On Saturday, the off-cycle governorship election will be held in Anambra State.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared its readiness for the poll.

It is a battle between the incumbent governor of the state, and academic giant, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, against his opponents.

Though there are 16 names on the INEC’s ballot boxes, only five political parties have shown enough interest in the contest so far.

The parties are the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Young Progressives Party (YPP), the Labour Party (LP), and the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Unfortunately, the major opposition party in the past, the People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) candidate, Jude Ezenwafor, was attacked in Abuja, a few months ago, which has made the party inactive.

Soludo is recontesting his seat on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

The other candidates, Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu of the APC, Dr George Moghalu of LP, Sir Paul Chukwuma of YPP and Mr John Chuma Nwosu of ADC, are not relenting.

The opposition candidates, to tell you they are not joking, chose formidable running mates for the race.

For YPP, Sir Uzuegbulam Okagbue, a former Chief Protocol Officer to the former governor, Chief Willie Obiano, is the man; Senator Uche Ekwunife is for the APC, Lady Ifeoma Okafor for LP, and Dr Ndubuisi Nwobu for the ADC.

The five major contenders have been moving around the state, from villages to communities and to the local government areas to canvas for votes.

Some of them have equally ventured into name-calling. But no matter the pretence, each of them is afraid of the other.

While Governor Soludo is relying on the power of incumbency and some of his notable achievements, the opposition contenders believe his best is not good enough to re-elect him

Again, the governor continues to talk about the progressive alliance between the state and the federal government of the APC to navigate the bend.

WHAT MAKES CONTENDERS THICK

Chukwuma Soludo (APGA)

The Isuofia-born professor had vied for the governorship of Anambra State in 2010 under the platform of PDP without success and was trounced by Obi. The genesis of bottled anger.

The First Class Economist and former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor under the administration of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo was helped by the former governor of the state, Chief Willie Obiano, to win the election in 2021.

Today, he is not only the Anambra State governor, but also, as one of the Economic Advisors to the President.

Some residents in the state, especially APGA sympathisers, believe that the governor has done well within the period to merit reelection.

APGA, as a political party, has turned into a movement in Anambra State. The party has introduced some good and excruciating policies on the citizenry, including the pestle carriers (aka -odo), among others.

However, if the powers that be at the top stand solidly behind him, the 65-year-old will nick it 21/21, the way Obiano did in 2017, but the forces against his reelection are much greater.

Some powerful forces in the Catholic Church are against him; the Obi of Onitsha, Alfred Achebe, is not happy with him, alongside many other traditional rulers. The traders in all the major markets in the state are working against him because of his obnoxious tax regime, among others.

One good thing going for him is his romance with some major stakeholders in the state, like Sir Emeka Offor, Chief Emeka Anyaoku and the 21 local government area chairmen.

The House of Assembly members are divided currently, while some are with APC and YPP, one of the two females, Hon Nkechi Ogbuefi, is a member of LP.

The local government areas Soludo is likely to win are Aguata, his place, because of the quantum of work he has done in the area.

Besides, the Old Aguata Union (OAU), where late former Vice President, Dr Alex Ekwueme, hailed from, always rallies around itself in everything they do.

The only thing that could shake the foundation there is the presence of Ekwunife, who hails from the area and is the running mate to the APC candidate.

Again, another obstacle before him in the area is the invasion and occupation of the Biafran agitators in some of the bushes in the communities.

The communities are Umunze, Ogbunka and Owerre- Ezukala, all in Orumba South.

Incidentally, those places were the strongholds of the late Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, of the then YPP, who later jumped ship to team up with the APC. Though he is no longer around, his foot soldiers are

With the support of the former governor and Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, in Idemili North and South Local Government areas, Soludo may emerge the winner in these areas.

Ngige had visited him and praised him to the high heavens for his developmental strides in the state. He has not supported his political Party, the APC, since President Tinubu won the party’s ticket en route to the presidential election.

Moreover, the area is where the former Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Chief Anyaoku, comes from. He is one of the prominent backers of the governor in the state.

Not only that, Soludo made one of their sons, the traditional ruler of Obosi, Igwe Chidubem Iweka, the chairman of the traditional rulers in Anambra State. He replaced the Obi of Onitsha.

Currently, he has placed an Obosi son and former Minister of Aviation and Co-Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Osita Chidoka, as his heir apparent from the Central senatorial zone.

