Posted by: Socrates Ebo in Sunday Interview 13 hours ago



It is election time once more in Anambra State. Once more, an array of men and resources are on parade before the electorate. The stakes are high; so high for some people. For some others, however, it is an opportunity to make a political statement. Anambra is a state that is in a class of its own. It parades men and resources; men found among the best and among the worst. It is unique. Its uniqueness can sometimes be found in the absurd. But there is no gainsaying that it is an unqualifiedly great and interesting state of the federation.

In governance, Anambra has seen it all: the great, the crooked, the mediocre and the sly. Little wonder, the generality of the people have grown cynical of governments. Among the persons jostling to govern Anambra come March 17 2014, three have become more visible in the pack. That is not to say that the rest are neither qualified nor are they not campaigning. The election at the moment can be zeroed down to a contest between Senator Chris Nwabueze Ngige of the All Progressives Congress, Chief Willie Obiano of the All Progressives Grand Alliance and Mr. Ifeanyi Ubah of the Labour Party. Among the three, Senator Ngige unarguably stands tall.

For Mr. Ifeanyi Ubah, the election is much more than a contest; it is a fierce fight for survival; a make or mar battle. Mr. Ifeanyi Ubah has, so to speak, decisively hinged his future on the contest. First, he ran his company to a near state of bankruptcy in the build up to the campaigns. The banks had to blacklist him, designating him a persona non grata so far as credit facilities are concerned. The Assets Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON) had to take away his company, Capital Oil and Gas Limited, from him, to save it from the hands of the banks. He had to relinquish the management of the company to AMCON for two years as a compromise decision after AMCON unsuccessfully sought to take away the company from him for good. The Assets Management Company (AMCON) has since confiscated and offered his private jet for sale. His worries are not yet over: Mr. Cosmas Maduka of Coscharis Motors Limited is on his neck for a multibillion naira deal gone awry while the subsidy committee is looking for a way to do him in.

For Mr. Ifeanyi, success at the November 16 poll would mean freedom from many woes. Freedom from AMCON, Coscharis, subsidy and sundry woes. It would offer him the accoutrement of power, among them immunity and the many benefits that come with gubernatorial power in Nigeria.

If there is a man is dire need of that election, he arguably qualifies for one. Accordingly, Mr. Ifeanyi has given in his best in the contest. He was the first of the contestants to flag off his campaign with live coverage on a national television and an impressive attendance. He has assiduously worked his way among the fold of the big three in the contest – no mean feat.

Mr. Ifeanyi Ubah is rumoured to be the highest spender among the gladiators in the gubernatorial contest. This is rather a bewildering happenstance at the backdrop of the fact that his company was tottering to bankruptcy. Apparently, he was going up while his company was going under. This is another wonder of the world; African wonder.

Mr. Ifeanyi Ubah is incontrovertibly generous. He doles out largesse to all and sundry save his workers who are said to be owed for many a month. At any rate, we hope that his management skills would be better than that applied at Capital Oil and Gas if he wins the governorship. Anambrarians cannot afford to have Anambra State taken over by AMCON. It is better imagined than experienced.

For Chief Willie Obiano, the stakes are not really that high. He is the anointed godson of Mr. Peter Obi who has a lot to protect and a lot more to keep in place. Chief Willie Obiano, so to speak, is an extension of his reign; a third term by proxy. For Mr. Obi, it is a battle of life and death. A lot is at stake. He is into the race like a moving train ready to bulldoze any opposition in his way. He has bruised Chief Victor Umeh into reconciliation. He bulldozed Rochas out of APGA and gave Soludo a clean upper cut.

He has literally constituted his fancies into the budget of the state as he extra-budgetarily doles out state funds like Father Christmas. The defeat of Obiano means the requiem of APGA. It implies an imminent review of the Obi administration by a different government. It means a searchlight on the grey areas of his administration. The future of Fidelity Bank is at stake. Fidelity Bank, where Obi was chairman and is the highest shareholder, has benefitted so much from the government of Anambra State. A different government in Anambra State means bad business for the favoured bank.

