Lagos — Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State is expected to approach voters in the state to seek a second term mandate in the aftermath of his historic victory at the Supreme Court in 2007. His party, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), through its National Chairman, Chief Victor Umeh, has kick-started the campaigns. Ike Abonyi looks at how Obi has been positioning himself ahead of the campaigns

Anambra is one state where the contest for political positions, particularly governorship has always been fierce and crunchy. Dating as far back as the 1983 general elections, the race for the state's governorship seat has been set apart by its violent and manipulative traits. For example, the race between former Governor Jim Nwobodo of the Nigerian Peoples Party (NPP) and his challenger, Chief Christian C. Onoh of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) was so tension-soaked and explosive that there were gun battles between supporters of the two camps at Nkpor Junction in the outskirts of Onitsha and other pockets. After the 2003 general election in which the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was controversially declared winner of the governorship contest, the slugfest degenerated to a despicable level in which a sitting governor, Dr. Chris Ngige was kidnapped.

The bigger shocker emerged two years after when the court ruled that the abducted governor and his party actually came to power fraudulently as they actually lost the election. The court ruled that Mr. Peter Obi, the gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) won the 2003 election fair and square but was unjustly denied the shield. Having regained his mandate and known on the driving seat as chief executive of the politically complex state, Obi is faced with the challenge of renewing his unique mandate which falls due in March, 2010. A curious appraisal reveals that he is planning one of the most technically sound and compact campaigns in the history of the nation's electioneering.

While the stakes of the ruling party in the state then was busy leaking the wound inflicted on them by the glaring misrule of Dr. Chinwoke Mbadinju, Obi who could not easily be described as a politician came up with a novelty that took him to the remotest part of the state distributing no rice and giving no money but carrying along with him the inspiring word of hope that lifted the people.

Anambrarians under PDP's Mbadinuju witnessed one of the worst misrule in the history of the state. It was therefore not surprising that even when the ruling PDP said that all their governors should return, Mbadinuju was the only one out of 21 of them that was dropped.

Against the backdrop of Mbadinuj's disastrous tenure and Obi's hope rising message, the people were not in doubt where to put their fate and they did just that on the election day and voted in APGA. The PDP rigging machine was let lose and their gubernatorial candidate. Dr. Ngige was installed as the winner. But Obi who would not let go the mandate of his people took his case to the election tribunal which after three years returned his mandate to him.

Hardly had he settled down to work when the PDP came hounding resulting even in his unholy hour impeachment but the court would not allow it. Again the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) propelled by the ruling PDD frustrated his effort to run in 2007 general election but the ever faithful Obi would not relent as he again beckoned on the court seeking the judiciary's interpretation of his tenure which had three years left.

Virtually all-legal and political observers wrote him off as carrying his luck too far. The Federal High Court and Appeal Court did not waste time in throwing the case a way. Dogged and determined, Obi approached the Supreme Court which against all predictions gave him the verdict to stay on until his tenure terminates in March 2010.

This landmark ruling terminated PDP's Andy Uba two-week reign as the governor of Anambra State . The Supreme Court said that as far as it was concerned there was no election in the state for gubernatorial election because there was no vacancy.

That ruling therefore opened a new chapter in the nation's electoral system as it terminated the uniform gubernatorial poll in the country as another governorship election is now to take place in Anambra by March 2010 as against 2011 when others were to leave office.

It was therefore not surprising that last week the irrepressible APGA National Chairman, Umeh was quoted as announcing the kick off of the gubernatorial campaign in the state. Umeh was addressing local government officials of the party in Awka, the state capital and charged them to carry the message of the party and achievements of Governor Obi to the people.

APGA through Umeh is going through the same road they passed in 2003 by carrying along the grassroots people where significant number of the voting population resides. Unlike in 2003 when Obi was relatively unknown and untested, today the governor and his party would be approaching the people with pride of their achievements top most being giving the state peace and disciplined governance which had eluded it all through the eight year reign of former President Olusegun Obasanjo who made Anambra a theatre of what democracy should not be.

Also to Obi's advantage is the fact that the main opposition party in the state, the PDP can hardly get their acts together for any meaningful confrontation.

If the PDP has any hope of regaining power in Anambra State it is probably going to be as gritty as pulling the chestnut out of fire as APGA and Obi appear to have visibly blocked the principal road. Through their achievements as can be attested to by no less a person than the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa'ad Abubakar, who described Governor Obi as a visionary leader who is committed to the socio-economic transformation of his State, Obi has endeared himself to the people. The Sultan spoke at the 2nd convocation ceremony of Anambra State University, Uli, where he was conferred with an honorary Doctorate Degree in Law.

The Royal father also decried the level of mis-governance in the country, and noted that people like Governor Obi have re-kindled in Nigerians the hope that all was not lost in terms of quality leadership.

