Since the All Progressives Congress assumed leadership at the centre in 2015, the Anambra State chapter of the party has always complained of being shortchanged. David-ChyddyEleke reports that the situation appears to be the same under President Bola Tinubu.
During the eight-year tenure of former President Muhammadu Buhari, the Anambra state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) failed twice to produce governor in Anambra State. First was in 2017 when Senator Tony Nwoye flew the party's flag as candidate. Many were hoping that for a party in power, the APC would have used the popularity it has garnered at the centre, the resources at its disposal and the state apparatus which includes the security to install an APC governor in the state.
During the run up to the 2017 election, a thoroughly conservative Buhari managed to visit Anambra, where he almost reluctantly raised the hand of the candidate and proclaimed: "Young man, I wish you what you wish yourself." That statement, according many, showed lack of interest by the then president to support his party's candidate. Nwoye was later to be floored, alongside other candidates of other political parties by former governor, Chief Willie Obiano who was then seeking re-election.
Again in 2021, outgoing governor, Chief Willie Obiano projected former Central Bank governor, Prof. ChukwumaSoludo as his successor, also from his party, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) while former Senator Andy Uba ran on the platform of APC. Those who were staunch members of the party said every attempt to get Buhari to push for APC to win the governorship in Anambra failed as he remained aloof, instead working with the Obiano-led government.
This was evident on several occasions where persons from the presidency sabotaged Obiano, including an illegal order that stripped Obiano of his personal security, but in a style that typifies an Aguleri warrior, Obiano stormed the villa, and got Buhari's sympathy, leading to an order to reverse the decision. All these may have led many to conclude that the government at the centre may have a pact with the APGA to support it at the centre, while APC reciprocates by leaving Anambra out of the states it seeks to take over.
However, the coming of President Bola Tinubu may have renewed the hope of APC members in Anambra. An APC member in the state, Hon Ejike Okafor while arguing in favour of this had said: "Tinubu is not like Buhari who was more conservative and even selfish and cunning. Tinubu is a consummate politician, and if anyone thinks that he would behave like Buhari especially in being nonchalant about the affairs of the party, then they are mistaken. This is the first time we have a real politician as president, and I'm sure this will help the APC in Anambra in the 2025 election."
Also, during the early days of Tinubu's emergence as President, the state party chairman, Hon Basil Ejidike while addressing party members in the state party secretariat in Awka expressed hope for the party in the state. He said: "We now have a new president, and as you all know, he is a consummate politician. He is someone who rewards hard work and loyalty. Up till today, some of you would have seen that he still retained his loyal men from the time he was a governor many years ago. All of you must go back to your respective local government areas and work for the growth of our party. As for reward, we are sure that those who have worked hard will get their reward under the President Tinubu government," he said.
However, recent appointments seem to have contradicted the above beliefs about Tinubu. On Wednesday October 23, 2024, President Tinubu named Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu, wife of late Igbo leader, Dim ChukwuemekaOdumegwuOjukwu as minister of foreign affairs (state). MrsOjukwu is a known member of the APGA, a BOT member of the party and wife of the founder of the party. Her appointment was to fill the void created by the sacking on Uju Kennedy Ohanenye, which was an Anambra slot.
Though her appointment was roundly hailed, especially considering her exposure, and even described as a befitting one, but some members of the APC didn't see the appointment as the very best.
A group of elders from the party, led by Chief Bunty Onuigbo in a press statement condemned the appointment, describing it as one favouring an opposition party against his own. He said the President's action does not foster loyalty within the party.
His words: "This is nothing but an act of anti-party, and it is detrimental. By empowering members of other political parties at the expense of the APC in Anambra State, Mr. President is not supporting party loyalty. Does Mr. President want a mass defection of APC members in Anambra to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA)? Is he indirectly working for APGA in Anambra State? This is a group that despises the APC and wants nothing to do with us. Mr. President is encouraging them by making such appointments," he added.
Onuigbo announced that APC stakeholders have decided to formally present their grievances regarding the appointment to the state Chairman, Chief Basil Ejidike, for submission to the National Working Committee and the National Executive Committee.
Just when the dust of the appointment was settling, President Tinubu again made appointments into the board of the South East Development Commission (SEDC), and for Anambra's slot, the appointment of the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the commission went to Mr Mark Okoye, another known APGA member who was formerly working under the Soludo-led Anambra State government, before the appointment.
This has sparked a fresh debate about how sincere President Tinubu is in helping the growth of APC in Anambra State, and also prosecuting the Anambra governorship election, which comes up in November 2025. Remembering that the incumbent governor, Prof Soludo is also a member of the Tinubu's economic team, and would also be recontesting for the position of governor, many have said the federal government may have made a pact with the Anambra State government to support the re-election of Soludo, against governorship aspirants that have lined up to contest on the platform of APC.
But a frontline governorship aspirant of APC in Anambra, Mr Paul Chukwuma thinks differently of this. While reacting to the appointments, Chukwuma dismissed complaints that faulted the two appointments made by the president.
He told THISDAY that: "Appointments remain the prerogative of the president. Remember that this is still one Nigeria. MrPresident was only looking for capable hands, and no one had disputed the fact that the people appointed are capable.
"MrsOjukwu is one of our best, and she deserves the position, same way the young man, Mark Okoye, who everyone knows is a very bright young man. These people are from Anambra, so there is no need to be bitter about their appointment. The argument has always been that the APC government does not like the people of Anambra, but today the president has proven them wrong. For me as an aspirant, I do not see anything wrong with the appointment.
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"I have heard stories that APGA is bragging that they nominated those people, but it is not true. Let them show us the evidence that they made the nomination. The truth is that the president made the appointments and this is to the people of Anambra. So the president should be commended for not only appointing the APC members but also other parties and that is a credit.
"APGA has been begging for appointments from APC government. They go to Abuja and they claim to be supporters of APC and they come back to Anambra to claim that APC does not exist. For me, I see the appointment by Mr President as strategic. He is rather bringing APGA people into APC. If you are serving in APC government then you are partly APC. They have seen the APC government is doing well, we have over 50 names of APGA people who want to take appointments but only few that are credible have been picked. If you think that APC is not doing well, you can reject the appointment.
"APGA government must stop attacking us here in Anambra, and going to Abuja to claim that they are supporting APC. We recently erected billboards all over the state, but the APGA government has removed most of them. So how come they are portraying themselves to the president that they love his party? Time will tell. When the time comes, we will know where people stand, as for now, we want the development of our land and we will work to ensure that those who love Anambra take back the state and set it on the path of growth again. Anambra under Soludo is gradually becoming a failed state."
