“In 2025, Anambra governorship election will remain an open competition where candidates from different political parties, regardless of their origins in the state, will compete.” —Ebuka Onyekwelu
I have read the report by a colleague and a friend, David Eleke, titled, “Will APC Abide by Existing Zoning Formula in Anambra?“, published by This Day. Quite frankly, I have more than a dozen reservations given the level of holes in David’s argument. Even more, his deliberate effort to elevate the zoning argument he propagated in that report orchestrated an imbalance that defeats the rudiments of his thesis, as a neutral or a bystander’s unhindered observation.
First of all, the argument on zoning in the APC or in Anambra State was advanced by Mr. Eleke on the opinions of Obinna Tony Amaefuna whom he referenced as “Pope Amaefuna.” Secondly, he anchored his argument on the opinion of Dr. Justine Ogoo Nwankwo, with whom I have shared the stage in many conversations in or about Anambra State. The author of the article, Mr. David Eleke is fully aware that both Dr. Justine and Mr. Obinna are fully engaged with one of the two aspirants in the APC which he examined in the piece. This doesn’t take their informed or personal opinion away; only that it makes it less unaligned and utterly biased and unfit for advancing the argument on zoning in the coming governorship election in Anambra State or in the APC primaries. This background is necessary for disclosure purposes so that readers are better guided.
Now, on the meat of David’s argument about zoning in Anambra State and in the APC, there is simply no “existing” zoning “formula” in Anambra State and no “existing” zoning in the APC or any other political party. We must recall that by the title of his piece, David had set out to answer if APC “will abide by existing zoning formula in Anambra” in the coming governorship election. Therefore, let us consider the following central argument he advanced in an attempt to answer the question he posed. “The argument (over zoning) even though already existing became more pronounced in 2012 in the twilight of the administration of the then governor, Mr. Peter Obi. Obi had insisted on the ruling party, All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) producing a candidate from Anambra North as a way to make for balance after Mbadinuju from the South had finished a four-year and central senatorial zone where Obi hails from just finished eight-year term. Before then, Ngige who held sway for three years was also from central,” David argued.
But strangely, the piece it would appear, argued against the facts it threw up.
To start with, David admitted by the facts he presented that there was no zoning in Anambra State. He admitted that Peter Obi from Anambra Central Senatorial zone, took over from Ngige who is equally from Anambra Central senatorial zone. The import of this fact put forward by David is that there was no zoning in Anambra if Obi succeeded someone from his senatorial zone. But strangely, the piece it would appear, argued against the facts it threw up. The claims that zoning had existed before 2012 is at best a revision of history and this is why. Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife from Aguata in Anambra South senatorial zone “handed over” to Dr. Chinwoke Mbadinuju from Ihiala in Anambra South senatorial zone. Dr. Ezeife’s tenure was short-lived because of military intervention. But in 1999, Dr. Mbadinuju from the same Anambra South as Dr. Ezeife secured the PDP’s ticket for the gubernatorial election and eventually won the election. In 2003, after the PDP showed no sign of allowing Dr. Mbadinuju to fly its flag against that year’s election, Dr. Chris Ngige, from Anambra Central zone was given the PDP’s ticket. However, Dr. Mbadinuju from the Anambra South zone secured the AD’s ticket and contested the election. In that election, Peter Obi from Anambra Central also secured APGA’s ticket and contested. In the end, Dr. Chris Ngige of PDP, from Anambra Central was declared the winner of the election. Almost three years after, Peter Obi of APGA, from Anambra Central successfully challenged Dr. Nigige’s victory and won in court and was sworn-in as governor in 2006. In 2007, again, Dr. Andy Uba from Aguata in Anambra South was declared the winner of that year’s election. Dr. Andy Uba was in office for two weeks before the Supreme Court interpreted the tenure of Peter Obi and reinstated him to complete his tenure. In 2010 when Peter Obi of APGA, contested for a second term in office, Ngige of ACN, from the same Anambra Central, Andy Uba of LP, from Anambra South, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo of PDP, from Anambra South, and Sen. Uche Ekwunife of PPA, from Anambra Central were the prominent candidates of participating political parties in that election. So where was the zoning there?
