“Anambra South by-election is shaping up as a tight race with no clear favorite.” —Ebuka Onyekwelu
The stage is now set for the Anambra South senatorial by-election scheduled for August 16, 2025, as all political parties in the contest have now produced a candidate in that election. So far, it is clear that the Anambra South senatorial by-election will not be a walkover for any participating political party, as all parties were unable to produce a candidate that easily outpaced others in popularity and acceptance for that election. It is therefore discernible that the eventual winner in that election might likely emerge by a whisker.
Out of the political parties gearing up for the by-election in about three weeks’ time, none of the candidates came from Nnewi North LGA, yet Nnewi North would likely decide the outcome of the by-election if they vote in bloc. For now, there is the suspicion that Nnewi might have lost its capacity to vote en masse, which gives a hint that the political equation might be altered significantly. In over a decade, Senator Ifeanyi Ubah mobilized a fresh political class in Nnewi and raised the political consciousness of the people to a level where they can modify the political landscape of Anambra South at will. In many years, this is the first election Nnewi is facing without Senator Ifeanyi Ubah. But with the late senator’s absence, it is heavily doubtful that there is any force at present that can trigger such passionate and keen involvement from the populace, which Senator Ifeanyi Ubah evoked. Yet, one must be mindful that Nnewi, given its numbers, can still make the difference in the by-election, even when they have no one on the ballot. As a traditionally opposition stronghold, there are chances that the commercial hub might retain its reputation. Nnewi can still deliver a few thousand votes in bloc to a preferred candidate, and this might make the difference in this particular election.
On Monday, the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance – APGA, in Anambra State, picked Nnewi-South-LGA-born Chief Emma Nwachukwu as its flag bearer in the by-election. Interestingly, Chief Nwachukwu was the most unlikely aspirant to have emerged in APGA. However, he selected through an internal process agreed upon by the aspirants and supervised by the governor, Prof. Charles Soludo. But in truth, from all possible standpoints, APGA was expected to produce Chief Akai Egwuonwu, Chief Ebuka Onunkwo, or Hon. Pascal Agbodike, as the party’s candidate for the by-election. But, Chief Nwachukwu, with far less reach, publicity and election nuances, emerged as the party’s flag bearer. The far-reaching implication is that APGA cannot lay claims to any particular advantage in the by-election.
Earlier, Barrister Donald Amamgbo emerged as the candidate of the African Democratic Congress – ADC. Given the ongoing national coalition, the ADC is coming up as the preferred choice of politicians in some opposition political parties, ahead of the 2027 General Election. But whether this will work any magic in Anambra South on August 16 is clearly doubtful. Barrister Amamgbo is from Ihiala LGA and does not particularly command any remarkable and peculiar advantage over other contestants. Also from Ihiala is the Labour Party’s candidate, Hon. Chuma Nzeribe, a former member of the House of Representatives, who was once a notable political force. As of today, not much is left of his yesteryear’s fame in the field of political play. This is further exacerbated by the fact that Ihiala LGA has lost a substantial voting capacity to the raging insecurity in that local government. Even more, the remaining vote would be shared, that is, for argument, if Ihiala decides to vote for only their own. Hon. Nzeribe’s case is closely related to the case of the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party – PDP, Chief Chris Uba. A well-known political entity that vied for the position in 2019 but was thoroughly decimated by Senator Ifeanyi Ubah. Given the prevailing condition of the PDP in Nigeria today, Chief Chris Uba might just be occupying a symbolic space rather than contesting for the Senate. Though the only candidate from Aguata LGA, there is nothing that points to Chief Chris doing any better than he did in 2019. People still hold the same beliefs about him, stemming from the fallout with Dr. Chris Ngige in 2003.
For the Young Progressive Party – YPP, the youthful and energetic Prince Oforbuike Okoli emerged as the party’s candidate. Prince Oforbuike Okoli is the youngest among the contenders and also the only candidate in Orumba North and Orumba South LGAs. He is a fast-rising community leader and grassroots politician. If his home front looks good for him, he has youth appeal, and that can be a momentous selling point. His major challenge is whether he will be able to mobilize funds to penetrate some LGAs like Nnewi North and a few others, that are open for overtures. He is fresh and without baggage, which might attract the support of political stakeholders. Finally, there is Chief Azuka Okwuosa, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress – APC. An experienced politician with a calm demeanour, but the APC is not an easy sell in Anambra State. The APC is the only major political party yet to win any election in Anambra State from its inception to date. This by-election might not be an exception, except Okwuosa has a point to make. For now, there is no obvious advantage the Ekwusigo-LGA-born candidate has over other candidates in the by-election. But like others, he has his advantages, but they are not enough to put him above his peers.
In the end, it is my considered opinion that, except for the APGA, YPP, LP, ADC, and APC, all are positioned for a fair contest that is likely to produce a senator who would narrowly emerge on August 16 from one of the five political parties.
♦ Ebuka Onyekwelu, journalist and trained political scientist, is a writer and columnist with the West African Pilot News
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