“Strengthening the political party is a well-proven template for political power acquisition in any party-based democracy.” —Ebuka Onyekwelu
One question I have been asked multiple times is why I place the APC ahead of Labour Party in the coming governorship election in Anambra State. My answer is simple. The reality you see should guide you. First of all, there is a deliberate effort to ‘domesticate’ the APC in the state. Secondly, the party has the manpower or at least can mobilize the requisite manpower it may require. Finally, the party has the financial capability to compete with the incumbent. No other opposition political party can conveniently mobilize those crucial elements with ease ahead of the coming Anambra State governorship election like the APC.
To begin, the APC in Anambra is undoubtedly being reenergized for a possible showdown against APGA in 2025. In contrast, APGA is grappling with its goodwill for so many reasons. As of now, APGA membership can no longer be ascertained. I suspect this is the reason behind the ongoing APGA membership revalidation.
Within the Anambra APC, one figure that gets mentioned in this revival of sorts in the party is Paul Chukwuma who has served as a national officer of the party. Without fear or favour, Mr. Chukwuma’s goodwill in the APC is not in doubt. For context, I met Sir Paul Chukwuma a few months ago during a media chat, for the first time. My impression from that chat is that Chukwuma is unassuming and exceptionally bright. After listening to him speak, and it was time for questions, my question to him was; “how do you intend to put yourself out there as a credible contender, considering that a lot of people outside your party do not know you?” Responding, he first paused. I guess he thought about it for a moment. Then, he started by saying that the question was apt and that well, he would do everything, working with the right people to achieve that in the shortest possible time. Between February 2024 when the media chat was held and now; a space of barely four months, not many people will claim not to know who Paul Chukwuma is. So much has changed in his name recognition and this is but an interesting twist.
Looking at it, one thing Mr. Chukwuma has done is to consolidate his stronghold on his party, the APC. Earlier, he erected APC promotional billboards across Anambra state announcing the birth of what he called ‘a new APC’. In a way, this was a proclamation of his grand entry into Anambra’s political ring. As the sponsor of the billboard, the question then was, “Who is this Paul Chukwuma”? From around December 2023 when the billboards went up till now, Mr. Chukwuma has made a modest attempt to put his identity out to the public.
As a former national auditor of the ruling APC, he is already well-known within the ranks of his party. In fact, he is unarguably one of the most popular stakeholders in Anambra APC. Paul Chukwuma is simply consolidating his position in Anambra APC, with intense and careful planning to empower the party. This is even more intriguing than it appears on the surface. The fact of our democracy is that it is a party-based democracy. The import of a party-based democracy like ours is that the party must be strong with well-oiled memberships who are proud to identify with the party and stand with it. At a different level, what this means for a candidate is that he must first cross the party hurdle. This is the first challenge. Hence, it is in the best interest of an office seeker that his party has what it may take to compete strongly. A worthy political party is one that controls a sizeable membership that is willing to stand for the party when duty calls. Any party that has been able to attain this height will do well in any General Election. But if a party’s members are unsure of their stake in the party, not sponsored or not even noticed, the implication is that those members will be ready tools in the hands of more organized political parties.
In Anambra state, for instance, APGA, the ruling party, places a high premium on membership right from inception. Consequently, the party created a sizeable membership base and then kept weakening the PDP and APC by influencing their members to work for it directly or indirectly, to foster its interests. This is why it is a well-known fact that APGA has never won any election in Anambra State without support from PDP and APC members. However, the problem really is that the opposition party members working for APGA, have no real motivation or I should say sense of duty within their own political family. Hence, they align with a better-prepared political party. In other words, by and large, an organized and well-funded political party can conveniently contend in any election. This, by the way, was President Tinubu’s template, and over about 16 years, his party moved from the opposition to the ruling party and 8 years later, he became the president against very intense odds. This speaks to the fact that a political party that is well-serviced will service the ambition of its hard-working members and leaders. So, strengthening the political party is a well-proven template for political power acquisition in any party-based democracy which all democracies now are.
In 2025, APC’s performance and indeed, the election winner at the end of the day, will be determined by the formidability of the party. Where APGA is found to be more formidable than the best of its main rival the APC, then, this will also be reflected in the outcome of that election. But if the repositioning of the APC is superior to APGA’s reorganization efforts, the stronger APC will take the day.
- Late Senator Ifeanyi Ubah: The Agony of a Legacy in Crisis - October 31, 2025
- Holding Power to the Fire: Journalism Lessons from Rufai Oseni’s Confrontation - October 23, 2025
- NOA Issues Directive on Proper Recital of National Anthem - October 18, 2025