident aspirants
Three out of the half a dozen aspirants that purchased the nominations, including Chukwuma, Ozigbo and Okonkwo, have filled and returned them to the APC national secretariat.
Speaking to journalists shortly after handing in his nomination form, Obiora Okonkwo expressed confidence in his capacity to win the ticket and main election. He argued that as the only aspirant from the populous Anambra Central Senatorial District, he stands a better chance the capture the state for APC.
Citing the history of progressive voting pattern in the Senatorial District, the United Nigeria Airlines boss stated: “Anambra Central is the zone where AC (Action Congress) and ACN (Action Congress of Nigeria) held sway before the party transmuted into APC.”
While explaining that his return to APC was much like a home-coming, Okonkwo alluded to the back channel roles he played to ensure victory for AC and CAN, when PDP robbed him of Senate seat.
“I hope to lead the campaign and be on the ballot paper. We already have the advantage and with the support of the party and God Almighty, APC will win Anambra State governorship election,” he boasted.
For Sir Paul Chukwuma, who said he was the first to return the nomination form, his optimism to win is hinged on the sterling performance of the party in the South East. Chukwuma had earlier served APC as its national auditor. He maintained that as a long standing member of the party, he was confident to win the ticket, adding, “We picked up the nomination and expression of interest forms a couple days back and we have to travel to Anambra State to the grassroot members of our party and they were more than delighted to receive us and we are back to submit the forms as required by the rules.
“I was told I’m the first to return my form and I don’t think that was by accident, it is an indication that I will be the first on the ballot. I will win that election and make APC proud. And we will turn Anambra to APC state by the grace of God.”
Also, Valentine Ozigbo, whose entrance to APC seems to suggest a replay of the last four years, when he slugged it out with Okonkwo for the PDP ticket, said he is particularly about redeeming the state from poor leadership and bad governance.
Apprehensions are real that the setting for disputed primary election has already been created for APC, thereby giving credence to the speculations that the party will find it more convenient to unite forces with Soludo to seal Peter Obi’s fate in the event he would be on the presidential ballot in 2027.
