2027: Peter Obi or Tinubu Ekwunife Best Senate Asset For Anambra Central
A major campaign argument being advanced by supporters of the NDC candidate in Anambra Central Senatorial District is that, should Peter Obi win the presidency on January 16, 2027, he will need a majority of his party members in the National Assembly to effectively govern.
They further argue that the best way to achieve this is to elect an NDC senator from Anambra Central, Peter Obi’s home district, on the assumption that lawmakers from other political parties are likely to frustrate his presidency.
For the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Senator Uche Ekwunife, however, the race is an opportunity to leverage her rich political pedigree and proven track record of delivering tangible legislative dividends to her constituents.
Argument about whether she can represent her constituents responsibly and effectively is largely unnecessary, considering her previous leadership and membership roles in some of the most important committees in both the House of Representatives and the Senate during her years in the National Assembly.
Her numerous constituency projects and interventions, including road infrastructure, employment opportunities and social intervention programmes that have positively impacted thousands of men, women and youths, distinguish her as a strong candidate for the Anambra Central Senate seat.
However, this advantage is being played down by her opponents and their supporters, who argue that if Peter Obi of the NDC wins the presidency while Ekwunife of the APC secures the Senate seat, both politicians will most likely work at cross purposes.
This political de-marketing strategy falls flat and holds little water.
Ekwunife will, in fact, be one of the best political assets to a Peter Obi presidency, despite their membership of different political parties.
This position is supported by the history of political similarities, shared affiliations and relationships between the two prominent political figures from Anambra State.
Apart from being married to Peter Obi’s kinsman from neighboring Nri Community, which makes them family, both heavyweights have had previous political engagements in APGA and the PDP which impacted positively on the people.
This is why Ekwunife is arguably one of Obi’s closest political allies, even though they now belong to different political parties.
While Peter Obi built his political influence and distinguished himself through his years as governor of Anambra State,
Ekwunife has established her political relevance through years of experience as an accomplished legislative representative.
Both politicians worked collaboratively during the 2015 Anambra Central senatorial election, when Peter Obi, who had recently left APGA, backed Ekwunife’s senatorial ambition.
She eventually won the election before subsequently losing the seat following a court ruling.
Ekwunife has openly described Obi as her political leader and elder brother, whom she respects.
She has also maintained that she bears no political grudge against him, explaining at the time that her senatorial contest was not against Peter Obi but against her direct political opponent.
The kernel of this argument is that voters in Anambra Central Senatorial District should exercise sound electoral judgment by assessing candidates on their individual capacity, competence and track records rather than blindly following party affiliations.
Ekwunife herself has urged her supporters to assess her based on her personal capacity and achievements rather than merely considering the political party on whose platform she is contesting.
This demonstrates confidence in her political credentials and legislative capacity, unlike candidates whose campaigns appear to rely primarily on party loyalty or the influence of political principals.
What this means is that, whichever way the presidential election goes, Ekwunife remains a strong political bargain for Anambra Central, whether Peter Obi wins the presidency or President Bola Tinubu retains power.
If Tinubu wins in January, Ekwunife’s victory will reconnect Anambra Central to the centre and potentially position the district to attract significant federal benefits in the next dispensation.
On the other hand, a Peter Obi presidency alongside Iyom Ekwunife’s victory in the Senate would represent a strategic political realignment of two of Anambra State’s most prominent political ambassadors.
Ekwunife will neither work against nor deliberately frustrate a Peter Obi presidency.
She is politically experienced, pragmatic and mature enough to understand the importance of cooperation across party lines in advancing the interests of her constituents and the state.
Her victory will ultimately be a victory for Anambra Central, she is not just beautiful for the APC and NDC but a political bridge between the parties.
She is a candidate whose political relevance transcends party boundaries.
As for the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) candidate, who is contesting the seat for the first time, whether he will perform effectively in the Senate remains to be seen.
The unfortunate reality is that APGA does not have a presidential candidate on the ballot and it will be difficult for its candidate to campaign with an adopted candidate when the APC has its candidate.
Voting for the candidate could mean sustaining the district’s position outside the mainstream of national political power without the alignment necessary to attract federal attention and influence.
For Anambra Central, the choice should go beyond party sentiment, it should be about experience, capacity, political relationships and the ability to attract meaningful dividends of democracy.
On these grounds, Uche Ekwunife presents a compelling choice for Anambra Central.
