“Since 2015, only Hon. Somto has won any election in Ogbaru with APGA” —Ebuka Onyekwelu The emergence of Rt. Hon. Somto Udeze, representing Ogbaru II constituency as the Speaker of Anambra State 8th House of Assembly is akin to using a single stone to kill many birds. In terms of qualification, academically, Hon. Somto is rounding up his doctorate programme and it is doubtful that there is any member of the 8th Assembly that holds...

“It becomes even more disturbing as the country would now borrow to fund the subsidy ” —Ebuka Onyekwelu Perhaps, nothing epitomizes Nigeria’s ideological war more than the recurring argument over whether to remove or not remove fuel subsidy. Since the inception of this democratic dispensation, each government has had to deal with the issue of fuel subsidy removal, in one way or another. But largely, what is in display with the recurrent argument on fuel...

“By far, the 2023 General election was the best outing ever recorded by Ifeanyi Ubah throughout his political voyage ” —Ebuka Onyekwelu For about a decade and half, Ifeanyi Ubah, the senator representing Anambra South senatorial district, has continued to build a fascinating political model that is worthy of some close examination. At first, he was launched into the scene as a ‘philanthropist’, with resounding media buzz. Years on, he has normalized that identity within...

” …limitations of Nigerian voters is the third critical obstruction to a robust legislature in Nigeria. ” —Ebuka Onyekwelu The legislature as an arm of the government, is a critical democratic institution which as a result, has unlimited tenure of office for members. For the executive arm, there is a stipulated tenure of office; maximum of two terms of eight years. But for the legislature, from the State House of Assembly to the National Assembly,...

” …Many of them started using walking stick, just because Obiano uses it. They started wearing hart, just like Obiano. ” —Ebuka Onyekwelu Mentorship I suspect has some form of uncanny influence on mentees or so it seems. I recall with clarity as an undergraduate student in the university some years ago, how followers of a particular Pentecostal Church pastor, specifically students’ preachers in that Church’s campus fellowship in those days; all, dressed up like...

“How could preachers get away with false claims, yet, they berate INEC for not uploading results on time to IREV?” —Ebuka Onyekwelu The events of the last few months have once again opened the possible conversation on the age-long controversies of political prophesy. We are again faced with the question of whether God’s will can be democratized or put differently if the people’s will can be changed by prophesy. It can in fact be extended...

“The current speaker is from Anambra North and the former Governor is also from Anambra North” —Ebuka Onyekwelu Within the Anambra State political cycle, there is increased concern about who becomes the next Speaker of the House of Assembly. The Anambra State 8th House of Assembly is expected to resume on 12th June, 2023 and on that first sitting, the leadership of the House must be elected. Barely two months to go, the politicking has...

“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...

“As recently as in the 6th Assembly which lasted between 2015 and 2019, Anambra Assembly remained a fertile ground for fireworks of sorts,” —Ebuka Onyekwelu From the days of Governor Chinwoke Mbadinuju, the Anambra State House of Assembly has been significantly dramatic, either caught in the crossfire between ‘federal might’ against the state government, or in a struggle with the state executive. Throughout Nigeria, Anambra Assembly is one of the most ‘hot-headed’ and one of...

“As a former governor himself, Obi knows and understands protocols and he knows that it was wrong for him to walk into a hall where the governor who is the host, was already speaking,” —Ebuka Onyekwelu On Saturday, the governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo formally celebrated his one year in office at the international convention centre. The programme which was well attended by so many public figures and leaders of industries, left many...