By Dickson Okafor
Nwachukwu Tobinson Alakwe, former West Africa Coordinator of defunct National Support for Jonathan/Sambo Presidency said the governorship candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) in the November 8 election, Hon. Nicholas Ukachukwu will defeat Governor Charles Soludo because the people of Anambra have been praying for Ikukuoma to govern them and replicate his achievements in the private sector in the state.
Excerpts:
The neutrality of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will be tested by Nigerians on November 8 when it will conduct governorship election in Anambra State, do you foresee the electoral umpire restoring the hope of the electorate in the ballot box?
The November 8 governorship election in Anambra State is a test for INEC to redeem its lost glory by conducting a transparent election on that day. Because the results of recent elections conducted by the electoral umpire in some states did not reflect the wish of the people. To some extent, the peoples vote did not count, hence, many have lost confidence in INEC. So, the November 8 governorship election in Anambra State is another chance for INEC to restore the confidence of Nigerians in the electoral system by ensuring that the votes count.
Valentine Ezigbo, one of the governorship aspirants on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has sued the party over the guber primary, seeking a fresh poll. what is your view?
Let me start by congratulating members of the APC in Anambra State for electing Hon. Nicholas Ukachukwu as the APC candidate for the November 8, 2025 governorship election in the state. Back to your question, it is a mere allegation which I know Hon. Valentine Ezigbo cannot prove or substantiate because Anambra State APC governorship primary was transparent. It followed due process as stipulated by INEC. And after the exercise which was supervised by INEC, Hon. Nicholas Ukachukwu was declared winner as the candidate of APC, only for Hon. Valentine Ezigbo to run and file a suit at the Federal High Court, Awka seeking to nullify Ukachukwu’s nomination and to compel the party to recognise him as the rightful candidate. The question is, why didn’t Ezigbo protest or back out during the primary when he discovered that the primary was a fraud? Only to run to court when he had lost to Ukachukwu. His going to court to challenge Ukachukwu’s victory is an effort in futility.
Won’t Ukachukwu’s unpopular emergence as APC candidate affect his chances at the poll?
Hon. Nicholas Ukachukwu’s popularity earned him the governorship ticket of APC because he is popularly known as Ikukuoma. His political trajectory began when he was elected in 1999 to represent Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja in the House of Representatives. And ever since then he has been aspiring to either represent his Senatorial District in the Senate or to become the governor of Anambra State. But God has now chosen him to succeed Governor Charles Soludo in the November 8 election.
He is a distinguished businessman, a philanthropist and a political leader with track record of success in the private sector and a politician with great followership and strength. There was and still great jubilation that Ukachukwu is APC governorship candidate because the people of Anambra have been praying for Ikukuoma to govern them and replicate his achievements in the state. So, now that their prayers have been answered by Almighty God, they will vote for him massively in November 8.
But Governor Soludo has within four years transformed Anambra State and has touched the lives of the people positively, what makes you believe that Anambra electorate will prefer Ukachukwu to Soludo?
The people of Anambra go for the best to lead them and because Anambra State is economic hub of South-East, Ukachukwu has written his name in the sands of time as one of Nigeria’s business moguls. He is the Chairman/CEO, SNECOU Group of Companies Limited and from all indication, Anambra State wants to, through Ukachukwu, major in the mainstream of Nigeria politics by voting for APC in the state. That is the decision of the people in order to support the Minister of state for Foreign Affairs, Iyom Bianca Odumegwu Ojukwu to attract Federal Government projects not only to Anambra State, but to the South-East. Also, he has a lot of foot soldiers across Anambra State and beyond. Ukachukwu empowered some many people to become successful in various fields of endeavours especially in business. At this point in time, Anambra needs a vibrant technocrat with political will to improve the economic and security challenges facing the state.
The people of Anambra State are not concern about how long you are in the office, but what you able to do within the period you occupied the office as the governor. They are no longer interested in the political party you belong because virtually all the parties are the same.
They are only different in name, but their ideology is the same. Rather, what the people of Anambra Central and Anambra North Senatorial Districts want is a competent leader that has the capacity to deliver the dividends of democracy. Meanwhile, the recent wave of defections that hit the opposition People Democratic Party (PDP) is a sign that every state is aligning with the ruling APC.
Didn’t you see the defection of Governor of Delta State, Sheriff Oborevwori and top members of PDP in the state to the APC which is unfortunate to those planning coalition in order to dethrone the ruling party in 2027. And I assure you that more governors from the opposition will soon defect to APC. So, Anambra State won’t be left behind. Sometimes most political gladiators play the role of godfathers or sponsors of a lot of candidates which Ukachukwu has been doing in Anambra State. But right now, he said ‘Emilokan’ (It is my time) to serve his people. Therefore, irrespective of party affiliation or where the governorship is zoned to, all should support Ukachukwu to move the state forward instead of playing politics of sentiment which does not pay.