The November 18 gubernatorial election in Anambra State has come and gone, with Chief Willie Obiano polling the highest number of votes. He was accordingly declared winner by the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Obiano, the incumbent governor and candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), was challenged by other notable candidates in different political parties. They include Tony Nwoye, All Progressives Congress (APC), Oseloka Henry Obaze, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Chief Osita Chidoka, United Progressive Party (UPP).

An indisputable victory that spreads across the 21 local government areas (LGAs) is remarkably historic. It unarguably defines how entrenched APGA has become in Anambra. Besides, it conveyed an implicit vote of confidence, by the good people of Anambra, in the APGA-led government under Obiano, and his leadership style.

However, a post-mortem of the events of November 18 clearly suggests that Obiano does not stand as the only winner of the election. There were other winners, as well as losers.

WINNERS

1. Chief winner: Willie Obiano

The incumbent governor came into power under the instrumentality of the immediate past governor, Mr Peter Obi, who was compelled to abandon Obiano and APGA for PDP. Obiano was unfazed and remained glued to Ndi-Anambra, serving them within his abilities as their governor. Though many accused Obiano of not meeting the enviable Anambra standard, his score-card, as reflected in the just concluded election, was appreciated by his people. While other governors are at war-path with their workers, Obiano enjoyed a massive support from the state workforce; hence he never owed them before the election. It is also on record that his government paid pensioners as at when due. He also pursued people-oriented programmes and policies that bolstered the local economy of the state. His policies - especially on agriculture, security, education and human capital development - gave him an appreciable advantage ahead of the election.

2. APGA

Anambra is the only state controlled today in Nigeria by APGA. The party would have collapsed if Obiano had lost. Obiano's reelection suggests that APGA is strongly and politically entrenched in Anambra. If sentiment and emotion remain vital tools in politics, then the people of Anambra exhibited them for APGA, hence they perceived and embraced the party as nke anyi (our own). Again, the love Ndi-Anambra still have for the departed Igbo leader, Ikemba Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, sufficiently remains the oil that lubricates APGA into continuous existence.

3. President Muhammadu Buhari

This man has made himself a hero in Anambra. As the Commander-in-Chief and a product of the All Progressives Congress, President Buhari jettisoned sentiments and called for free, fair and transparent election in Anambra. I remember a friend, a Major-General in the Nigerian Army, telling me a few days ago about the stern warning issued by the President to the military hierarchy against any form of incursion during the election. It is interestingly clear that President Buhari has, among other things, proven his sincerity towards free and fair election, as well as total revival of democracy in the country. He has, indeed, proven himself a father to all Nigerians irrespective of party affiliations. President Buhari's insistence for free and fair election, no doubt, gave Obiano and APGA the deserving victory.

4. APC

The ruling party has turned to a model, so far as democracy is concerned in Nigeria. First and foremost, the party threw its weight behind President Buhari as he pushed for a peaceful and transparent election in Anambra State. Secondly, the party in my opinion, remarkably conducted freest, fairest and transparent party primaries that produced Nwoye. Before the primaries, many bookmakers, including some APC chieftains, had tipped Senator Andy Ubah to clinch the ticket. It is on record that APC was the political party that provided a level and common playing ground for all aspirants to compete favourably for its gubernatorial ticket. The result of the election also signifies that APC, as a political party, is strategically advancing towards taking over Anambra in 2021. President Buhari's uncommon sincerity to Ndi-Anambra and the swift restoration of Governor Obiano's security aides - withdrawn by the Inspector-General of Police without clearance and administrative authorisation - emotionally endeared him to the people, as well as repositioned APC for victory in future elections in Anambra. Lastly, the show of true sportsmanship by Nwoye, having congratulated Obiano, has some values to APC.

THE LOSERS

1. PDP

In 1999 when democracy was restored, after several years of military incursion, the Peoples Democratic Party took the early lead in Anambra, as Dr Chinwoke Mbadinuju was elected governor. Thereafter, Dr Chris Ngige followed (in controversial circumstances). Shortly, Mr Peter Obi of the then APGA dislodged the PDP and governed for eight years. Since then, the umbrella party has struggled without success to regain its lost position. Until the November 18 governorship election, elective positions in Anambra were shared and occupied by APGA and PDP.

However, result of the just concluded governorship election has shown that PDP has been further relegated to the background in Anambra. The much celebrated defection of Peter Obi to the party never added any electoral value. It is now obvious that Anambra people have completely rejected the party. Why not? Why won't they reject a party that completely lacks elementary knowledge of internal democracy? A party that lacks reconciliation mechanisms? A party whose stock-in-trade is imposition of candidates? A party that failed Nigerians in terms of good governance? A party that promotes greed, selfishness and looting in governance? A party that deliberately conducted primaries that produced Oseloka Obaze?

2. Mr Peter Obi

As governor of Anambra State, Obi was loved by the people for many reasons. These include the campaign he launched against godfatherism and godfathers' as well as his relationship with the departed Igbo hero, Ikemba Odumegwu Ojukwu. In addition, his excellent performance also injected some measure of love into the relationship.

However, Mr Obi completely veered off and headed for a collision course when in the wake of 2015 general elections dumped APGA and joined the PDP. Before the November 18 elections, some notable APGA leaders, including Amb Bianca Ojukwu, had mercilessly rained all manner of curses on the former governor. That may have invoked and awaken the spirit of the departed warlord. Obi, one-time powerful governor was not only disgraced in Anambra but was politically humiliated.

3. Chief Arthur Eze

The Anambra-born billionaire businessman and philanthropist has not hidden his love for Tony Nwoye. In 2013, he sponsored Nwoye in the first failed governorship bid under the platform of the PDP. Not yet done, Eze also known as 'Ozo Igbo Ndu' broke the banks and secured the APC governorship ticket for Nwoye again. Thus, establishing himself as Nwoye's godfather, Anambra people waited for him with their PVCs. Apparently, for the unpalatable records of godfatherism in Anambra with regard to Mbadinuju and Ngige's era, Anambra probably decided not to gamble with Nwoye's governorship. With several billions already committed in the project, the electorate became wiser, hence Prince Eze may have invested to take over the treasury of the state.

4. ‘APC Haters’

About 80 per cent of 'APC haters' are PDP members. They either hate APC for dislodging their party during the 2015 general elections or hate President Buhari for his leadership style. Rather than canvass support for their party and its candidate, they shamelessly dissipated energy castigating the APC. For them, APC should not win at all. Instead of Nwoye of APC, let Obiano and APGA continue. But, what the 'APC haters' myopically failed to realise remains the fact that the ruling party has strategically repositioned ahead of 2019, while the PDP is rancourously enmeshed in all manners of internal crisis.

2019 Permutations

It has become obvious that APC has made a significant inroad towards competing for power in the South-east and South-south. A microscopic survey into the polity suggests that APC shall be winning in some states in the zones. There are clear indications that Abia, Enugu, Rivers and Delta may go the way of APC in 2019. In Ebonyi, the governor, Engr Dave Umahi, having performed excellently, as well as played the 'wise politics' will be reelected either as a PDP or APC governor.

The situations in Abia clearly suggest that PDP is already counting its remaining days. The party’s notoriety is undoubtedly manifesting in terms of bad governance and cluelessness in leadership. Having survived the 2015 revolution, the umbrella party and the sitting governor will be greeted with total rejection.

•Uzoukwa, media and pr practitioner, writes from Obingwa, Abia State.

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