By Tobenna Nwokedi
Looking ahead of the 2025 governorship election in Anambra State, there is no gainsaying the fact that the All Progressive Congress (APC) is not just gathering momentum but also looming large towards emerging the next political destination of the State christened Light of the Nation. Political pundits say, Anambra poll is an opportunity for the APC to widen its scope in the Southeast in readiness for the 2027 general elections. And the question now is: who will APC unleash on the Anambra poll among the aspirants lined up for the ticket of the party?
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According to pundits, a lot of factors are expected to determine the choice of candidate the party will make. One of such factors is grassroots support. The most important thing for any political party in election is grassroots support. It is clear that APC does not have any political office holders both elected and appointed at all levels in Anambra State unlike the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) which commands elected and appointed political office holders at the Ward, Local Government and State levels. So, the leadership and members of APC should have it at the back of their mind that they will lose the election if they chose a candidate that lacks grassroots support.
Again, the question is: who among the aspirants can command the level of grassroots support needed to face APGA at the poll? That is a mouthwatering question for the APC leaders and faithful to answer. A political observer in the State Dr Max Ejike Nwangwu in an attempt to answer the question in his own opinion fingered Prince Nickolas Ukachukwu alias Ikukuoma as the aspirant that can command the grassroots support required of APC to face APGA at the poll on November 8, 2025. Ikukuoma who is an ex member of Federal House of Representatives has come a long way in the politics of Anambra State as one of the gladiators with prominent features in the political process in the State who can trounce the incumbent Governor at the poll. .
In 2007, he emerged as the leading contender for Anambra governorship seat under the the defunct All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP) and was poised to trounce Andy Ubah who was the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) if not that the election was marred by irregularities. In 2013, he bounced back to contest for governor under the platform of Hope Democratic Party (HDP) now defunct. Again in 2019, he contested the ticket of APGA for Anambra South Senatorial election against Bianca Ojukwu and defeated Bianca to emerge the candidate of APGA for the election, but lost the main election to the late Senator Ifeanyi Ubah due to lack of cohesion and internal sabotage, that led to poor performance of APGA during the Anambra South Senatorial District.
It is of note that among all the aspirants eyeing the APC ticket. Ikukuoma is the most popular owing to his prominent features in politics of the Light of the Nation State. Another factor that the APC leaders and members should consider and which gives Ikukuoma upper hand is the issue of zoning. According to pundits equity and fairness demands that the people of Nnewi bloc should be allowed to produce the next governor of Anambra South Senatorial District because the other blocs such as Ihiala and Aguata have taking their turns with late Clement Mbadinuju fot Ihiala bloc and current governor Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo for Aguata bloc.
Going by the atmosphere of politics in Anambra State, APC needs somebody like Ikukuoma to build the kind of strength required to dismantle APGA haven been a prominent leader, Candidate BOT member under APGA until recently. There is immediate need for APC to raise the level of political calibration and also raise a wider scope of political structure to be able to wrestle power from APGA. For the past 22 years Anambra electorates are sticking to APGA owing to the level of political calibration among the people and unless the calibration is improved upon, APGA will once more coast home to victory in 2025 election.
The political calibration in Anambra is largely characterized by ideology that works in favours of APGA. The ideology is that APGA is their own political party that they need to uphold. There is a slogan in native language such as Nkea bu nke’ anyi meaning that APGA is their own with which they promote the ideology in favour of APGA. Going by the nature of political leadership in Nigeria APGA is not the right place for Anambra to be. So the ideology of Nkea bu Nke’anyi has a far reaching implications that is not favourable to a great State like Anambra. Pundits say Anambra deserves a better height in Nigeria system and such will come from APC.
Furthermore, APC needs somebody like Ikukuoma who is acceptable to the people to be able widen up the structure of the party ahead of the election. APC cannot win the election without raising the stronger structure than APGA. There are outstanding political structures that usually work for APGA in Anambra governorship elections. Among which include the State workforce made up of the civil service (who are currently discontented with Governor Soludo because of poor conditions of service) and political office holders both elected and appointed both at the State, Local government and ward levels.