In Ekwusigo, it will be like passing through the camel’s eye for anyone to defeat him there because of Sir Emeka Offor’s presence, same in Ogbaru, the home of the Anambra Speaker, Hon Somtochukwu Udeze.

But insecurity that has ravaged Ihiala and Awka South capital city, will make it a serious battleground for APGA.

Soludo, since he assumed office, has faced insecurity challenges in many communities, especially along the Ihiala axis, despite claims of successes by security operatives.

To date, communities like Isseke, Orsumoghu, Lilu, Ukpor, part of Ihiala, and Azia, are being occupied by the unknown gunmen.

No ceremony is allowed to take place in those communities, unless the agitators permit you. The residents had all abandoned their homes.

Any burial in those areas must take place as early as between 6-6.30 am, with a specified number of relatives, no more than between 10 and 20, in attendance as decreed by the bush occupants.

After that early morning burial, everybody will disperse to any town of the choice of family for the funeral, either Onitsha or Nnewi, or Awka. The government is just pretending; the situation is that terrible.

In Ihiala, it will be an interesting battle because, despite the leader of the state security outfit, ‘Agunechemba’, Prince Ken Emeakayi, coming from there and a billionaire oil magnate, Obijackson, who is backing him too, the APC has a strong presence in the area.

Soludo relies heavily on the support of President Tinubu to overcome his opponents because of the progressives’ alliance.

But as a party man who had gone through such a rough road in the hands of Obasanjo before, when he was Lagos State governor, he should know that the party reigns supreme in such situations.

APC faithful believe that Tinubu will not allow such an opportunity of getting Anambra into the APC fold slip by this time round because it will give him an edge in the 2027 presidential race.

Again, it will be difficult for Soludo to betray his boss, Atiku Abubakar, no matter what. Therefore, Tinubu will be sitting on a keg of gunpowder in 2027 if he fails to get the support of his party in the November 8 poll.

Be that as it may, Soludo stands the better chance of retaining his seat than his opponents because he has already shown his capacity, though opposition may not like this.

The father of six children has a supportive wife in Dr Nonye, who uses her healthy living exercise to woo many people in the state.

George Moghalu (LP)

For the LP candidate, Moghalu, he is counting on the grassroots support and the popularity of the former governor and 2023 presidential candidate of the party, Mr Peter Obi, to scale the hurdle.

He Is also working on the same page with the elected LP eggheads like Senator Victor Umeh, Senator Tony Nwoye, House of Representatives members, Idu Emeka, Prof Lilian Orogbu and Afam Ogene to garner votes.

They are all Labour Party elected National Assembly members from Anambra State.

Moghalu, recently, told The Nation that he’s not ashamed of riding at the back of Obi to get to the Promised Land.

If you are searching for a leader who is honest, capable, and people-centred, Chief George Moghalu stands tall as a beacon of hope for Anambra State.

His name resonates with integrity, experience, and a passion for development.

The LP candidate is not just another politician; he is a man whose entire career has been rooted in service, structure, and sincerity.

Moghalu’s upbringing instilled in him the belief that power must be used not to oppress but to uplift, and those values have guided his public and private life to date.

The former National Auditor of APC later became the Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA).

The 62-year-old prioritised bringing in reforms that made the agency more efficient, transparent and responsive to the needs of the people.

He was one of the few APC members who were not happy because Tinubu won the party’s presidential ticket in 2023.

Moghalu told The Nation recently in Awka that the November 8 governorship election would be his last, whether good or bad.

The reason for contesting, he said, is not to enrich himself, not to recycle political rhetoric, but to rebuild trust between government and the governed.

To bring a new leadership culture that prioritizes results over noise, and governance over godfatherism.

Already, Moghalu is facing party challenges because the leadership that sanctioned his governorship ticket was removed by the court. His faith hangs in the balance. But he still pushes.

With the cult followership of Peter Obi, the combined forces of the NASS members in the state in LP, Moghalu stands a chance of making a strong statement.

Some of the local government areas likely to be battlegrounds between LP and APGA are Anaocha, Obi’s and Senator Victor Umeh’s local government area.

He Is likely to make a statement in Idemili North and South if Ngige willingly backs him. But Ngige is a tricky individual, but highly principled. The issue now is, between Soludo and Moghalu, where does his heart belong?

Another area waiting for LP is Anambra East, Ayamelum and Anambra West Local Government areas, where Senator Tony Nwoye holds sway.

