By Chris Egbuna
As we gradually count down to the Anambra State Governorship election slated for Saturday November 6, 2021, the stake seems very high. Political pundits are at their wits end trying to predict who among the adjudged front line candidates; Prof. Charles Soludo of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Mr. Valentine Ozigbo of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Obiora Okonkwo of Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) and Dr. Andy Uba of All Progressive Congress (APC), will emerge victorious.
Anambra State with the sobriquet “Home For All” is no doubt the cynosure of all eyes as the political gladiators strive to outwit each other. To the uninitiated, the poll will be too close to call. This view is premised more on the subterfuge some of the candidates have deployed to hoodwink an unwary populace. To the initiated, the outcome seems a forgone conclusion.
Those who see the race as a neck-to-neck are inclined to be persuaded by the bombastic effusions of some of the political actors and their parties. The All Progressive Congress (APC) for instance, has been non-existent in Anambra State. But early in the year and with his eyes primed on the governorship seat, Senator Andy Uba characteristically evinced a plan designed to over awed the populace and cow the party brass hats. He has almost succeeded with his plot.
For one, he has used his apparent deep pocket and an imaginary link to the Presidency to overrun the hitherto party apparatchik in the state loyal to Senator Chris Ngige, a former Governor of the State and current Minister of Labour and Productivity. Uba has gone a step forward to chart a pathway designed to give credibility to his imaginary election victory no matter how procured.
Towards this end, Uba and his APC have stopped at nothing to corralled some of the notable names in the ruling All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) into decamping to the APC. The apparent game plan is to use the defection of these expired politicians to give the impression that his APC is gaining foothold by the day in Anambra State. The objective of this political script is to ensure a justification of any electoral heist executed by Uba and his APC in the forthcoming governorship election. Those who know Uba assures that he will stop at nothing to be declared winner of the governorship polls.
To the initiated in Anambra and the politics of the state, it will take more than political ebullition to stop the ascendancy of Prof. Charles Soludo to the governorship seat. As a person, Soludo is easily the most credible of all the governorship candidates in the November 6 Anambra governorship polls. His support base is unmatched and his lead is unassailable.
Viewed critically, Prof. Charles Soludo is most likely to emerge victorious at the polls. His predicted first and second runner-ups Valentine Ozigbo of PDP and Obiora Okonkwo of ZLP are poles if not miles behind. Andy Uba will at best bring up the rear hence his deployment of the tools of duplicity and subterfuge to justify what to him is a predetermined end but what will possibly turn out to be ashes in his face as all indications point to a determination by all concerned especially the good people of Anambra State to ensure that only the votes cast in the election will count. That way, Ndi Anambra will on November 6 speak in unison: Soludo.
•Egbuna is a development economist and writes from Nnewi
