Ahead of the November 8, 2025, governorship election in Anambra State, political tensions are high as the All Progressives Congress and the Labour Party challenge the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance for control. IKENNA OBIANERI examines public expectations, electoral preparations, and the Peoples Democratic Party?s failure to field a candidate

With less than eight months to the November 8 governorship election in Anambra State, the political landscape is becoming more intriguing, busy, and chaotic, even ahead of the party primaries of the main opposition political parties?the All Progressives Congress and the Labour Party ?as well as the ruling party, the All Progressives Grand Alliance. As it stands, another main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party, may not be presenting a candidate for the election, as no aspirant is reported to have purchased the party?s nomination form.

The Independent National Electoral Commission had announced that political parties will commence their primaries for the 2025 Anambra State governorship election on March 20, 2025, with the process expected to conclude by April 10, 2025. INEC?s National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, disclosed this in a statement on March 6, 2025, reminding political parties of the importance of adhering to the election timetable, while reaffirming that the governorship election remains scheduled for November 8, 2025.

According to INEC, 12 out of the 19 registered political parties in the country have so far submitted their schedules for the primaries. The commission stressed that early submission allows for proper monitoring in line with Section 84 of the Electoral Act, 2022.

Olumekun stated, ?The public may recall that in line with the provision of Section 28(1) of the Electoral Act, 2022, the commission published the Notice of Election on November 13, 2024, over 360 days before the date fixed for the election. By the provision of the timetable and schedule of activities for the election, the conduct of primaries for the nomination of candidates by political parties commences in the next two weeks, i.e. March 20, 2025, and ends on April 10, 2025.?

Political calculations and the body language of stakeholders in Anambra State suggest that the battle may be a three-horse race between the ruling APGA, APC, and LP, as no other political party has gained significant attention in the lead-up to the primaries.

Judging by INEC?s timetable, the two leading opposition parties would know their candidates on or before April 10. The APC has already screened about seven governorship aspirants, including Chukuma Umeoji, Obiora Okonkwo, Nicholas Ukachukwu, Paul Chukwuma, Johnbosco Onunkwo, Valentine Ozigbo, and Edozie Madu. The screening, which ended on Saturday, precedes the party?s primary election scheduled for April 5.

Rising from its meeting, the Anambra State APC 2025 Governorship Election Screening Committee, chaired by a former governor of Katsina State, Ibrahim Shema, announced that all seven aspirants had been cleared to contest in the upcoming primary. The party also issued clearance certificates to the aspirants, with Ozigbo granted a waiver to contest despite his recent defection to the party.

Similarly, the Labour Party, whose aspirants include John Nwosu, George Moghalu, Bart Nwibe, and Tony Nwoye, has also scheduled its primary election for April 5. However, LP aspirants have remained relatively quiet in the lead-up to the primaries.

Political observers believe that any LP candidate would likely leverage the popularity of the party?s 2023 presidential candidate and former Anambra governor, Peter Obi, to gain electoral support. The Labour Party?s performance in the 2023 general election positioned it as a strong political force, but the defection of Ozigbo, a close ally of Obi, to the APC may have weakened its prospects in the upcoming election.

Meanwhile, APGA?s National Organising Secretary, Ifeanyi Mbaeri, announced on February 28 that aspirants seeking the party?s ticket must pay N30m for nomination and expression of interest forms. He also released the primary election timetable, as the party fixed its special state congress and governorship primary election for April 5.

As things appear in the ruling APGA at the moment, only the incumbent governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, who is seeking reelection on the platform of the party, is assured of APGA?s ticket by default as the governor, since no one is expected to wrest the ticket from him.

In APGA, the incumbent governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, remains the sole contender for the party?s ticket, virtually guaranteeing his candidacy. With this, Soludo will know his major opponents by April 10, when political parties finalise their candidates for the November 8 poll.

Since 2006, APGA has been the ruling party in Anambra, enjoying strong grassroots support under the slogan ?nka bu nkeanyi? (?this is our own?). However, while the Labour Party posed a major challenge in 2023, its current disorganisation may limit its impact in the upcoming election.

For the PDP, another main opposition party, there is little indication that it will field a candidate. A former publicity secretary and stakeholder of the PDP in Anambra, Chief Onyeka Ike, disclosed that no aspirant has come forward to purchase the party?s nomination form due to the N40m price tag.

He said, ?Nobody has shown interest in contesting the governorship election under the PDP. The N40m price tag has likely discouraged potential aspirants. As it stands, the PDP may not present a candidate because you cannot force someone to buy a form they cannot afford, especially when they are unsure of winning.?

Ike added, ?You know Anambra is a gold mine where politicians display wealth, probably the party thought it would be as usual. You know in the last governorship election, there were up to 14 people who aspired and purchased forms.

?Because of what is happening in the PDP, a lot of people have deserted the party, and as it is now, the party may not present any candidate because we cannot make INEC reverse its timetable and guidelines.

?The PDP used to be a leading party in Anambra State, but now you can see it is no longer like that. As it is, we don?t have anybody aspiring to be governor in Anambra under the PDP. That is the situation on the ground; nobody has come forth to say he wants to contest the election under the PDP.

?We are not happy about the development, but what can we do? All the people who ran for election in the last dispensation are not interested this time. All of them have defected.

?Our former candidate in the 2021 election, Val Ozigbo, is now in the APC; Obiora Okonkwo is now in the APC. Uche Ekwunife, all of them have left the PDP.

?These were some of the people that ran for election in the last dispensation. As it is now, the party is in disarray and may not present any candidate for the election.?

As political tensions rise, divisions among party leaders and stakeholders deepen, setting the stage for a fiercely contested election. The Anambra State House of Assembly recently enacted the Anambra State Homeland Security Law, leading to the formation of ?Operation Udo-ga-chi? and ?Agunechemba? to combat insecurity. Soludo?s supporters lauded the move, arguing that the opposition can no longer use insecurity as a campaign tool.

At a recent rally during the local government election campaign, Soludo declared that opposition parties in Anambra are weak and do not exist. ?Ndi Anambra can vote for anybody, but when it comes to state elections, Ndi Anambra have resolved that APGA is the vehicle for the transformation of their state. We have no opposition here. Out of the nine political parties contesting the election, only APGA fielded candidates for all the positions. Of course, the Labour Party has disintegrated, APC does not exist in Anambra and they fielded no candidates. They are afraid, but they make a lot of noise.

?They have been calling for an election, now the election is around and they have run away. This would have exposed their underbellies that they can?t win one ward in Anambra State. It is now evident that APGA is Anambra and Anambra is APGA. We, therefore, appeal to all of you to come out en masse and vote for APGA.?

However, LP aspirant, John Nwosu, disagrees, arguing that Soludo has failed Anambra. Addressing the state chapter of the ?Obidient Movement? in Awka, he described Anambra under Soludo?s leadership as insecure and plagued by crime. ?Soludo is misleading the people. Whitewashing Anambra is a fallacy. Repainting existing infrastructure built by his predecessors is deceitful.?

Meanwhile, the Director General of the Paul Chukwuma Campaign Council, Ifeanyichukwu Ibezi, vowed that his principal, an APC aspirant, would unseat Soludo. ?Sir Chukwuma is ready. His agenda focuses on human capital development, infrastructure, and security. He enjoys the support of APC stakeholders and will launch his manifesto after the primaries.?

As the primaries approach, INEC?s Anambra State Resident Commissioner, Dr Elizabeth Agwu, assured that the commission has no preferred candidate for the November 8 election, dismissing rumours of bias as the election draws closer. (The PUNCH)

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