Nwoye almost became the governor of the state in 2017 when he contested on the platform of APC, but what saved APGA was the intervention of the then President, the late Muhammadu Buhari.

The LP senator has done a lot for his constituents, including fixing roads in his domain. He is influential in Anambra North Senatorial Zone, and if calculations are anything to go by, LP stands a good chance of staking a claim in the area.

And Nwoye will equally have the combined forces of other popular Reps members from the zone, Hon Afam Ogene from Ogbaru federal constituency and Hon Emeka Idu of Onitsha North and South Federal Constituency.

Moghalu can equally count on Hon Lilian Orogbu, representing Awka North and South federal constituency, another popular figure who was a lecturer at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Unizik Awka.

So, LP has a strong presence in about nine local government areas in the state already, if the permutations are anything to rely on. But the fear is the possibility of the APGA-led administration using the state-owned security outfit, Agunechemba, against the opponents on Election Day.

What sets Moghalu apart from others is that he listens, he consults, and he doesn’t fail in answering people’s calls, unlike many politicians, which alone is a big plus for him in this race.

Paul Chukwuma (YPP)

He is the youngest among the five top contenders. Sir Paul Chukwuma, before now, was the National Auditor of the APC.

Though he announced his resignation from the party a day before the governorship primary at the Prof Dora Akunyili Women’s Development Centre, he said his decision would not stop him from supporting President Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda. He later teamed up with the Young Progressives Party, YPP, to pursue his governorship ambition.

Chukwuma is a big entrepreneur and pro-Biafran Chancellor of Olivia University, Burundi.

The father of six, like Soludo, is loaded academically with no fewer than five different degrees, including Law and made First Class in all.

Paul Chukwuma was unjustly denied the APC ticket by the powers that be, despite being one of the major financiers of the party both in Anambra and at the national level.

Some APC chieftains accused him of sabotaging the party and secretly working with Soludo. This, he denied and has been attacking Soludo since he joined YPP. Chukwuma may return to APC after the November 8 election.

He has built from scratch several successful startup businesses and mentored several entrepreneurs in Nigeria and around the world.

He hails from Nneyi Village, Umueri, Anambra East Local Government Area of the state. His philanthropic activities cut across several communities in Nigeria.

Chukwuma owns several companies, including ValuePlus Solutions, Montage Group, Fides Et Ratio, Humble Rocks, among others.

His campaign message has centred on the failure of the current administration of Soludo and the insecurity ravaging the state, adding that he needs only six months to get things right in the state.

Political watchers say he joined the race to spoil the fun for the APC candidate, having been denied the governorship ticket by some persons who were afraid of his rising profile.

They are accusing him of trying to distort the zoning arrangement going on in the state, which was introduced by Peter Obi.

It was also argued that Soludo’s predecessor came from the Anambra North zone, and it would be unfair to hand over power to the zone immediately without considering others.

But Chukwuma is undeterred, as he chose his running mate from the Central zone, Sir Uzuegbulam Okagbue, a former aide to former governor Obiano.

Though he has repeatedly said he has no political godfather, his closeness with the Catholic Church hierarchy gives him out. He was an ex-Seminarian.

His chances are also bright, but the YPP is not well known in Anambra. The party was only made popular in the Anambra South senatorial zone, where late Ifeanyi Ubah held sway.

It will be difficult for Chukwuma to use YPP to dislodge APGA in the state, though everything is possible in politics, the way it is in football.

Some areas that could be attributed as the strongholds of the party have been occupied by others. Anambra East, where he hails from, will be a key battleground for him with APGA and LP.

His running mate, Uzu is from Dunukofia, which is a small local government area in terms of population and also a stronghold of APGA.

YPP has other local government areas it’s likely to make an impact, including Nnewi North, Ayamelum, Anambra West, and Onitsha North and South.

To win the election will be difficult for YPP, but the candidate and his running mate are loved by many and will make a huge impact, but not win.

Nicholas Ukachukwu ( APC)

When Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu emerged as the candidate of the APC during the party’s primary, some members of the party left and joined other political parties.

They accused him of hijacking the process with his enormous wealth. But the primary was conducted in a free atmosphere.

At 58 years, he stands another chance to stand for the position in future, if his party fails to win the November 8 election.

The man, popularly referred to anywhere he goes as Ikukuoma (Wind of Glory), is a man of means, but not as educated as the two Chukwumas and Moghalu.

He hails from Dimala village, Osumenyi, Nnewi South Local Government Area. He is an international and well-accomplished businessman.

