“Right now, APGA, our party, has only one advantage left, and that is the advantage of ethnic privilege.” —Ebuka Onyekwelu
For nearly one month since Sen. Ifeanyi Ubah joined APC, I am often amazed at how some members of our party, APGA, have continued to insist that Anambra cannot vote APC. This is, at best, laughable. Only as recent as in 2017, Sen. Tony Nwoye, then of APC, garnered over 90 thousand votes in the gubernatorial election of that year. Then, in 2021, Sen. Andy Uba of APC secured over 40 thousand votes.
In the above instances, the contenders pulled those thousands of votes only through a few months of the campaign. The case now is far more different.
Therefore, anyone living in the illusion that Anambra cannot or does not vote APC is simply joking.
For a start, for nearly one month since Sen. Ifeanyi Ubah joined APC, not one of his followers or any member of his team has denounced him or his new party. Instead, they have all joined him in APC, except those elected on the platform of his former party. Otherwise, every member, including reputable businessmen and other followers, has declared for APC. Please, I challenge anyone to take a second gaze at this and see if it is not the truth.
Therefore, anyone with a political mind looking at this should be able to tell what it means, especially in regard to the next Anambra governorship election.
Politically, APGA has only two advantages over the opposition in Anambra. One is identity, and the second advantage is funding. APGA’s Igbo identity is strong, and it’s the major problem the opposition faces. For funding, APGA can afford to spend and easily outspend opposition parties. But right now, APGA, our party, has only one advantage left, and that is the advantage of identity.
Even the advantage of identity is now challenged. People no longer wear APGA uniforms like before. The Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Ikemba Nnewi, who used to be the face of APGA, is no longer there. Yet, Sen. Ifeanyi Ubah and his new party APC, have a long time to plan ahead of 2025. No matter how one may look at this, it is not to be dismissed on the usual assumption.
I have had this conversation with a lot of people, and when they read this, they know that I have expressed these concerns with them.
I just want to put this out so that people will stop living in the euphoria that Anambra can not vote for APC.
Just like Sen. Ubah’s followers and supporters, Anambra people will always go with who they like irrespective of his party.
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
