BY VICTORIA N. IKEANO
Victoriangozii@gmail.com 08033077519
 
Much water has passed under the bridge since Anambra state’s last governorship election in November 2021. The political landscape and personages for this weekend’s poll in comparison to what obtained in 2021 have so changed that it is now a different ball game. In the first place, of all those who contested the governorship election last time, Charles Chukwuma Soludo is the only one whose name is still on the ballot. All the others have fallen by the wayside or disappeared from the scene (however you want to put it). And a most notable change is that the hitherto ‘almighty’ Peoples Democratic party (PDP) which held sway in south east region at advent  of this 4th Republic in 1999 is missing in action. Although PDP is on INEC’s book as one of those fielding candidates, this is only on paper as there are no visible signs of this on the ground —-  it has no  billboards or posters, no broadcast  advertisements and no presence in social media.    Based on this reality  one can say that to all intents and purposes, PDP is dead in Anambra. This is quite ironic for a party  that dominated this zone for many years.
 
   There are now some new kids on the block so to speak, flag bearers of parties that were literally unknown in Anambra state until recent times. They are not new per se because they have always been on INEC’s book of registered political parties. But these parties hardly put forward candidates for any elections here and so were never reckoned with.    It all started at the 2023 general election when a prominent son of the soil, former Anambra state helmsman, Peter Obi, contested  to be president of Nigeria under the banner of a little known Labour party. Recall that  Obi  had governed the state under platform of All Progressive Grand Alliance(Apga).   Upon leaving office after his two term tenure he switched to the PDP in 2014 and later also decamped to the Labour party where he became the party’s presidential candidate for the 2023 polls. This singular act  galvanised the zone  towards labour party. Until 2023 the party had never won any election in Anambra at any level, it was simply not on the political cum electoral radar.
 
 Come 2023 however, the presidential election in Anambra state was won by Labour. Labour  clinched two of the  senatorial seats while  YPP(under leadership of late Senator Ifeanyi Uba) won the third.  In the 30-member Anambra state House of Assembly Apga won 17, Labour 7 while PDP and YPP  had three each. Thus Labour emerged as a third force  in Anambra’s political firmament in 2023  in contrast to the traditional Apga/PDP rivalry. 
 
Fast forward, to the present time. Two years later in 2025 another ‘unknown’ party burst onto the scene. It is the African Democratic Congress (ADC) a.k.a. the coalition party.  In the August 2025 bye election conducted for Anambra South senatorial district and Onitsha North 1 State constituency, Obi pitched his tent with and campaigned for ADC candidate especially the state assembly contestant.  He lives in Onitsha which is his base, apart from his Agulu country home.  So, that constituency became a hotbed for fierce political campaigns by Apga and Labour supporters spearheaded by Governor Soludo and Mr. Obi respectively. At end of the day, Apga won both bye-elections. Is it a precursor to what might happen in this November gubernatorial election? The opposition  disagree.
 
 It is however, noteworthy that  Obi for this November 8 poll, has switched camp to the Labour  candidate (George Moghalu), notwithstanding that there is an ADC candidate on the ballot.
 
In the 2021 governorship election Obi then of the PDP  sided with  his former secretary to the state government (Obaze) whose candidature  he pushed through at the primaries. The three  top contenders at that time were, Apga, PDP and APC. Now however,  PDP  has collapsed.
 
In 2021 when Professor Soludo first became Apga’s flag bearer, having been given the nod by then incumbent governor, Willie Obiano, to succeed him, the political and security atmosphere in Anambra was quite tense. Members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) who  are seeking self-determination for the south east, had declared that there would be no election in Anambra state. Ihiala local government that that shares boundary with Imo state was a hotbed and a no-go area for political parties. Soludo himself narrowly escaped death during a political meeting at his Issuofia home town when assailants appeared. A gun duel between the invaders and security men left four people dead —- two policemen attached to then Candidate Soludo and two of the assailants.
 
Stakeholders and opinion leaders worked underground to get IPOB rescind its  ‘No election’ declaration and the governorship poll did take place. But the turnout was abysmal apparently because some eligible voters feared that they would be harmed if they went out to vote. Only just 200,000 voted in that election. This time around,  parties are able to campaign in all nooks and crannies of Anambra state. The security situation has improved comparatively and even the Monday ‘sit at home’ phenomenon is petering out.  As governor  now, Soludo is motivating party agents/canvassers to mobilise people to polling centres by promising monetary rewards for wards that excel in that regard. Another novel thing that is happening in this 2025 Anambra election is that communities, organisations and associations are donating to the Apga campaign. Indeed apga’s massive campaigns for  this election is a lesson in grassroots mobilisation.   The top contenders in this election are Apga and APC.  However, incumbent Governor Soludo  of Apga  is miles ahead of his closest rival, Ukachukwu of APC.  We await confirmation from results of this very first  election to be conducted by the brand new INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan.