Nov. 8. Guber: Why Anambra Needs Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu –Sir Awogu
(…without doubt Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu is the most prepared for the job, and one who perfectly fits into the demands of the Anambra of today.)
Sir Arinzechukwu Awogu, a former Council Chairman of Ogbaru Local Government Area and the National Coordinator of Ikemba Front, the flagship political support structure of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Anambra State, a body that is projecting the All Progressives Congress, APC and the candidacy of Prince Dr. Nicholas Ukachukwu to the people of Anambra State has been speaking on the possible emergence of the former House of Representatives member as APC flag bearer in the forthcoming Anambra guber election slated for November 8, 2025. He spoke to the press on the conduct of last Saturday’s ward delegates’ congress of the party and the chances of the party producing the next governor of Anambra State. Excerpt:
How would you describe the conduct of the ward delegates’ congress that elected five ad-hoc delegates from each of the 326 wards in Anambra State for the April 5 primary election of your party, the APC?
We are impressed with the peaceful nature of the conduct of the ward delegates’ congress by the APC and it is a sign of hope for the party ahead of the gubernatorial primary election. I have always believed that the process of getting into an office is more important than the office itself. The party has started well by putting its first foot correctly and I commend the State Working Committee (SWC) and other stakeholders of our party for midwifing a peaceful, free, fair and credible ward delegates’ election which elected ad-hoc delegates across the 21 Local Government Areas of the state. The exercise is generally considered as the most peaceful and rancour free in the history of delegate elections of the party in the state. The National Working Committee of the party had assured that the process would be free and fair and they kept to their words and the process was observed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and various civil society groups with the police and civil defense maintaining surveillance around the venues of the congress across the state including the DSS.
There are quite a number of issues being raised by different camps ranging from zoning to denomination, to long stay in the party, to competence and so on. What role are all these issues going to play and will the aspirants and their supporters speak with one voice after the primaries?
In fairness to the array of materials the party parade, all the seven aspirants contesting for the ticket of the party are eminently qualified, not one is a misfit among them. But the truth is that the Anambra South Senatorial Zone has a convincing argument to present before the people of Anambra State. And for those who are willing and open minded they will understand how indeed, compellingly reasonable it is for the people of the state to support Anambra South to produce the next governor to complete their eight years. A sense of balance, a sense of belonging is extremely important in a political arrangement. It will be unconscionable to contemplate denying Anambra South Senatorial Zone the APC governorship ticket for the November 8 election because zoning has become entrenched in our body polity here in Anambra State and it is the turn of Anambra South Senatorial Zone to produce the next governor and it must not be denied them. I do not subscribe to the pendulum of religion in politics because religion and its denominations have never formed the yardstick of determining candidates’ emergence in Anambra State and I am certain that our party, the APC as a secular political party will have no accommodation for denominational sentiments and it must not be flown. Those flying the kite of denominational dichotomy are alien to the party as it has no place in the thinking of the APC.
_Will the aspirants and their supporters speak with one voice after the primaries?_
Look at where one voice has gotten us to in Anambra State in the last 3 years where one man has assumed infinite wisdom, that is certainly not the one voice you are referring to (…laughter). Ofcourse, the process, starting with the ward delegates’ congress has encouraged confidence in the party, showing that the eventual candidate will emerge through a process seen and adjudged to be free, fair and credible. Certainly, the party will speak with one voice and will be united going into the main election But talking generally about speaking with one what? One voice, that is not political now, one voice is dictatorial. One voice is unacceptable in a plural society, especially irrepressible pluralistic society like ours. Certainly, irrepressible individualists like Igbos. Come on my friend, we will not speak with one voice, we are not mumu. We will speak with different voices, reasonable different voices then articulated by a leadership that has a sense of direction and knows what matters.
_We have seen Ikemba Front project one of the aspirants, has Ikemba Front endorsed Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu?_
Not quite! Ikemba Front is a gigantic entity, what we did after a careful evaluation of the aspirants, ofcourse, aspirants from Anambra South Senatorial Zone as we have long made our support for the sustenance of the existing zoning arrangement in the state clear, was to adopt Prince Dr. Nicholas Ukachukwu for the purposes of the primary election. Having profiled all the aspirants from Anambra South Senatorial Zone, we found Prince Dr. Nicholas Ukachukwu has an amazing edge over the other four aspirants from the South. We only adopted him for the primaries and will endorse him together with other support groups who are affiliated to Ikemba Front and who are waiting for Prince Dr. Nicholas Ukachukwu to emerge as the candidate of our great party, APC, and that is the right time to formally make the pronouncement and from then henceforth it will be a crescendo.
_What’s your reaction on the possible emergence of Prince Dr. Nicholas Ukachukwu as APC flag bearer for the November 8 guber election and what is he bringing to the table?__
Prince Dr. Nicholas Ukachukwu is bringing visible and conspicuous achievements and capacity to turn difficulties into dividends for Anambra State; obstacles into opportunities. Let me tell you, states like nations are set by two kinds of events either through leadership or through structure, none of which has worked in our state. Prince Dr. Nicholas Ukachukwu can change it, he is not given to frivolities, he is also not a lone ranger. He believes in teamwork. He will transform Anambra State like he transformed the Nigerian real estate sector, a multifaceted market encompassing residential, commercial, and industrial properties. We feel good and Anambra State is at home with Prince Dr. Nicholas Ukachukwu. You will see a difference, my friend; the difference will be clear. The difference will be that the state will be stable because you are getting a government that will embrace justice, equity and fairness. Charity to all and malice towards none. A government that will take the provision of security and welfare of the people as the primary purpose of government. Coming on the heels of strong conviction of excellence in his private and public service, his performance in human and infrastructural advancement across the country raises the bar exponentially. It follows that a natural performer like him is required to step up to the plate to reinvent the momentum in Anambra State and notch it further. The tilting of the majority of Ndi-Anambra towards Prince Dr. Nicholas Ukachukwu’s candidacy not only in emerging as the flag bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC), but going ahead to win the November 8 governorship election is gratifying and a dream come true to the pioneers of Ikukuoma-Project. We are profoundly encouraged by the avalanche of goodwill trailing Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu’s candidacy, especially when we consider the enormous work undertaken under the auspices of Ikemba Front to market the party, APC to Ndi-Anambra. First, my reaction will be that of satisfaction in seeing that the people of Anambra State are on the same page with us, using the same lens with us to view the person of Prince Dr. Nicholas Ukachukwu. It only re-emphasizes the fact that we have been right all along in projecting APC and Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu, an excellent technocrat who without doubt is the most prepared for the job, and one who perfectly fits into the demands of the Anambra of today.
_Would you say that the job of having APC candidate win the Anambra governorship election has been perfected._
All is politics, tomorrow is eternity. Nobody will tell you that he has completed a plan to win an election or completed a plan to get support, things can change but I must say that the real work begins after the primary election. The task of eventually working for the party to win starts after the primaries and we in Ikemba Front and such other support groups are deeply involved in this task. Majority of voters in Anambra State are of the sincere view and in perfect agreement that the time is ripe for APC to clinch the seat of power in Anambra State and are eagerly waiting to see the candidate that will emerge and their desire will be met if Prince Dr. Nicholas Ukachukwu’s candidate gets the party ticket. We feel that his emergence is timely and I feel so good that our effort is yielding the desired outcome as APC is on the verge of choosing the best for the state who has the capacity, the grassroots appeal and the warchest to wrestle the seat from the incumbent and sincerely the man is Prince Dr. Nicholas Ukachukwu, Ikukuoma Anambra.
