Call it the 'battle of the big boys', you're not wrong. The contest for the highest seat in Anambra state is getting intense already from APC political gladiators that want to slug it out at the party primaries. This is so because so much has happened in both All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), the ruling party in the state and APC, the ruling party at the centre to confirm that this year’s governorship race in the state is poised to be even more intriguing than the 2013 edition.
Three of the frontline heavyweights that made appreciable impact during the hotly contested primaries ahead the November 16, 2013 race, like the former governor of the state and now serving Minister of Labour, Senator Chris Ngige, of APC, Sen. Uche Ekwunife, then of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Ifeanyi Ubah, then of Labour Party, are now in APC and are determined to pursue their governorship ambitions on the platform of the party.
Apart from these three, another influential APC leader from the state, the party’s National Auditor, Dr. George Moghalu, has, on the New Year’s Day made public his interest to contest for the party’s governorship ticket.
They include:
1. Senator Chris Ngige: Senator Chris Ngige, the former Governor of Anambra State and now Minister of Labour, is unarguably one of the most influential politicians in both Anambra State and the South-East zone today. Although his tenure as Governor of Anambra State on the platform of PDP was cut short midway because of the controversies over his relationship with some powerful political godfathers who allegedly rigged the election to install him as governor, he has remained very influential even though all his efforts since then to return as the executive governor of the state have failed to yield positive result. On November 11, 2015, he was named the Minister of Labour and Employment by President Muhammadu Buhari. Ngige wants to return to the government house in Awka, except he is assured of retaining his present position at the federal cabinet, it would be difficult to stop Ngige from contesting the coming governorship election.
2. Uche Ekwunife: Another influential politician believed to be interested in the governorship ticket of APC in Anambra State is Senator Uche Ekwunife. Considered to be one of the most dogged female politicians in the country today, Ekwunife is essentially, a grass roots politician. A former banker, Mrs. Ekwunife is well experienced in Anambra State politics where she had participated in many contests before she won the 2015 senatorial election.
But for dumping her party, her election was challenged and in December 2015, her seat at the Red Chamber was declared vacant.
Post a Comment