
FELIX NWANERI writes on the declaration by a former National Auditor of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Sir Paul Chukwuma for the forthcoming governorship election in Anambra State and his chances in emerging as the party’s flag bearer
The build-up to the November 8, governorship election in Anambra State is becoming interesting by the day as the various political gladiators angling for the position perfect strategies for the contest, which many believe will be a tough battle given recent political developments in the state.
Already, some notable personalities have declared intention to run for the highest office in the state that prides itself as “Light of the Nation.” and perhaps, succeed the incumbent, Governor Chukwuma Soludo, who is seeking a second term on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
To some analysts, APGA, which is the ruling party in the state has only the Labour Party (LP) to contend with given the outcome of the 2023 general election, but recent political developments in the country shows that both parties must gear up for a tough battle with a third force in Anambra politics represented by the APC This, perhaps explains the jostle for the APC ticket by several notable politicians in Anambra State ahead of the November governorship poll.
However, in the course of permutations ahead of the party’s primary election, various interesting scenarios have laced the political space, making it difficult for bookmakers to predict where the pendulum would swing to.
While most of the aspirants for the APC governorship ticket are not new when it comes to political contests in Anambra State and could boast of what it takes – deep pocket and political structure – to match each other strength-to-strength, some analysts are of the view that Sir Paul Chukwuma holds the ace.
The former National Auditor of the APC, had while declaring his intention in November last year, emphasised his commitment to address insecurity, infrastructural challenges, unemployment and other socio-economic issues affecting Anambra State and its people. Chukwuma, who is the Pro-Chancellor of Olivia University, Burundi, noted that as an expert in business and economics, he will apply his expertise to ensure that Anambra’s resources are efficiently managed and utilised for the benefit of the people.
He added that it is time for Anambra to align with the APC-led Federal Government to foster development in key areas, including roads, railways, gas pipelines and ports, which will serve as a foundation for the state’s next phase of progress. His words: “Security and massive infrastructure development will be my top priorities as governor.
I will ensure a state where everyone can sleep peacefully. Security is the bedrock of development; no state can thrive without it. No investor will risk investing in a state where security is not guaranteed, which is why many of our people are hesitant to come home and invest. The current security situation in Anambra is alarming and demands urgent action.
This does not require rocket science but the implementation of the right measures and manpower.” Chukwuma pledged to run an allinclusive government that will deliver dividends of democracy to every Anambra citizen as well as to be accessible, listen to the people, and prioritise qualitative education for all residents.
“We need to redeem Anambra fast because the current administration has failed the people. Infrastructure is in disrepair, and security has collapsed. What the current governor could not achieve in four years, he will not accomplish in eight. You don’t need eight years to develop Anambra.
My government will not be a one-man show,” he said. While it is left to be seen how the Abdullahi Ganduje-led APC National Working Committee (NWC) will resolve some of the knotty issues before the primary election, particularly that of zoning, the question on the lips of most political stakeholders in Anambra is: What informed the jostle for the ruling party’s ticket by most of the governorship
What APC simply needs is to present a good candidate, who can appeal to the elites, grassroots, entrepreneurs and academia, and I possess these qualities
hopefuls in the state? No doubt, the ruling party at the centre had little or no structures in the south eastern state before now, but the rate at which it made inroads into the zone during the 2023 general election, has not only turned it to what many have described as “the beautiful political bride” but the needed platform for the development of Anambra State and the rest of the South-East. Chulkwuma reiterated this belief, when he said:
“I have identified the problems with Anambra, and I want to solve it. What Anambra needs is an APC governor, who will be close to the Federal Government, and also attract development through that closeness. I have been around for a long time, and with the blessings that God has given me, it is my craving to bless Anambra too.
What APC simply needs is to present a good candidate, who can appeal to the elites, grassroots, entrepreneurs and academia, and I possess these qualities.” Chukwuma also believes that the problem with governance in Anambra is the absence of home-grown solutions and over-reliance on a theoretical framework that is not relative to the state’s history.
For him, public service is the only way to make an impact that has a multiplier effect on millions of people: His words: “As one who believes in charity, I have kept giving and providing to the needy, but it appears that the more I give, the more those I give multiply.
Thus, I realised that we have to limit the source of poverty and enlarge group prosperity, and public service is the only way to do this. Reluctantly, I had to leave my comfort zone, so I offered to join the fray. I have pragmatic ideas that can make Anambra the commercial centre of Eastern Nigeria.”
Born eight years after the Nigeria-Biafra war (1978), Chukwuma saw firsthand, his people’s survival skills and various innovations to survive despite the odds. Despite his initial desire to become a priest, he would soon be influenced by his childhood memories and understood that there were many other ways to make the world a better place other than the vocation of priesthood.
He enrolled at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, between 1997 and 2001 to study philosophy and graduated with a first-class degree. His luck came during his NYSC days, when he was posted to the National Assembly for his mandatory one-year national service and through a stroke of luck, found favour with one of the National Assembly’s committees.
He would recollect with nostalgia how he would travel on night buses to Lagos to make purchases for the committee to beat the quotation of their existing suppliers and return with a night bus within 24 hours to Abuja with the supplies. So far, it has been a gale of endorsements for Chukwuma’s aspiration to lead Anambra State.
A political pressure group within the APC, Ikemba Front, which expressed support for his ambition, said he has enough clout to confront an incumbent governor, who the party will be running against. Founder of the group, Dr. Chidi Okoye, who stated that their decision was anchored on Chukwuma’s pedigree, vision, competence, capacity and capability, said:
“Apart from the fact that the dreams and vision of Chukwuma align with the ideologies of Ikemba Front and our demised leader, Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, he is the man to beat as he towers higher among other aspirants. “He has not only been a consistent and a dedicated party man, he has committed his time and resources to rebuilding and entrenching the APC in Anambra State.
Chukwuma is the man to beat in the contest, given the fact that he has been a party man; he is one of the founding members; he was at one time the national auditor of the party. He has been a member of NWC. He has been with the party for as long as I can remember. He recently got offices for all the 326 wards in the state. He is a man that has done so much for the party.”
Another group, interestingly an APGA support group known as 21 over 21, which recently announced the collapsed of its structures across the 326 wards of Anambra State and declared its support for Chukwuma, said their decision followed a thorough assessment of all the aspirants who have indicated interest in the governorship election and the need to save the state from being dragged back to the old days of violence, ethnocentric politics, maladministration and lack of human capital development.
Nchee Chinedu, who spoke on behalf of the group, said “We have looked at Sir Paul Chukwuma’s track record, we have seen indelible marks, we have seen your progressive mindset and achievements in our political landscape. We have seen his intellectual capacity and we believe he is the man Anambra people need at this time.”