Before now, the battle for the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA ticket for the Anambra South senatorial seat, had been narrowed to the duo of Dr. Ifeanyi Patrick Uba and Chief Nicholas Ukachukwu.
But all that has now changed with the entry of former beauty queen politician, diplomat, lawyer, and businesswoman Chief (Mrs) Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu. Many look at her challenge as the most audacious in the zone and one that is expected to see a lot of fireworks between now and the end of October when INEC has mandated political parties to nominate their candidates for the 2019 race.
Mrs Ojukwu who was formerly Senior Special Assistant to the President on Diaspora Affairs and the country’s ambassador to Ghana and Spain, is basking on the euphoria of how the PDP and APC were defeated in the Nnewi zone during the November 2017 governorship election which returned Willie Obiano for a second term. Party insiders say she worked really hard to help APGA and was always there to remind them that APGA was Ojukwu’s legacy.
They claim that the leadership of the party, may have no choice but to go all out to ensure she beats Ifeanyi Uba and Nicholas Ukachukwu in the primaries. The Anambra South senatorial seat which is occupied by Senator Andy Ubah of the APC, had before now, seen two prominent politicians and billionaires struggling for the ticket of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA ticket. Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu (Ikukuoma Igbo), the Osumenyi-born billionaire, had on the 4th of January this year, declared to contest for seat under the APGA platform.
Few weeks after, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Capital Oil and Gas, Dr. Ifeanyi Uba, also signified his interest in the APGA ticket, for the same seat. Those who know Anambra politics well, say that the battle for the APGA ticket, will in itself, be tougher than the real election.
According to their postulations, several factors, will determine who eventually picks the ticket and that individual, is as good as having won the election, judging by the loyalty of the people to APGA right now.
The most important factor everyone agrees, will be Governor Obiano’s body language. Governor Obiano’s support, is expected to throw up the winner of the APGA ticket and eventually the winner of the election.
Interestingly, both Ukachukwu and Uba played big roles in the re-election of the Governor last year. But with the entry of Iyom Bianca Ojukwu who is generally believed to have also worked like the duo for the Obiano victory, the stage is set for a titanic combat.
