Anambra guber: Obiano and the gathering storm

KEY MADUFORO reports on the campaign of calumny that appears to have taken the centre stage ahead of the November 6 governorship election in Anambra State

Anambra State political terrain is unpredictable and so are the political parties and the politicians there in.

The state has never failed to prove bookmakers right in its brand of politicking and it always start at the eight year of any government in power.

The gang-up starts with aspirants who are not sure of the tickets of their respective parties launching all manner of missiles on the incumbent and painting a picture of years of locust and misrule in a bid to set up an agenda to convince the electorate on the need to kick the ruling party out of office.

Under the administration of former Governor Chinwoke Mbadinuju, it was a litany of how salaries were not paid and the extrajudicial killings by the then Bakassi Boys, with several anti-government rallies organized by the then Anambra Peoples Forum (APF).

It is no longer news about how Mbadinuju, a sitting governor, lost the second term ticket of his party as he was the only governor of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) extraction at that time, who did not complete the two tenures of eight years.

Former Governor Peter Obi also faced similarly attacks in 2010 from his traducers, who accused him of nonperformance. He indeed passed through the eyes of the needle to secure a second term but not after several petitions to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over misappropriation of public funds.

Today, the baton has shifted to the incumbent governor of the state, Chief Willie Obiano, who is currently battling to sustain the stronghold of his party, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) on the state.

Trouble started when he test ran the Anambra Cargo and Passenger Airport. His opponents claimed that he was grandstanding as according to them, the airport has not been completed up to 50 per cent

The International conference Center at Agu Awka, was seen by other political parties as wasteful and a conduit pipe for retiring Anambra people’s money and averting the fangs or the EFCC once he leaves office in March next year. Some have even approached the anti-graft body over local government funds under the Obiano administration.

They went ahead to call for a probe as the administration has not deemed it fit to conduct local governments in the state since its inception. At the moment, the N143, billion 2021 budget of the state has been brought to the front burner by the Chief Obiora Okonkwo-led Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).

A statement by the Publicity Secretary of ZLP Campaign Organization, Mr. Adams Ofomata, alleged that the governor is going for a supplementary appropriation of N60 billion for the execution of the November governorship election in order to impose Prof. Chukwuma Soludo as governor of Anambra State.

The party, however, cautioned Governor Obiano against his administration’s plans to funnel out N60 billion belonging to the state two months before the election under the guise of a supplementary budget.

According to ZLP, the Obiano camp, having realized that there is no way that APGA can win the governorship if the election is free and fair, is now seeking to sweep the state’s reserves and use the supplementary budget to provide slush fund for electoral bribery and enrichment of corrupt APGA leaders.

The party did not stop at. It charged Governor Obiano and his party to account for how the N143.6 billion Anambra State 2021 budget was frittered to warrant a N60 billion supplementary budget barely two months to November 6 governorship election.

“The APGA administration must account for how it dissipated the N86.888 billion provided for capital development as well as N56.766 billion meant for recurrent expenditure in the 2021 budget, with no landmark achievement or enhanced wellbeing of the people.”

ZLP insisted. Apparently the EFCC and Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), which are the regulatory bodies that understudy government expenditure and appropriations, have not come up with any findings concerning the allegations leveled against Obiano nor has there been any circumstantial evidence so far to indict the APGA administration.

Also, the said supplementary budget of N60 billion had several subheads which did not indicate that funds were earmarked for the Anambra gubernatorial election.

Similarly the respective ministries and agencies are yet to come up with petitions and complaints of being starved of funds a situation that makes political watchers believe that those allegations are part of politicking.

Some contend that the alleged N60 billion election budget appears to be  a mere accusation since the state is not going for local government elections. They feel that the usual style and manner political parties attempt to run an incumbent governor and his party down at every election is at play once again hence it goes to no issue.

Politics in Anambra politics appear not to have respect for the rules of engagement that should stresses on issue based campaign but rather name calling.

True to the nature of Anambra politics, there has been that sustained call by some political parties that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should not list APGA as one of the parties for the November governorship election due to the lingering legal battle over its candidacy.

However, some political watchers were quick to contend that there is a Supreme Court judgement which stated that party primary election is an internal business of the party and that other parties should not meddle with it.

APGA’s candidate, Soludo, is not also spared as issues concerning his late mother’s memorial hospital has suddenly resurrected and has become an object for politics.

However, a former member of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Chike Anyaonu, contended that those allegations are unfounded. Noting that most pledges made during the fundraising for the hospital were not redeemed, he added that the project is a private one that people willfully made donations for. Just recently, the issue of Isuanoma and Isuofia crisis was laid to rest as the traditional ruler of Isuofia community conferred a chieftaincy tittle on Soludo.

Before now, Soludo was accused of creating division in his home town hence renaming his own quarter of Isuofia to Isuanoma, a claim that has been the trump card of opponents of APGA.

Reports at a time also had it that Governor Obiano’s wife, Ebelechukwu, was opposed to the choice of Soludo as APGA’s candidate. It was further alleged that first lady preferred Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu, thereby, painting a picture of crisis in the first family.

But the first lady has severally made it clear that she is not standing against the choice of the party, adding that such allegations are only being peddled by miscreants.Deputy Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Emeka Ozurumba, who spoke on the issue, told New Telegraph that it has been the stock in trade of idle people to throw spanners to the unity of the party but urged the public not to take the allegation serious.

Special Adviser to Obiano on Political Matters, Barr. Ifeatu Obiokoye, on his part, contended that the allegation against the governor is a mere distraction by the opposition to stop him from completing projects that are ongoing.

His words: “Much as we do not want to be distracted by the noise of this infinitesimal minority whose political party is just on paper, it had become instructive that we make it clear that some political jobbers are seeking relevance but they cannot get it.

“It is known to Anambra people that the regime of Obiano is one that has been prudent in its spending and the respective communities in Anambra State are aware of the developmental strides of the administration and cannot be fooled by the antics of fifth columnist.”

Obiano as a governor may not be new to those attacks as it is a common feature at every Anambra election and it is expected that he takes them as they come.

However it is not clear if those allegations against the successive incumbent governors have affected the fortunes of the party in power except the perceived federal might that could be brought to bear on the electoral commission.

There has been this apprehension in some quarters that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has concluded arrangements to manipulate the process hence installing one of their own as governor of the state.

It is being touted that Obiano has been advised to either join the APC or allow APC’s candidate to emerge as the governor of the state, a claim which the leadership of APGA has dismissed.

(New Telegraph)