In Anambra, the Battle for Aguata’s Votes Heightens
The November 18 Anambra governorship election, is fast drawing close with aspirants shopping for endorsements everywhere. But in Aguata part of the state, the duo of Governor Willie Obiano and Chief Godwin Ezeemo are locked in horns over who secures the v
InAnambra State, professionals, traders, students, youth groups, communities, and others have all adopted candidates they choose to favour with their votes in the forthcoming election. So far,Anambra State governor, Chief Willie Obiano who will also be in the race as an incumbent seems to be leading in the number of endorsements garnered. The governor has been endorsed by several communities in the state for what they describe as his good work in the state.
In September last year, monarchs of all the 45 communities in the Old Aguata Union, OAU, which consists of four local government areas announced their support for Governor Willie Obiano for a second term in office. The monarchs made the declaration on behalf of their various communities at a mega rally convened for the purpose.
Chief Titus Anigbogu, the convener of the endorsement rally, held at Ekwulobia township stadium, said the move was engineered by the harmony that had existed in the state in the sharing of political offices under the governor.
While reading the endorsement text, approved by the 45 monarchs, Anigbogu said, “Whereas Anambra South did two tenures by Dr Ezeife and Dr Mbadinuju, and the central has done two tenures by Dr Ngige and Mr Peter Obi, it will only be fair and equitable to allow Anambra North, represented by the incumbent governor to go for a second term. This will give the people of the area a sense of belonging. This is even so as the governor has done well in the areas of security and the payment of salaries,” Anigbogu said.
Many other speakers, who also spoke lent their voices to why they support the endorsement of Obiano to continue in office. Former governor Chukwuemeka Ezeife, who was the chairman of the occasion praised the people of Old Aguata Union for thinking it wise to come together and show support to the governor, said to be doing a wonderful work in the state.
Ezeife said Anambra was a flagship state in the South-east, and that Governor Obiano should not relent in organising steady meetings for governors of the region so as to present a front for the tackling of common problems.
The event which was capped with the conferment of a chieftaincy title from the monarchs, also witnessed the presentation of a staff of recognition. The governor was honoured with the title of Agunechemba 1 of Aguata, meaning the lion that guards the towns of Aguata.
An elated Obiano could not hold back his happiness as he took to the stage to address the people. He praised them and their monarchs for the endorsement, saying it would spur him to continue to work for the development of the area.
In what seemed like a counter-endorsement deal, the same Old Aguata Union (OAU), with all its 45 communities, have also endorsed another aspirant for the governorship, Chief Godwin Ezeemo. The endorsement, which held last week at Neros Stadium, Nanka also had the trappings of a high caliber event, with notable personalities of the area in attendance.
The people said it became necessary to take the action because they had been kingmakers in state’s politics without making one of their own a king. They vowed that this time they would unite behind one of their own sons to win the governorship election in the state. Ezeemo hails from Umuchu in the same Aguata area. The event which according to the organizers sought to show how serious it is by kicking off with an interdenominational service organised by a group, ‘Odinma O.A.U. Forum’ where the people led by their traditional rulers, the clergy and Presidents General, among others, sought God’s intercession on their behalf and grant them their heart desire, which is the governorship.
The chairman and the secretary of the organizing committee of the event, Joe Emenike and Hon. DanChibo Umeh, earlier in their addresses, lamented the inability of OAU people to be in the power corridors despite their huge potential.
“We have been plunged into slavery from which we are yet to regain freedom, otherwise why are we in the habit of holding the ladder for other zones to climb to power only to turn around and grumble that we are kicked out and side-lined,” they wondered.
The group went further to list some of Nigeria’s leading names, who hail from the area. They are former Vice-President, Dr. Alex Ekwueme; the late industrialist, Chief Mathias Ugochukwu; former Governor of Central Bank, Professor Chukwuma Soludo; former Governor Chukwuemeka Ezeife; Senator Andy Ubah and his brother Chris; the Catholic Bishop of Awka, Most Rev. Dr. Paulinus Ezeokafor; Bishop of Ahiara Diocese, Most Rev. Dr. Peter Okpaleke; Anglican Bishops of Ogbaru, Most Rev, Dr. Chukwudi Ezeofor and his counterpart at Amichi, Rt. Rev. Ephraim Ikeakor, among others.
Mr. Clement Onyemobi, chairman, Movement for Greater Anambra State (MOFGAS), moved a motion for Ezeemo to be adopted as OAU’s sole candidate in the 2017 governorship election, while Mr. Emeli Vincent and Joe Emenike, moved same motion for Orumba South and North and thereafter Ezeemo’s hands were raised and he was taken round the arena in jubilation.
An elated Ezeemo like Obiano after his own endorsement, while speaking with journalists, said every zone in Anambra State has had its turn in the governance of the state which meant that the Government House had become vacant and should be filled by someone from any zone, most preferably from Aguata.
“Right now, the people of Old Aguata Union have made a choice. There are a couple of us in the race from Old Aguata and if they decided that it is me, who am I to say no? I will voluntarily give myself willingly to serve the people in the best way nobody has ever served the state. I will do the very best and make sure that we regenerate the state to take its place in the committee of state as the light of the nation,” Ezeemo concluded.
With both events over, the controversy now is who between the two aspirants the rightful one endorsed by the people of the area?
Mr. Edwin Ezeuzor, a political analyst told THISDAY that both endorsements can best be described as charades, which were simply meant to swindle the aspirants. He said endorsements do not necessarily determine who people vote for as a day to election is enough to change the mind of an individual voter. He said he would not be surprised if in the build-up to the election, another aspirant or even candidates, after primaries would have been conducted was endorsed still by the people of the area.
Anigbogu, convener of the first rally that endorsed Obiano in a telephone interview with THISDAY condemned the later endorsement of Chief Ezeemo. He said what the organizers of the event had was merely an interdenominational service, but the presence of Chief Ezeemo, may have swayed the gathering to turning it into an endorsement rally.
“What they did is of no effect. You saw the number of people that attended our endorsement rally for Obiano and the caliber of people that came. Theirs was just a group, they called it Odimma OAU, but ours was the entire OAU, which was attended by all the pillars of the area, the monarchs and the communities. We still stand by that endorsement for the governor, and I can tell you that nothing has changed,” he said.
Chris Osisioma, one of the founders of Odimma OAU, does not share the same view. He told THISDAY in a telephone chat that the endorsement of Chief Ezeemo invalidates the earlier endorsement of Governor Obiano.
“What is special about this endorsement is that the 45 communities of old Aguata and their monarchs were involved, and the clergy too. We had to consult and arrive at this decision. We cannot have our son who is credible running for governor, and we leave him to go to endorse other people. We want to produce the governor, instead of going to look for other people from other places to endorse. This endorsement of Ezeemo supersedes the previous one,” he said.
The duo of Obiano and Ezeemo can at best be described as candidates of their respective parties. While Chief Obiano, the governor of Anambra State is of the All Progressives Grand Allaince (APGA), where he is also the leader and chairman, Board of Trustees, Chief Godwin Ezeemo is of the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA), where he could also be described as the sole financier of the party.
In APGA, the party has shut out other aspirants for Obiano, citing his good work in the state as reason, while in PPA, Ezeemo may likely contest as the sole candidate, being the alter ego of the party since its founder dumped it years ago. But the big question is; which of the two will get the votes of Aguata people, which is beside Idemili, considered the federal constituency with the largest number of voters in the state?