Ahead of the 2023 general elections, it is clear that the Senatorial election in Anambra Central Senatorial District is one among the elections that will headline the 2023 electioneering season in Nigeria.
As usual people of other parts of Nigeria will be Interested to see who becomes the Senator to represent Anambra Central in the 10th Senate of the National Assembly (NASS).
Certainly the contest will pitch the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) against the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) which is currently holding the position through Senator Uche Ekwunife.
And the questions heralding the election now are:
- Who would be the candidates of the two political parties?
- Which of the candidates could coast home to victory and why?
While it is certain that the incumbent Senator Ekwunufe will fly the ticket of PDP to seek reelection back to the Senate, the choice of APGA for the Anambra Central contest is supose to be former National Chairman of the party Senator Victor Umeh for many reasons.
First is that Umeh is the only candidate capable to take advantage of the Governor Charles Soludo’s bandwagon effect to defeat Ekwnuife at the polls.
Second is that Umeh has an edge over other candidates in terms of quality representation that reflects the aura and interest of Ndigbo at the NASS.
A look at Umeh’s 18-month sojourn to the 9th Senate where he demonstrated a strong Igbo charisma and force is a good testimony that the former National Chairman of APGA, if given the mandate to represent Anambra Central in the Red Chamber of the 10th NASS, will mount a stronger Igbo representation similar to what popular Igbo NASS members such as Senator Ike Ekweremadu and Senator Enyi Abaribe were doing at the Senate.
APGA in particular and the good people of Anambra Central in general should consider Umeh’s capacity and passion to champion the Igbo cause at the NASS as part of the reasons to give him the mandate to go to the Senate.
Going into another dispensation with the 10th Senate of the NASS, there is no gainsaying the fact that a Senator in the caliber of Umeh is needed to form a replacement for strong Igbo gladiators in the Senate such as Senator Ike Ekeremadu and Senator Enyi Abaribe.
Ekweremadu and Abaribe are likely to exit the Senate having gone to contest governorship elections in their States of Enugu and Abia respectively.
In addition to stronger Igbo representation ensuring that Ndigbo don’t lag behind in the affairs of NASS and that every dividend of democracy from the NASS comes to the Southeast geopolitical zone, the former National Chairman of APGA will also ensure that Anambra Central won’t lag behind in terms of bringing dividend of democracy back home.
This is exemplified with the fact that he attracted dividends of democracy worth over N1.3 billion during his 18-months missionary journey to the Senate.
He also secured employment opportunities for a good number of constituents and empowered the youth and women with financial aids to move them into meaningful livelihood.
If he can attract such dividends in 18 months, think about what he is going to do in four years.