…No political party’s constitution in Anambra explicitly endorses zoning.
Before 2012, zoning was not a topic of discussion in Anambra, nor was it acknowledged by any political party. This remains the case today; zoning is not practiced in Anambra state, and no political party’s constitution explicitly endorses zoning.
In 2012, the then governor, Peter Obi, on his own, felt that power should shift to Anambra North senatorial zone and that decision was fair because, from the above, it was only Anambra North that had not been elected to Anambra’s seat of power, at the time. This was how zoning came into the picture in Anambra’s politics. Yet, in 2013 when the governorship election was held, Willie Obiano of APGA, from Anambra North senatorial zone contested, Dr. Chris Ngige of APC, from Anambra Central zone contested, Sen. Ifeanyi Ubah of LP, from Anambra South senatorial zone contested, Tony Nwoye of PDP, from Anambra North contested and Godwin Ezeimo of PPA, from Anambra South senatorial zone, also contested. These were the top candidates in that election. Willie Obiano of APGA, from Anambra North, won. In APGA’s primary for that 2013 election, Sen. Uche Ekwunife from Anambra Central zone contested and Prof. Chukwuma Soludo from Anambra South also joined the contest against Willie Obiano from Anambra North senatorial zone, but Obiano won the ticket and won the general election. So, again, where did my friend David get his information that there had been any kind of zoning in Anambra State?
In 2017, Governor Willie Obiano of APGA, from Anambra North contested. Chief Osita Chidoka of UPP, from Anambra Central also contested. Mr. Godwin Ezeimo of PPA, from Anambra South equally contested in that same election. Sen. Tony Nwoye of APC, from Anambra North, and Mr. Oseloka Obaze of PDP, from Anambra North also contested. At the PDP primaries, Sen. Ifeanyi Ubah from Anambra South squared it out against Obaze and failed to secure the party’s ticket. So, Obaze did not secure the ticket on the basis of zoning. In the APC, Sen. Andy Uba from Anambra South fought for the ticket but lost to Sen. Tony Nwoye from Anambra North. So, again, Nwoye did not secure the ticket on the strength of zoning.
Finally, in 2021, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo of APGA, from Anambra South, was set to contest the APGA ticket with aspirants from all parts of the state when Governor Obiano intervened on the strength that Soludo is most qualified to succeed him. This was how most other contenders were dropped by APGA and Soludo went on to win the election eventually, again, not on the strength of zoning. Mr. Valentine Ozigbo of the PDP, from Anambra South, contested but he did not become the PDP’s candidate on the strength of zoning. Mr. Ozigbo ran a fierce contest for the ticket of the PDP against Prof. Obiora Okonkwo from Anambra Central and Sen. Uche Ekwunife from Anambra Central. Both were defeated by Mr. Ozigbo from Anambra South.
Consequently, today, the argument on zoning has no roots in Anambra politics. All active political players who may now wish to advance their interests on the strength of zoning are fully aware that there is no zoning arrangement, written or unwritten in Anambra state. But in any case, if there is still a senatorial zone that is not at par with the rest in the governance of Anambra state, it is, without fear or favour, Anambra North senatorial zone which has only taken a shot at the Anambra Government House for just 8 years. Both Anambra South and Anambra Central have dominated political contests in Anambra State from inception and each has spent not less than 10 years on the saddle. But, at this stage, we should not be making this argument. The constitution of Nigeria does not support it and no party’s constitution expressly supports zoning.
In 2025, the governorship election in Anambra State will remain, as it has always been, an open contest where people with the ticket of their political parties would contest and one of them would win, irrespective of which part of Anambra state they came from.
As Noam Chomsky posited, “It is the job of intellectuals to speak the truth and expose lies.”
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