Cliffhanger to the End

Nseobong Okon-Ekong writes that the strong elements of suspense which pervaded the Anambra governorship election sustained the interest of all stakeholders

The governorship election in Anambra State held last weekend across the 21 local government areas under a peaceful atmosphere.

Contrary to the justifiable expectation of many who, going by the series of violence that took place in the months preceeding the election, concluded that hell will be let loose, there was no violence, no attack and no killings as predicted. The various militant groups , particularly the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) that had created many ungoverned spaces in the South-east region, including Anambra n the last few months beat a retreat.

Whether they were persuaded by reason/appeals from various stakeholders and eminent persons like respected natural rulers, the clergy and high-ranking officials or the menacing presence of armed agents of the Fexeral Government, many were concerned when the IPOB ssued a five-day stay-at-home order that overlapped the Anambra governorship election day. The people of Anambra were threatened not o come out and perform their civic duty of electing a new governor for the state. There was apprehension everywhere and many people left the state for fear that things could get out of control..

Encouraged by its previous successes with enforcement of sit-at-home on Mondays since its leader, Nnamdi Kanu was detained, the hapless people of the South-east have been held captive in a sustained reign of violence which has witnessed arson on government property including offices of INEC and wanton killings. Although, IPOB rescinded the order 48hours before the election, people were afraid of the backlash that could from being labelled a traitor by IPOB. The Anambra State government declared a two-day public holiday to enable people prepare for the election, but on Friday when the IPOB sit-at-home was due to commence, banks, markets and petrol stations were under lock and key, apparently unaware that the order had been been withdrawn. All commercial activities were ground to a halt.
However, President Muhammadu Buhari had given a marching order to all relevant agencies of government to ensure that the Anambra governorship election went ahead as planned. The implication for a postponement on account of threat from non-state actors would have been too grave. It would give the impression that truly governance, as we know it, had been dealt a death blow.

To allay the concerns of Anambrarians and other stakeholders like the media, INEC officials and observers, the Federal Government deployed an intimidating number of soldiers, policemen, members of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Naval personnel and DSS to Anambra. All the security agencies were on high alert with amoured vehicle, and battle ready at strategic locations within the state, as well as others on patrol.

These security officials consisting of police, soldiers and others were seen patrolling the streets, while others kept surveillance with their helicopters hovering in the air.

Frequent and sustained incidents of brutality and arson in the months leading to the election produced justifiable concern for the safety of different stakeholders including candidates, election observers, media and security. This caused many to predict voter apathy due to threats of violence issued by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). It must be noted that internal election observers stayed away completely from the Anambra election.

On election proper, people came out to vote in trickles. By noon when no violence was recorded, more people were emboldened to go out to cast their votes. This happened as many had predicted that there will be voter apathy, leading to low turn out of voters. Fortunately, an extension of voting period in response to complaints of widespread glitches from the new INEC Bi-modal Voters Accreditation System machine (BVAS) saved a situation in which many voters would have been disenfranchised.

In the days after the election, it would be seen whether IPOB would suspend its sit-at-home protest on Mondays and allow business and individuals to live an unfettered.

False Fear of Federal Might

The fear of the proverbial Fderal Miight which some politicians feared that the ruling APC government at the centre was willing to deploy, in order, to take Anambra State by force in a bid to consolidate its presence in the South-east region turned out to be untrue. In a panic mode, the Anambra state government compounded the situation when it issued statements accusing the APC of rigging an election that was yet to hold. But the situation turned out to be an anti-climax as the election was largely peaceful.

The few incidents of disruption were not enough to affect the overall outcome of the election. With the result, it is clear that the APC candidate was left alone by many his eminent party men and women who nursed a grudge against him for grabbing the ticket of the party and going into a general election, when it was disappointingly known that the party did not hold a primary election.

The lose of the APC also showed that the switch of political party loyalty by many members of the Anambra State House of Assembly, federal legislators and the Deputy Governor of the State to APC had no impact. These, were at best, individual endorsement for the APC candidate, Senator Andy Ubah, because if indeed the decampees carried their constituents along, the APC, would’ve carried the day.

Long Live APGA

Fighting a titanic battle for survival, APGA, has again remained afloat as one of the major opposition parties in Nigeria. Buffeted on all sides, the resilience of the leader of APGA, Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State to fight the battle of his life and install another APGA-led government that will headed by former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Professor Chukwuma Soludo is a achievement. Not a few thought that Obiano could not muscle the strength to keep the APGA flag flying in Government House, Awka after his exit, but he has proved cynics wrong.

Like the APC, the APGA primary was characterised by a long legal battle that went all the way to the Supreme Court. This could have damaged the candidacy of Soludo had it not been that he had the financial muscle of the state government behind him.

It appears the people of Anambra have resolved to live with the devil they know in their decision to retain APGA as the ruling party. The APGA campaign was heavily anchored on ethnic sentiments. It was frequently drummed into the ears of the people that APGA is ‘their party’ (meaning Igbo party) and they should reject the party of the Hausa/Fulani and the party of the Yorubas. In voting Soludo, Anambrarians have not necessarily supported him, rather they are demonstrating a strong disdain for any tie that may draw them closer to a real or perceived Northern interest. The task for Soludo is to make a deliberate attempt to extend the popularity and acceptance of APGA beyond Anambra into the other South-east states, if indeed it can enthrench a sense of ownership of the party into the psyche of the average South-eastener.

A similar bitter struggle for the party’s ticket may had affected the campaign of Mr. Valentine Ozigbo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). At least, Ozigbo was able to win Ogbaru local government area. The expectation that the PDP will bounce back to reckoning I Anambra after being out of power in the state for 16 years may be postponed to another governorship election year in 2026. The defeat of the PDP may spell doom for the advancement of the political career of Mr. Peter Obi, former governor of Anambra on the national stage.

The disappointing showing of Dr. Godwin Maduka of Accord and Dr. Obiora Okonkwo of Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) is one of the highlightso f the Anambra election. Okonkwo had gone against the popular thinking that it is the turn of Anambra South to produce the next governor of the state. Coming Anambra Cemtral, he argued that he is as qualified as anyone else to seek the office. After losing in the PDP primary, he continued his quest on the platform of the ZLP. The handwriting on the wall was clear, in his case, but he ignored it to his peril. In the case of Maduka, he was clearly overrated and allowed shelf to think that his service to his community would be appreciated around the state. He was never able to attract any politician of note to his camp and many who formed a ring around him came for what they could get from him. Nothing proclaims this fact like his embarrassing loss of his Orumba South local government area.

If for nothing, Senator Ifeanyi Uba, the lone ranger who contested on the ticket of Young Progressives Party (YPP) was able to prove that he is loved by his people. They voted overwhelmingly for him in Nnewi North local government area.

Thus nine of the three; Maduka, Okonkwo and Uba who were given the benefit of the doubt for an upset was able to validate this expectation.

Again, the Anambra state governorship election showed that the vote buying is still much with us. Impoverished and hapless, the people are left with little choice than to accept the token money given to them in exchange for their votes. All the parties in the election were involved in vote buying. They set up a discreet camp in the vicinity of the polling units where these monies were disbursed to voters.

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