He is the Founder and Chairman of SNECOU Group Limited, a conglomerate with major investments in Construction, Oil and Gas and the Founder of British Nigeria Academy and European University of Nigeria (EUN)

He has other investments like, Prince and Princess Estate, Good Homes Estate, Shalom Villa Estate, among others.

Before now, he served as an elected Executive Chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) in 1997.

From there, he was elected to the House of Representatives in 1999, representing AMAC/Bwari Federal Constituency under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

He contested for the Anambra South Senatorial seat in 2023, won that election, but because of the power tussle then between him and the Ubas, he was stopped.

He had contested the governorship under the defunct Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) and HOPE Party in 2006 and 2010, respectively.

One thing going for the APC candidate in this election is his choice of running mate, in the person of Senator Ekwunife.

Ekwunife is a political caterpillar in Anambra and a grassroots mobilizer, loved by the masses.

Ukachukwu is not loved by many, not as a result of his party, but because they see the arrogance of Soludo in him.

He wants to leverage the APC being at the centre to get to his destination. But he is not helping himself with the calibre of people around him.

Observers think that such characters may give him and Ekwunife the opportunity of winning the election.

Besides, certain governors are against his emergence as the party’s flag bearer and are doing everything to stop him from winning.

However, his Nnewi North and South flag bearers no go areas for any other political party in the state.

There are going to be key battlegrounds between APC, APGA and LP in the state. These local government areas are Anaocha, Njikoka, Dunukofia, Idemili North and South, Onitsha North and South, Awka North and South, Ihiala and Ogbaru.

If, indeed, the federal government is in support of APC in Anambra State with the party’s governors, then, it’s not going to be a tea party for APGA.

John Chuma Nwosu (ADC)

The candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) is not popular in the state.

But his running mate, Dr Ndubuisi Nwobu, is more popular and has played state politics and held positions than the candidate.

The Oduda, Nnewi-ichi born entrepreneur and Economist, had high hopes of leveraging on Peter Obi’s popularity when he got the ticket.

But that anticipation is being dashed as the party continues to swim in crisis at the national level, with even Obi’s hopes of presidential ambition hanging in the balance.

Nwosu’s running mate, Nwobu, had before now, been the state chairman of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (CAN) and chairman of PDP in the state.

The ADC candidate, who is an advocate of grassroots campaigns, is the Chief Executive Officer of Jetlink Group Ltd., an ICT company with business affiliations and interests in the Central Bank of Nigeria, EcoBank Plc, Jaiz Bank, Fidelity Bank Plc, among others.

He was gunning for the LP governorship ticket and later switched over to ADC when it dawned on him that Moghalu was the obvious choice of Obi.

The decision pushed the former Secretary to the state government, Mr Oseloka Obaze, an unrepentant Obi ally, out of LP.

Political watchers say he has no impact in the governorship race on Saturday, saying he won’t win even a single local government area out of the 21.

The only local government area where the ADC impact will be felt is in Awka South, where the party’s running mate hails from and even served as a Council chairman in 1999.

For Soludo, it seems the coast is clear, based on his footprints on the ground, but if the higher authorities intervene, then there will be a struggle along the line.

The campaigns by all the parties have centred on insecurity in the state and vote buying stunts being pulled by the government in power.

APGA and APC have already rolled out the drums, including LP, waiting for the declaration of the results by the INEC. The three parties are hopeful of emerging victorious at the end. However, the residents are keeping their fingers crossed.

Chioma Ifemeludike (AAC)

Chioma Ifemeludike, a Nollywood actress, is the gubernatorial candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC). She may not be one of the leading candidates, but the recent events, especially the sympathy of Omoyele Sowore, the Chairman of ACC, for the plight of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has endeared many to her.

Ifemeludike is one of the few women from Anambra who dared to take a shot at politics. “In AAC, we believe in women’s leadership. God and my ancestors will bear me witness that I am willing to give my all to win this election, unless society says otherwise,” said Ifemeludike.

She has a robust 33-page programme, where her vision for the Anambra State has been encapsulated.

She gained traction online recently after sharing a series of campaign photos and videos that spotlight her message of inclusive governance and challenge long-held patriarchal beliefs in politics.

Her strength is the cult following she has among youths, and if they can mobilise support for her, just the way they did for the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, durin the 2023 presidential election, she is going to make a serious impact. (The Nation)