IF PDP WANTS TO WIN ANAMBRA STATE NEWS ANALYSIS

IF PDP WANTS TO WIN ANAMBRA STATE

NEWS ANALYSIS 

By Dr Kenneth Anozie

The race for _Agu Awka_ is gradually picking steam. Interests are rising and Stakeholders in the Anambra State Political Project are making strategic moves, while Aspirants from various parties are springing up in droves. 

APGA has held the key to _Agu Awka_ now for close to 15 years and by the time the incumbent would have completed his tenure in 2022, the party would have been in office for good 16 years, with pockets of _interrugnums_. 

PDP is always the party to beat in Anambra State. Despite losing the seat of power in 2015 at Abuja, the party has remained resilient in Anambra State, winning elections in every round of vote across the State. 

Today, PDP holds 2 Senatorial District Seats and 6 HoR seats. Also, 6 House of Assembly Seats in Anambra belong to PDP. 

Proper analysis of the party preference for voters in Anambra State will always show that PDP dominates in the ~choice~ hearts of _Ndi Anambra._ 

PDP controls about 58% of votes.

APC controls about 8% votes, while APGA controls about 30% votes in Anambra. What happens most of the time is that PDP voters react to the choices of the Candidates PDP presents during elections and vote according to their personal or collective perception about that particular candidate. This has always been the problem. It is PDP that gives victory to other parties through very costly mistakes bothering on choice of candidates.

Now, let's break it down

 In the 2019 election, PDP dominated the Federal elections; Presidential, Senate, and House of Representatives. Many believe that the 600+ votes "allocated" to PDP in Anambra in the 2019 Presidential election was far below what the Party merited. Many also believe that PDP was entitled to something like 1.2 million votes. The anger of _Ndi Igbo_ was quite palpable, coupled with the Party's choice of Vice Presidential Candidate in the person of Gov. Peter Obi. 

Senators Uche Ekwunife and Stella Odua easily brushed past their opponents winning landslide in their respective Districts. Why did Chief Chris Uba lose his own despite the wave of PDP dominance in the elections then? The simple answer is the choice of the person. Loyal PDP voters still vote for their party, but most undecided voters choose other persons and parties. 

This scenario is what PDP must avoid in the 2021 race for Agu Awka. A winnable Candidate must be fielded to avoid a backlash

From all indices emanating from the Anambra electorate, they are at home with the aspirants they are home with. That is to say, "the devil we know may be more acceptable than the Angel we don't know"!

The PDP Delegates have a moral burden not to disappoint the electorate by ensuring that they choose someone that will easily brush aside anyone APGA or any other Party may present. 

  No doubt, YPP and APC are in contention in this election, but their story or extent of success still depends on who PDP presents.* 

Now, the PDP has five formidable aspirants, based on their Network, Networth, acceptability and Past Records;

1. Iyom Senator Uche Ekwunife

2. Hon Chris Azubogu

3 Dr Obiora Okonkwo

4. Dr Godwin Maduka

5. Mr Val Ozigbo

These are the top five. Also we have the following who are no pushovers, but I may refer to them as underdogs;

Mr Godwin Ezeemo, Chief Ugochukwu Okeke, 

Bar Oligbo, 

Hon Chuma Nzeribe, and others who may yet declare. 

The strengths of all the above Aspirants will be discussed in detail subsequently, but suffice it to say that from the look of things, *one of the aspirants have pulled up as a front runner, undisputably;* Distinguished Senator Uche Ekwunife, (Iyom), Adaugo Igboukwu, Anyanwu Nri Kingdom.

First her records;

  SOME OF THE ACTIVITIES OF SENATOR UCHE EKWUNIFE  IN THE 9TH SENATE

 EMPOWERMEN

1. Distribution of 22 pieces of Tricycles to youths, June 2019

2. Skills Acquisition Training for Youths in partnership with NDE and the New Partnership for African Development, NEPAD Nigeria, June 2019

3.  Distribution of another 44 pieces of Tricycles, July 2019

4. Medical Outreach programme in the 58 communities of Anambra Central Senatorial District, December 2019

5. Distribution of Educational Materials to 151 primary and secondary schools in Anambra Central Senatorial District, February 2020

6. ICT training for Youths and the distribution of 50 HP laptop computers to participants, February 2020

7. Facilitation of one month Special Engineering Training for 5 young engineers from Anambra Central Senatorial District at the Scientific Equipment Development Institute. (SEDI), Enugu, February 2020

8. Distribution of another batch of 22 pieces of Tricycles, February 2020.

9. Distribution of different kinds of Covid-19 Palliative Materials (Food items, Protective Items & Cash Support) to over 113 Communities within Anambra Central. April 2020

