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As generally expected, Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo won the Anambra State gubernatorial election. There was even no contest because he had no serious challenger. His opponents were neither here nor there in their campaigns. And they were not forceful with rhetoric that would resonate with the people of Anambra State. There was even no opposition. Besides, Soludo campaigned vigorously with relatable and resonating messages to the people of Anambra State.
He visited virtually all communities and local government areas and dubbed his campaign, “a divine mandate” and sang songs and danced and promised to do more in the next four years, which he aptly categorized as entering Gear 4 level. Soludo’s campaigns were elaborately televised on selected national televisions. None of his opponents could march Soludo’s oratory and power-point presentations and war chest. Leveraging on the power of incumbency and its numerous advantages, it was not a surprise that he won the election. Soludo was a university teacher. He rose to become a professor, international scholar and consultant to global financial institutions.
He was a student union activist as well. He later became an economic adviser to President Olusegun Obasanjo. He was also appointed the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) by Obasanjo. He had seen it all. Soludo had the war chest and organic party structure to ease his reelection. Soludo also worked but not to the level of peoples’ expectation. Even communities purportedly donated millions of naira to his reelection campaign. It was the first in the history of Anambra State. It was not a rocket science that he was reelected. He probably had the backing of Aso Rock as well as being part of the “all progressives’ movement.” Soludo probably played his politics well defying Catholic Church, political elite and even revered monarchs. However, Soludo reaped from the goodwill of the people and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) political machine.
APUGA as the local people call it is like a religious movement in Anambra State. Anybody who gets the ticket of APGA will always win Anambra governorship poll. Soludo is aware of this reality. His efforts to become the governor of the state under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) failed woefully. He almost abandoned the project until Governor Willie Obiano revived it and gave Soludo the chance to succeed him. Consequently, mother luck smiled on Charley Nwamgbafor. Without Obiano and APGA, it would have been mission impossible for Soludo to become the governor of Anambra State. Therefore, Charley Nwamgbafor should be humble like those their chi cracked their palm kernels for them. He should wear humility like a cloth.
Why is APGA so popular in Anambra State? The Chief Emeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu factor is the answer and his last wish to the people of Anambra State when Peter Obi was running for his second term. Anambra people see APGA as Ojukwu’s legacy. They see APGA as their own. They don’t want to joke with it. We cannot possibly talk of APGA in Anambra State without Peter Obi and the way he nurtured the party before jumping ship in the usual style of Nigerian politicians. Soludo should be grateful to Peter Obi as well for nurturing the party that brought him to power and newly-found fame. It is sad that our politicians like and adore carpet-crossing a lot. I hope Soludo will remain faithful to APGA. Soludo won also because of zoning arrangement in Anambra State. The success of zoning in Anambra State goes to Peter Obi who championed it and allowed it to grow.
There is even an unwritten agreement by Anambra people to sustain the zoning arrangement. It has worked for them and it is good. I hope that Imo State will emulate Anambra zoning formula. Soludo emphasized this factor during his campaign. Soludo even lampooned those candidates promising one term as unrealistic and as people who might need psychiatric evaluation. Soludo has eloquence and he used it to a great advantage during the campaign. He spoke in both English and Igbo and even Pidgin. He was at home with street lingo and popular culture. He sang popular religious songs and jingles like “Who can challenge the Lord?” His opponents’ promise of one term was not persuasive enough. It was not believable either. The voters know that Soludo has only four years to go and leave them alone. Many Ndi Anambra voted Soludo just to let him go with his brand of politics and condescending rhetoric, pride and arrogance.
Vote-buying was rife in Anambra poll just like in other polls in Nigeria. All the contestants alluded to this fact shortly after casting their votes. The culture of vote-buying has come to stay. There is, indeed, nothing anybody can do about it. In the midst of excruciating poverty and misery, the voters are bound to collect any sum to cast their votes. Some even collected gala, malt and N1,000 to cast their votes. At least that is what they get for coming out in the sun or rain to perform their civic duty. After that they won’t see those they voted into power again until another election season. That is the tragedy of Nigerian politics. Not even EFCC or INEC can stop the vote-buying culture.
While saluting Soludo for his much-anticipated reelection, it is important to remind him of his earlier promise to make Anambra State the Dubai, Taiwan and Silicon Valley of Africa. Beyond the campaign poetic rhetoric, Soludo must be intentional and practical in pursuing the Dubai, Taiwan and Silicon Valley dream for Anambra State. Unfortunately, in this part of the world, second term is not a time for work. It is a time to relax and make money for presidential bid and select a willing and submissive successor. We urge Soludo to think differently and consider leaving a worthy legacy. He should therefore work, work and work.
Fulfilling his numerous and enticing promises to the people of Anambra State must be pursued with vigour and intentionality. It is not about eloquence, oratory and lavish use of proverbs. The beans have been duly ground; it is time for frying the akara and cooking the moimoi. We have heard enough smell of akara and moimoi, we want to eat them now and now. This is the time to take us to the Anambra Dubai, Taiwan and Silicon Valley, the Promised Land. While the provision of infrastructure is important, the government should remember the social contract with the people, which entail ensuring the good of the majority of the people as well as the pursuit of their happiness.
This important aspect of governance is lacking in Nigeria. The people need good roads and bridges as they need food, shelter, potable water and security. They also need decent jobs. They also want to be happy. Multiple taxation and sundry levies imposed on Ndi Anambra and forcefully enforced by government’s agents, especially Ndi aka odo must be reviewed in favour of progressive taxation. Poor market women and widows should be given soft loans to grow their businesses instead of imposing multiple taxes on them. For the new INEC chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, I gave him a pass mark for peaceful conduct of the poll and timely release of results. He will be fully assessed after conducting major elections.