Mr. Peter Obi, above all, has his nemesis, Dr. Chris Ngige, to contend with. Ngige is one politician in Anambra State that has kept Obi ill at ease.

For Chris Nwabueze Ngige, however, the contest is a quest for the fulfillment of prophesy. At the twilight of his administration in 2006, Dr. Ngige had prophesied that he would return to complete the work he started. The contest is a contest of ideology. It is a quest to fulfill his blueprint for infrastructural development of Anambra. It is a battle of legacies: his vision of Anambra versus Mr. Peter Obi’s vision of Anambra. Ngige had fought hard against money politics and god fatherism in Anambra.

While the triumph of Mr. Ifeanyi Ubah would mean the triumph of money; the triumph of Chief Obiano would mean the triumph of god fatherism.

As the date draws nigh, the stakes are high and getting higher. The choices are clear: money, god fatherism and radical infrastructural development. Anambrarians have a date with destiny come November 16, 2013.



— Ebo, wrote in from Awka

Eze Promoe: I love Ngige but I hate APC!

Afam4eva:
I know people who voted for Jonathan and not PDP in 2011, so, you can do same for Ngige

JMOI: Because of the anti-Igbo antics of APC and Yorubas, I hate APC. Period.

Eze Promoe:
The presidential election is a very different matter, besides Igbos did not present a candidate but they all massively supported Jonathan.
But for Anambra to have a governor that will be saying 'yes sir' to the likes of Tinubu and Fashola? No!
Though I won't be voting, but I trust my Anambra peeps to know what is right for them!

Afam4eva:
I know people who voted for Jonathan and not PDP in 2011, so, you can do same for Ngige

JMOI: How many high ranking APC officials are Igbos? APC should go and sit down biko. There is no room for APC in Igboland and that's final.

JMOI: How many high ranking APC officials are Igbos? APC should go and sit down biko. There is no room for APC in Igboland and that's final.

grafikii:
Mr. Uzo Igbonwa, ACN, Anambra State , APC
Deputy National Youth Leader

Sharon Ikeazor, CPC, Anambra State, APC
National
Women Leader

Senator Annie Okonkwo, APGA, Anambra
State,
APC National Deputy Chairman

Senator Ositsa Izunaso, APGA, Imo State,
APC
National Organizing Secretary

Sunday Chukwu, APGA, Ebonyi State, APC
Deputy National Secretary

Dr Anyim Nyerere, APGA, Abia State, APC
National Vice Chairman (South-East)

Sir Romanus Egbunike, DPP, Imo State, APC
Deputy National Welfare Secretary.

EDUCATE YOURSELF

grafikii:
Mr. Uzo Igbonwa, ACN, Anambra State , APC
Deputy National Youth Leader

Sharon Ikeazor, CPC, Anambra State, APC
National
Women Leader

Senator Annie Okonkwo, APGA, Anambra
State,
APC National Deputy Chairman

Senator Ositsa Izunaso, APGA, Imo State,
APC
National Organizing Secretary

Sunday Chukwu, APGA, Ebonyi State, APC
Deputy National Secretary

Dr Anyim Nyerere, APGA, Abia State, APC
National Vice Chairman (South-East)

Sir Romanus Egbunike, DPP, Imo State, APC
Deputy National Welfare Secretary.

EDUCATE YOURSELF

JMOI: Why is it always deputy this, deputy that? Deputy to the Yoruba and Hausa landlords of APC?

grafikii:
Is Oshiomole saying yes sir to anyone? Anyways na una own wahala be that

bestview: [s][/s]


TRASH!

The guy asked you, who are the real leaders of the Islamic APC? You are here yapping nonsense.

pullyacap:

Infact Impossibility is the word that defines ethnic bigots on both sides of the divide

Someone is asking about High ranking Igbos and I ask who? If Ogbonnaya Onu( former Gov),Osita Izunaso( former Senator),Anyim Nyerere,Sharon Ikeazor( National Women Leader),Rochas Okorocha( Present Gov),Chris Ngige(Former Gov and Senator),Annie Okonkwo( Former Senator) are not high ranking enough and successful individuals in their own right then goodluck!