BILLS

1. National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion Act (Amendment) Bill, 2019

2. Public Procurement (Amendment) Bill, 2019

3. Penal Code Act (Amendment) Bill, 2019

4. Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, 2019

5. 1999 Constitution (Alteration) Bill, 2019

6. Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute Establishment Bill, 2020

7. National Biosafety Management Act (Amendment) Bill, 2020

8. Energy Commission of Nigeria (Amendment Act) Bill 2020.

9. Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps Act. (Amendment) Bill 2020

10. National Emergency Maintenance Agency (Amendment Act) 2019.

11. National Broadcasting Commission (Amendment Bill) 2020

12. Establishment Quarantine Centre in All States. (Amendment Bill) 2020

13. Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (Amendment Act). 2020.

14. Ecological Fund Office (Amendment Bill).

15. Constitution Amendment on Local Government Autonomy Bill. 2020

    MOTIONS

1. Motion of urgent national importance on the devastating storm in Obosi, Nkpor and Oraukwu communities of Anambra State

2.  Motion on the Proliferation of Fake Medical Reports from Public Hospitals in Nigeria.

3. Motion on Digitization/Automation of Collection and Remittance on Withholding Tax on Bank Deposits and Dividends Payments for an Enhanced Internally Generated Revenue

4. Motion on the need to complete the abandoned Greater Awka Water Scheme by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources.

5. Motion on Present status of 5th Generation (5G) Network in Nigeria.

6. Motion on the fire incident at ochanja market and upper iweka area of Onitsha Anambra State.

7. Motion on Fire Outbreak at Old Motor spare parts Market (Mgbuka Market)Obosi Anambra State.

8. Motion on United States imposition of visa ban on Nigeria.

9. Motion on the need to appoint more Justices to fill the vacancies in the Supreme Court on Nigeria.

10. Motion on fire outbreak at building Material Market Ogidi and Loretto Special Science School Adazi-Nnukwu.

11. Motion on the need to prioritize small and medium enterprises in the Federal Government’s Covid-19 Interventions.

12. Motion on death of a Nigerian Ph.D. Student in Malaysia on July, 2019.

13. Motion for National Recognition of Prof. Humphrey Nwosu for his role in making June, 12 our New Democracy Day.

14. Motion on the need to celebrate our children and to look into their welfare

15. Motion on the very urgent need to undertake Emergency Maintenance Repairs on Federal Highways in various parts of the country before the rainy season sets in.

  SOME OF HER CONTRIBUTIONS ON THE FLOOR OF THE SENATE

1. Contribution against the non-inclusion of South East on the Board of the Nigerian Communications Commission

2. Contributions on the need for the Federal government to alleviate the sufferings of the victims of fire disaster at Ochanja market, Onitsha.

3. Contributions on the hardship citizens faced over the existence of numerous road blocks on Nigerian roads, and the unprofessional conduct of most security officers.

4. Contributions on the need to strengthen the security at all Airports in the country, and the needs for politicians and their aides to subject themselves to security checks.

5. She has contributed so much in developing and encouraging made in Nigeria products, as at today she is the only Senator among the 109 members using a made in Nigeria (INNOSON _Ikenga)car as her official car.

EMPLOYMENT

Senator Uche Ekwunife has so far facilitated employment for eighty (85) graduates in the last one year.

The above achievements are in no way exhaustive, but we can hold on to this to further elucidate why her choice by the party will trigger massive votes for PDP towards _Agu Awka_ in 2021. 

Political Activities

 Recently, Iyom Senator Uche Ekwunife engaged all the critical Stakeholders, Delegates from the Wards to the State in a crucial interactive meetings where she marshalled in unmistakable, audacious ways, how her choice can bring victory to PDP in 2021. She never in all her speeches castigated any of her fellow aspirants, but rather poured great encomiums on all of them for their contributions to the Party, their accomplishments in life, and for their support to the people of Anambra State. 

As a woman that she is, she knows the value of encouragement. And she, no doubt extended a hand of fellowship to all the aspirants so they can unite and get what is due to the party for the benefit of _Ndi Anambra_, and further development of the State. Iyom knows how to win elections. She has won four, and once made a very big and bold dash for the Governorship in 2010. 

Let me say this; the three factors that will bring victory to Iyom are;

1. The power of Divinity, God Factor

2. The ability to deploy her feminity with astounding dexirity in the mobilization of both female and male voters

3. Her unparalleled accomplishments and empowerment schemes, plus her records

Everyone will not be a Govenor at the same time. It is _turn by turn._ No doubt, this season belongs to Iyom, and all we as Ndi Anambra can do is to allow her use it for the further development of Anambra State. 

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