APGA has all the 21 Local Government Chairmen with various categories of civil servants and 326 Ward councillors as electoral structures. Second APGA has at least 60 percent Market traders in over 60 markets across the State. Third APGA also enjoys the support of the Catholic Church who has been producing the governor along with Anglican Church who produce the deputy since 2003 till date. A combination of Catholic and Anglican in favour of APGA will always be strong for opposition. Fourth APGA has the support of the traditional rulers and town unions including the women wing and Youth wing of town unions in 179 communities in the State up to the range of 60 percent. However, Governor Soludo has proved over the past three year not to be a good party Leader and have failed to adequately sponsor the APGA party structure from State to the Wards leading to deep seated discontent and frustrations with the party hierarchy and faithfuls. In order to unseat APGA, the APC need a popular, experienced and acceptable all-rounder who is on ground and can network formidable loyal grassroots structures, be able to eat into, break and convert part of the existing APGA structures, to be able defeat the well instituted APGA structure under Governor Soludo come November 8th. And currently Ikukuoma has such capacity among the APC contenders.
Going further on the reason why some people say the former Reps member and former Chairman of Aguata may be the better choice for APC for the Anambra poll he added “I can vividly recall that as a governorship aspirant in APGA, APGA faithful including the wife of the Governor Her Excellency Mrs Ebele Obiano were at home with Umeoji and was ready to give him their votes but knowing fully well that he will win the ticket, they schemed him out by denying him the chance to participate in the governorship primary of APGA in 2021” but bcos he lacked the experience and contacts at the top and the ruggedness to finish the job and equally lacked the financial warchest that can battle a sitting Governor; unlike Ikukuoma whose network up to the top is undisputably topnotch with very deep War chest that could match the incumbent. Besides Umeoji hails from same Aguata as Governor Soludo who has trounced his APC machinery even in his polling unit and Ezinifite ward in the last 2023 General Elections and currently Soludo has firm grip of Aguata votes. So without a block vote to deliver giving him APC would mean handing Soludo 2nd tenure on a platter.
Interestingly Ikukuoma commands the popularity and acceptability both in Anambra South but also in Anambra at large. One more factor that must be put into consideration by the APC leaders and faithful is the mixture of experience that Ikukuoma is holding as an ex federal lawmaker and a renowned businessman based in the Federal Capital. He was a major PDP Strong man from 1999, as well as that of APGA (which he joined in 2014) where he became a prominent BOT member, leader, Senatorial candidate, Guber Candidate under Chief Edozie Njoku led Faction in 2021 and can pull this two formidable structures under his control into APC to dominate the Anambra political landscape and win Governor Soludo with a landslide. With his track record as a business tycoon in the Federal capital, there is no gainsaying the fact that he has acquired formidable resources, connections and political experience to drive Anambra at the centre. He equally has one of the biggest Industries and investments in the State that has employed and empowering thousand of Anambrans from across the state, party and religious lines, as well as the thousands of beneficiaries of his unmatch charity and philanthropic outreach, who are determined to work assiduously to ensure their kind benefactor emerges the next Governor of Anambra.
Buttressing his points further, Nwangwu opined that the 2025 governorship is an opportunity for Ndigbo to come out with big thinking on how to widen their scope in Nigeria system and Prince Dr. Ukachukwu, Ikukuoma is in a position for such important development owing to his humble disposition towards leadership. His superlative experience cum achievements in real sector of the economy stands him out as one who can place Anambra and Nigeria in world class development map. What Nwangwu is saying essence is that Ikukuoma is in a position to be used to build a new political destination that befits Anambra State and that should be the target of the Anambra electorates from the 2025 poll.
According to him, “the 2025 governorship election is an opportunity for Ndi Anambra to think bigger on how to widen our scope in the National space to be able to make more contributions to the growth of Nigeria and so doing derive more benefits from the national space for the development of Anambra State. I am worried that Anambra cannot be found in the top political positions in Nigeria upon our giant status as a leading light of the nation. For me it is time for Ndi Anambra to embrace bigger thinking in politics just like we do in business. It is time we transfer the kind of thinking we have on business to politics and that requires someone who has seen it all both within the state, country and globally. That is why Dr. Prince Nicholas Chukwujekwu Ukachukwu, MFR, Ikukuoma stands out as the best option for APC to win Anambra Guber come November 8th.