Some of you obviously wish to be fringe players in National politics of Nigeria that is why you are defiantly holding unto sectional and tribal political philosophy which normally makes one get alienated.

Keep it up.....by the time your eyes clear up...you won't say they didn't tell u

In politics,you can even align with your 'enemies' only that you will negotiate very well the terms of alliance but bigotted Igbos( not all) don't want to align politically with the Hausas and also hold the yorubas in disdain...yet Biafra is not anywhere in the horizon......think people!!!

grafikii:
Mumu who are the leaders of the pdp, is not the same Abokis yet the party owns the south east

Nkapi!

You don't get it. We are more than comfortable with APGA-PDP collabo. We here see the Islamic APC as a taboo.

Go back in time and check the real pioneers and owners of PDP. Ekwueme formed the G-34 that metamorphosed into PDM and PDP today. I have forgot that you are still playing with sand in 1998.

Take your evil Islamic APC elsewhere. We Anambrans say NO to APC..

Abiolacicero: Ngige is not anyones boy in APC. He was one of the major stakeholders/ partner in the formation of AC, ACN & APC and NOBODY can dictate to him unlike Obi-anu who will just be a figurehead gov, so all the people crying of imposition are just been naive and mischievous. There are 9 Igbos out of numerous ethnic groups in APCs national executives and i dont know how else these bigots intend to be convinced. The stupid thing is that these lots will later cry of marginalisation if the party refuse to give them a major position due to there low participation or contribution. All the people saying they love Ngige or that Ngige is the best candidate but hating because of his party (APC) are free to vote a retardeen instead.

bestview:


We prefer Obi dictating to Obiano, than the Islamic APC dictating what will happen in Anambra..

Take your evil party away from us..

Abiolacicero: Ngige is not anyones boy in APC. He was one of the major stakeholders/ partner in the formation of AC, ACN & APC and NOBODY can dictate to him unlike Obi-anu who will just be a figurehead gov, so all the people crying of imposition are just been naive and mischievous. There are 9 Igbos out of numerous ethnic groups in APCs national executives and i dont know how else these bigots intend to be convinced. The stupid thing is that these lots will later cry of marginalisation if the party refuse to give them a major position due to there low participation or contribution. All the people saying they love Ngige or that Ngige is the best candidate but hating because of his party (APC) are free to vote a retardeen instead.

bestview:


Nkapi!

You don't get it. We are more than comfortable with APGA-PDP collabo. We here see the Islamic APC as a taboo.

Go back in time and check the real pioneers and owners of PDP. Ekwueme formed the G-34 that metamorphosed into PDM and PDP today. I have forgot that you are still playing with sand in 1998.

Take your evil Islamic APC else. We Anambrans say NO to APC..

bestview:


We prefer Obi dictating to Obiano, than the Islamic APC dictating what will happen in Anambra..

Take your evil party away from us..

grafikii:
Keep fooling yourself, the same way ekwueme was one of the founding fathers of the pdp so is rochas and Ngige for APC. You can't deny the fact that pdp is dominated by Abokis, you can do us good by posting a list of pdp executives.
Btw ekwueme couldn't even get 30 votes in the pdp primaries

Abiolacicero:

Then stop crying that ur ethnic is not represented in its executive or when the party deny your ethnic its platform to vie the elusive presidency.

bestview:



You still do not get it. We are more than comfortable with the APGA-PDP collabo. APC is synonymous with evil..

We vote APGA at state level and PDP at national level. We do not want to have anything whatsoever to do with the Islamic Yorobar APC..

bestview:



You still do not get it. We are more than comfortable with the APGA-PDP collabo. APC is synonymous with evil..

We vote APGA at state level and PDP at national level. We do not want to have anything whatsoever to do with the Islamic Yorobar APC..

JMOI: We would rather dine with the PDP than with the APC.

grafikii:
Lol how many votes did ekwueme 'founding father' get against obasanjo? You guys are better at following others. Good luck with your pdp apga combo. I guess that is why you refused to vote Ojukwu nationally. When gej is done you will still queue behind Aboki or better still yoruba candidate Like obj