The demise of Senator Ifeanyi Ubah has left a vacuum to be filled in the Senate for the Anambra South via a by-election. In this interview with ECHEZONA OKAFOR, a former Managing Director of Anambra Signage and Advertisement Agency, and frontline aspirant on the platform of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Sir Jude Emecheta, reveals how his political party can win the election

Why do you offer yourself to fill Anambra South’s vacant position left by Ifeanyi Ubah at the Senate?
Basically, one serious thing that informs my decision to go to the senate is that our friend, Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, started a security campaign for Anambra South. Unfortunately, he started it in Nnewi, his country home, and couldn’t take it beyond Nnewi. Personally, I see insecurity as a big threat to the progress of Anambra South senatorial zone in particular. This is because, if Anambra South is not secured, Anambra State is not secured.
Virtually all the criminal ventures happening in Anambra State come from neighbourathose states, where these criminal elements cross borders to enter the state. If you check, 70 per cent of criminal activities happening in Anambra State comes from the borders. Only very few come from within Anambra. If we’re able to checkmate these criminal activities with robust technology – not with dain guns and matchets – it will stop.
Crime happens everywhere in the world, including in America, where we have one of the highest crime rates in the world. But in America, for every crime you commit, you’re tracked somewhere. If we’re able to evolve such innovation of catching somebody that kills or somebody that steals, the majority of the criminal elements will begin to run away; and the activities will be limited to some of them that do not care about being killed or being sent to prison. This informs my decision to go to the Senate. I am going to the Senate to attract constituency projects that will help us fight insecurity in Anambra State.
Governor Charles Soludo is making giant efforts in fighting insecurity. He has spent much money trying to secure Anambra South senatorial zone which is hit seriously by insecurity. Though the result of Soludo’s investment in security is showing, the results are not enough to give what is needed to make Anambra State very secure. When I go to the Senate, my constituency projects will be security driven. I will partner with the governor in security.
That way, industrialists in Nigeria and foreign investors will have confidence to build industries in Anambra State. Employment opportunities will be created for our teaming unemployed citizens, and our parents will have no reason to go to the field scampering for rice, beans and noodles from politicians. Then, the working population will have money to buy food for their aged parents, while the Keke and Okada they will get will no longer be for ‘once chance’ criminal activities and armed robbery, but purely for transporting themselves to offices where they work. Our people need industries, and the only way industries will thrive in our area is to have good security. When we get security, we get industries, and when we get industries, we get employment, and when we get employment, we get more money and pay more tax to the government. So, security is all that is in my mind.

Many political parties see slots like this as an opportunity to reward faithful men and women, who have put in much into the party. Do you think you have contributed enough in APGA to make the leadership consider you for this senatorial ticket?
If APGA would be considering a complete party man for its ticket in this particular senatorial race, Sir Jude Emecheta is the only viable choice and option available to them – unless they’re looking for moneybags and the highest bidder, who could come from anywhere. Some of them are in the race now – attaching APGA logo on their posters. But if the party is up for a party man, I am their only option. We’re not two contesting the APGA ticket. Reasons: I was the National Chairman of Willie Obiano Support Group that mobilised support in the 21 local government areas in Anambra for the former governor in the 2013 election, and APGA won the election.
Again, in 2017, as chairman of the governor’s support group, I toured the 21 council areas and the 326 political wards in the state mobilising support for APGA and our governorship candidate, and at the end of the day, APGA won elections in the 21 local government areas. I have been supporting APGA all through the state and national elections. I supported APGA with everything I have; including wearing APGA dress to church and official functions.
Again, I was in the forefront of those who worked for the emergence of Prof. Soludo as governor of Anambra State. Anybody in Anambra State from 2019 to 2021, who said he did not see me at the frontline mobilising support for Governor Soludo was either not in the state or was not interested in its political affairs. I was there for Soludo all over Anambra State. I challenge any of the people contesting APGA ticket with me to present their scorecards in terms of what they have done for APGA, etc.
How many of them toured the 21 LGAs and 326 wards for the party and its governorship candidate? I remain the only die-hard party chieftain and loyalist contesting this election. But all I know is that the party is supreme. Party has the final say on who it will sponsor for any election. That is where I stand. If the party wishes to thank me for supporting its agenda against all odds, I will appreciate it. If they decide to look the other way, I will clap for them and move on with my life.

