“By all credible assessment based on what is on the table, Hon. Ejike Okechukwu is the most plausible person to lead the 8th Assembly,” —Ebuka Onyekwelu
For the most part, the 2023 General Elections have been won and lost and as it stands, it is unlikely that the judiciary will upturn the greater outcome of the election. In consequence, in the legislature for instance, those returned elected are already thinking ahead in terms of what leadership position should go to where and to whom, both at the National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly. In Anambra State, it is much the same.
The just concluded election showed that APGA is difficult to be withered, to the extent that APGA candidate for Anaocha II State constituency, Hon. Ejike Okechukwu, was able to withstand the massive assault of the Labour Party in Anaocha, home base of the former governor Peter Obi and Sen. Victor Umeh. Hon. Okechukwu was returned elected to serve his second term as member representing Anaocha II constituency. Understandably, the outcome of Anambra State House of Assembly election took so many people by surprise, especially those who had anticipated a remarkably poor outing for APGA. But again, it became even doubtless that no entrenched political party can be upturned overnight. APGA good outing is moreover, a pointer that local elections are different and the sentiments that worked in national elections do not work in local elections. Considerably, in Anambra, the support enjoyed by Labour Party was largely given to it by APGA members, who, during the Assembly elections reverted to base.
APGA would need at least 4 members from other political parties, to meet the 2/3 majority required for most of its voting procedure.
Seats won by political parties in Anambra State House of Assembly are as follows; APGA won 16 seats, Labour Party won 7 seats, PDP won 4 seats and YPP won 3 seats. From this result, it would be the first time Labour Party and YPP are winning seats in the Assembly. Both APGA and PDP lost some seats to the new entrants. However, what has now changed is that APGA is no more holding 2/3 majority of the House membership, as they did during the inception of the 7th Assembly. Therefore, APGA would need at least 4 members from other political parties, to meet the 2/3 majority required for most of its voting procedure.
For the time being, the big question is who becomes the next speaker? Taking into account that APGA has majority in the House and is also the ruling party in the state, it is a given that APGA would also produce a speaker. In line with power sharing and standing order of the House that the speaker to be, must have served for complete full term and be reelected; there are only a handful of people in this category within APGA. They are; Hon. Patrick Obalum, member representing Anambra West, Hon. Chukwuma Okoye of Awka South II, Hon. Ejike Okechukwu of Anaocha II and Hon. Emma Nwafor of Orumba South. What are the chances of each of these members and who among them is better disposed for the top Anambra Assembly job? Bearing in mind that Hon. Emma Nwafor is from Aguata zone of Anambra South, which is the same zone the governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo comes from, Hon. Nwafor is technically disqualified from emerging as Speaker.
The next is Hon. Chukwuma Okoye. Hon. Okoye is from the same Awka zone with the Deputy Governor. Both Okoye and Deputy Governor are from Awka South LGA and therefore among many other shortcomings, might be unfit to be speaker. We are then left with Hon. Patrick Obalum and Hon. Ejike Okechukwu. Hon. Obalum is from Anambra North the same zone with the outgoing speaker, Rt. Hon. Uche Okafor, but that is not a problem. In fact, that Obalum is from Anambra North is a plus. However, Hon. Obalum’s major challenge steams from the fact that it is doubtful that he can dutifully undertake the onerous job of leading the Assembly. In the 7th Assembly, if there is any member that has not for once, stood up to make any kind of contribution to any debate, then, that might be Hon. Obalum. But beyond that, there are questions as to his general fitness and skill set in managing the House which failure might result in unimaginable crisis. Members of the 7th Assembly can attest to this assessment as correct and accurate. Some might take it to another extreme, but the summary is that it is evidently doubtful that Hon. Obalum is fit for the job. So, we are left with Hon.
Ejike Okechukwu from Anaocha in Anambra Central. Among the four returned members in APGA, Hon. Okechukwu is the most vibrant and most conversant with the House proceedings, and he is the most grounded. Among them, he is the one that makes the most contributions to House debates and his ability to simplify contributions at plenary is superb and can be attested to, by anyone who is conversant with the Assembly. Beyond legislative competence, he is equally friendly and not likely to have any kind of problem with any member. By all credible assessment based on what is on the table, Hon. Ejike Okechukwu is the most plausible person to lead the 8th Assembly.
However, if APGA decides to trade its majority by insisting that Anambra North must produce a speaker and then allow opposition member to become Speaker, then, among those in opposition from the zone, Hon. Somto Udeze representing Ogbaru II is a grounded and well rounded lawmaker capable of doing the job. In fact, Hon. Somto and Hon. Okechukwu have similar disposition and demeanor. So, the option before the 8th Anambra House of Assembly is quite clear and obvious. Any move against this clear option for APGA might be detrimental to the stability of the House and by extension, the government. The Speaker of the 8th Assembly must have a combination of legislative competence and knowhow in human relations to be able to balance and harmonize interests of members.
He is a Technical Assistant to Governor Willie Obiano’s Special Adviser on Legislative Matters, whoonce was a Special Adviser to a former Deputy Speaker of Anambra State House of Assembly. Ebuka is a second class upper division graduate of Political Science from University of Calabar, Calabar Nigeria and holds a Masters Degree in Political Science with specialization in Government and Development Studies, from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka Nigeria