Speaking further on the governor, the Sultan said: "His energy and wisdom, his tolerance and accommodation and his people-centred developmental programmes are being appreciated even beyond the borders of Anambra State ."

Though Obi has been providing focused leadership especially in the area of infrastructural development. The state which is the commercial nerve centre of the Southeast, with the largest market in West African region in Onitsha , will soon join the league of states that have export free zones. That was made known by the minister of state for Culture and Tourism and the then Supervising Minister, Federal Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Dr. Idi Hong recently in Abuja when the Governor Obi paid him a courtesy visit in his office.

Though the government of Anambra State had since submitted the application for the Ogbaru axis to be declared an export free zone, nothing has come out of it. However, the minister assured that action would be taken on the matter immediately in view of the well- articulated action plan for the proposed zone by the governor. He noted that having the zone in Anambra State is not out of place in view of the entrepreneurial and industrial capabilities of the people of the State.

"As the Federal Government is committed to making Nigeria one of the top economies in the whole world, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry needs States like Anambra, where the prospect of manufacturing is already evident and with great possibilities of advancement if given the necessary support," he said.

The minister, who described the governor as a gem, commended him for his restless effort to advance the development of his State, which he noted was now moving away from the rascality of the past to the admiration of the rest of Nigerians and the international community.

Speaking earlier, the governor said that he was in the ministry to follow up on the letter of application for an export processing zone for the State for the manufacture of non-oil components.

On the rationale for seeking the zone, the governor said: "Besides creating employment for the people of the state and even other Nigerians, including experts in various fields, the zone is imperative now, especially against the target of the Federal Government that in 10 years time, 70% of oil components would be locally manufactured." Speaking further, he said "Since we are bounded by the two biggest oil producing states in the country, and since our people are into commerce and manufacturing, we are targeting to be a market for them."

On how to attract investors if the EPZ is eventually granted, the governor said he came from the background of finance and that that was not a problem at all. In fact, he said some local investors were already waiting to swing into action.

Another weapon APGA team would be carrying to the people is the efforts of the government in providing electricity to the rural towns in the state. The state started recently by taking delivery of 200 transformers which the government plans to distribute to some communities that do not have electricity or where it is in short supply leading to what our people commonly call "half current".

Investigations revealed that the state government targets sharing the transformers before the end of the year. One of the staff of the company that supplied the transformer said they brought 50 and that it remained 150 to complete the delivery.

When contacted for comments, the State Commissioner for Public Utilities, Water Supply and Rural Development, Dr. Emeka Nwankwu confirmed that the state government has the intention of providing electricity to all the communities in Anambra State. He said that beyond electricity, that the state was determined to provide infrastructure to all the communities in the state. Citing example with water supply, he said that after the successful restoration of Amawbia Water Scheme that the government was presently working in Obizi Water Scheme in Aguata. On the number of transformers government was buying, he said as much as the state needed for stable power supply.

The Commissioner appealed to the people of the state to be patient with the government, arguing that what the government of Obi is doing now were some of the basic things that previous governments of the state failed to do.

One group that would be rooting for Obi as 2010 approaches are the pensioners and civil servants and teachers. During the reign of Mbadinuju schools were shot in the state for nine months while pensioners were not paid for months. Obi did not only change all that but declared it ungodly and criminal for anybody to owe pensioners and assured that in spite of the lean resources of the state government, their welfare would remain one of the top priorities of government. He assured that his administration would continue to work closely with the pensioners as they have spent the greater part of their lives in serving the state.

The governor who said this while receiving the new state executive of the National Union of Pensioners on a courtesy call at the Government House Awka, emphasized that he will not relent in the efforts to restore people's confidence in governance through faithful service. He used the opportunity to present the union with a computer set with complete accessories.

The State Head of Service, Mrs Ngozi Melifeonwu commended the governor for liquidating sixteen months pension arrears totalling about one billion Naira accumulated by the Mbadinuju administration, which she said was a demonstration of sense of responsibility. Mrs Melifeonwu noted that the light of democracy, tenacity, justice and equity lit by Governor Obi is radiating across the country and beyond.

The Chairman of the union, Chief Benjamin Maduka in his address expressed gratitude to the governor for his kind disposition towards pensioners and for appointing their members to key positions.

The pensioners requested, among other things, the liquidation of seventeen month federal pension arrears misappropriated by the Mbadinuju administration, provision of vehicle to facilitate their activities and increased subvention to the ABS to enable it pay its pension and gratuity,

The great changes which Obi has brought into the decaying educational and health institutions are all testimonies he and his supporters would be parading as they kick start the campaign. The nation and indeed the world looks up to the servant leader in Aso Rock, President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua as Anambra gubernatorial poll in 2010 provides a glaring test case in his promise to henceforth organise free and fair elections. If that happens and the people of Anambra state re allowed to take their destiny in their own hands, then it would be difficult for Obi not to get a second chance.