In many cases, party leadership, apart from rewarding loyalty, also considers individuals, mainly moneybags, that sponsor the party during elections or during legal battles. Did you consult any of such individuals to help push your interest and agenda to the party hierarchy for consideration?
I received calls from different individuals, who kept asking me whether I consulted this or that person before coming out to contest. I’ve also received calls from some of them who were asking me if I was not aware that this or that person is contesting before I declared my interest to run. Unfortunately, I am one of the people who have been preaching party reforms. I’ve been preaching that a political party should be allowed to run its affairs, instead of certain individuals controlling it from here and from there.
There must be an internal mechanism that will enable the party to work on its own. We’ve had experiences where moneybags would bring candidates to stand for elections. When the moneybags would have problems with the governor, they will leave the party under which platform they grab the political position. We had that experience before where a person recommended by a moneybag won election at the national assembly under APGA. Immediately his boss had a problem with the governor, they left and joined APC. Their preoccupation is only to grab the political power in our party, and go their way. This is because these people pay allegiance to their boss, not APGA.

What do you think should be the consequences of APGA reserving its ticket for the highest bidder in the coming senatorial by-election?
I am not a prophet. All of us are aware that the All Progressives Congress (APC), Labour Party (LP) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are all in the race. In fact, the LP, having got two out of the three senatorial slots in Anambra, is striving also to grab Anambra South; because, they also want to grab the Government House in the 2025 governorship election. So, APGA has a lot of internal jobs to do in order to get the Anambra South senatorial seat and the governorship seat in 2025.

People of Nnewi North local government area are agitating that they should be allowed to complete late Senator Ifeanyi Ubah’s tenure before the slot will go to any other council area in Anambra South. What is your take on this as you’re not from Nnewi North?
If they asked and the party granted them, I have no personal problem with that. Every aspirant could have said, let us leave this by-election for Nnewi North. I held this opinion before now. If Nnewi could give APGA and Anambra South a very good candidate that can win the election and give quality representation to Anambra South, we can support them to complete Senator Ubah’s remaining two years – just two years, and it will go to another local government area. I think that is a good argument for them.

In the circumstance where Nnewi North is permitted to produce Ifeanyi Ubah’s successor, would you support his wife, Uche Ubah, replace him at the Senate?
I don’t know the circumstances under which Ifeanyi Ubah’s widow will replace him at the Senate. Her husband just died. She should, as Igbo woman, mourn her husband for at least six months or one year before contemplating any such thing. Senator Ubah died very young. The woman should, please, give some respect.

Late Senator Ifeanyi Ubah was believed to have done well at the Senate during his time. What qualities should people look out for in whoever will replace him?
There could never be two Ifeanyi Ubah. Anybody trying to replicate what Ifeanyi Ubah did at the Senate is wasting his time. So, Anambra South must not look out for Ubah’s replacement. They should look out for Ubah’s successor, who has the mental capacity to put the senatorial district on the map in the comity of nations. Again, Anambra South does not need Ifeanyi Ubah’s successor that will be nominated or foisted on the party or our people by moneybags. We need somebody that can easily and conveniently interact with the hierarchies of the senate without interference. I strongly believe I have the prerequisites and qualities to do this.

Would you seek another party’s ticket if APGA fails to pick you?
No. I’m a complete APGA man. If the party fails to pick me for this election, so be it. What is important is to have an APGA person as senator representing Anambra South. As long as such people will have better policies and sponsor quality bills and motions, I’m okay with that.

Besides security, what other item do you have in your agenda as you journey to the senate?
I have a one-point legislative agenda. I don’t need any other thing that will divert my attention. What I need is to attract from the National Assembly constituency projects that can adequately fund security in Anambra South.

APGA has a good number of aspirants for this position. Why do you think you could be the best choice for the party ticket?
I am equipped with every necessary attribute to pick an APGA ticket, win the Anambra South senatorial by-election, and ultimately represent my people at the National Assembly. Let me also remind you that if I get the APGA ticket; the day I’ll get the APGA ticket, the economic power with which I’ll prosecute the main election will come with ease; because a lot of people believe in me. They’re only waiting for APGA to do the needful.

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