The February 2015 general elections are just six months away. Expectedly, politicians are already locked in a rat-race campaigning for various elective offices. Some serving senators are among those that have signified interest to contest 2015 governorship poll in their states. Today, Saturday Independent concludes its series on the chances of the senators.
In Imo State,
Senator Hope Uzodinma, popularly known as “Onwa” and Chris Anyanwu are strong governorship contenders. Uzodinma, a senate fresher man representing Imo West Senatorial District on the platform of PDP is from Omuma community in the present Orlu zone.
Anyanwu is also of the PDP from Mbaise axis, represents Imo East Senatorial District. Uzodinma chairs the senate committee on aviation while Anyanwu chairs the committee on navy. Already, Uzodinma is not making any secret of his ambition to govern Imo State in 2015. In 2003 and 2007 general elections, he vied for the same position and lost to former governors Udenwa and Ohakim. This time, the coast appears very clear for him. Uzodinma has a number of positive things going for him. He is loved far more than any contender in the race essentially because he is reputed for open handedness and has the natural inclination to empower individuals who are in need irrespective of their tribe and affiliations. Politically, Uzodinma is liberal but very astute.
He is a man of people, a grassroots mobiliser. The elite and ordinary people have great disposition towards him. He is a political strategist who understands the elementary art of politicking and equally has the penchant to worm his way into the hearts of kingmakers and influential persons that matter. Character wise, the senator is very warm and amiable. As a senator, he has undertaken a number of constituency empowerment projects that has endeared him to people of all ages in his domain. The powers that be at the national level of the PDP and at the presidency have absolute trust and confidence in him.
They are likely going to support his 2015 aspiration. But what may work against him is the strong claim for the 2015 governorship by the people of Owerri zone. Most people in the state believe that Orlu zone where Uzodinma, former governor Udenwa and the incumbent governor, Okorocha, come from, have dominated the governorship position in Imo since the beginning of this political dispensation in 1999. Besides, Uzodinma’s kinsman and governor, Okorocha of the APC, is bent on scuttling his ambition by whatever means. A pointer to this scenario was the do-or-die battle by the two Orlu politicians over who controls the electoral victory in the recent controversial Oguta re-run poll. There are other political heavy weights in the state with clout and means like Uzodinma who are ready to give him a bloody nose at the governorship election.
People like Senator Ifeanyi Ararume and former governor Ohakim are in this league. The allegation of certificate scandal against Uzodinma recently, was seen as part of the smear campaign by his political opponents to rubbish him and edge him out of the guber race. But like a phoenix, he has indeed proved his innocence and has risen from his own ashes.
For Anyanwu, the battle for 2015 governorship race might be tough for but she is a woman of steel who loves challenges. She is politically strong at the grassroots and enjoys the confidence and support of some political elite in the state. One of them is the former minister of interior, Captain Emmanuel Iheanacho, who supported her with resources to return for the senate in 2011 when she defected to All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) when the PDP senatorial ticket was taken away from her and given to Kema Chikwe. Anyanwu is committed to the governorship project but it is also rumoured that pressure might eventually be applied on her by the PDP leadership to return to the senate if the coast is not going to be clear for her for governorship.
She is presently campaigning for the job, and in the process, making the incumbent APC governor in the state very uncomfortable. But in the guber race, she and Chikwe may clash again. Besides, other strong contenders like Senators Uzodinma, Ararume, Ohakim and her kinsman and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Emeka Ihedioha, may pose a great challenge to her dream. Okorcha who may support his deputy, Prince Eze Madumere from Owerri zone as Anyanwu if he is going for presidency under the APC, may also pose a challenge. And whether her benefactor, Iheanacho, would support her in 2015, remains to be seen. But Anyanwu who is known to be vocal in the senate, has all what it takes to be the first woman governor of Imo. Her popularity grew further recently with a controversial bill against sexual crimes, which enjoyed the overwhelming support of senators.
Delta State
The quest by Anioma people of Delta State to produce the governor of the state in 2015, may favour Senator Arthur Ifeanyi Okowa who represents Delta North on the platform of PDP at the senate. Okowa is from Owa-Alero, Ika North-East Local Government Area of the state. He was a former council secretary and chairman of Ika North as well as commissioner for agriculture, water resources and health of Delta State at different times. Aniomas have not been opportune to occupy the governorship position since the creation of the state in August 1991 by the military government of General Ibrahim Babangida.
For this reason, they have been clamouring for the state governorship. In August last year, the Anioma people in Asaba inaugurated a 15-man Criteria Stipulation Committee (CSC) with Chuks Ochonogor as its chairman. This committee was saddled with the responsibility of screening prospective aspirants of Anioma extraction and Okowa is a frontliner for the race. He is vigorous being countered in his quest to govern Delta by his kinswoman and current chairman of Nigeria Social
Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Chief (Mrs.) Ngozi Olejeme. Senator Okowa who is the Senate Committee Chairman on Health, is a medical doctor by profession and a former Secretary to the Delta State Government (SSG) in the first tenure of Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan. He is also a member of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA). The lawmaker has been politically visible in recent times and he is said to be enjoying a cordial political relationship with his state governor despite alleged stories of friction over his ambition. This good mutual relationship could ensure support for him from Governor Uduaghan as the Delta PDP prepares to hold its governorship primary for aspirants.
Besides, Okowa enjoys the support of the grassroots and the political elite in his constituency and in the state in general. He has all what it takes to govern Delta very well, but his greatest obstacle will be the Urhobos who have dominated the politics of the state for a long time. What would however work in his favour are the zoning arrangement done in Anioma’s favour and the support of his professional colleague, friend and boss, Governor Uduaghan. His sojourn in the Senate has helped him to galvanise both resources and contact vital for his successful emergence as the next governor of Delta State.
In the Senate, he has initiated a number of legislative motions and bills such as the Prevention, Control and Management of Sickle Cell Disease Bill; Framework for Regulation, Development and Management of National Health System and Set Standards for Health Workers in Nigeria; a Bill for an Act for the provision for the Regulation of Health Care, Insurance and Public Health; Bill for an Act for the Repeal of Tobacco Control, the National Health Insurance Scheme and the National Programm on Immunisation and Transfer of Functions to the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, among several other bills. The death, last year, of Senator Pius Akpor Ewherido who represents Delta South on the platform of Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) who was said to be nursing a governorship ambition in 2015, could have affected Okowa’s chances were he to be alive and also insisted on running, zoning or no zoning. However, as the Delta gubernatorial primary inches closer, Senator Okowa is likely to brave all odds in his way to the Government House, Asaba in 2015.
Rivers State
In Rivers State, even with the current political face-off between Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike, Senator Magnus Ngei Abe is still believed to be a potential successor to Governor Amaechi in 2015. Abe, an Ogoni politician who represents Rivers South–East at the senate on the platform of APC is the Senate Committee Chairman on Petroleum (downstream). He was a former Commissioner for Information as well as Secretary to the State Government (SSG) during Governor Amaechi’s first tenure. Abe is indeed a grass root politician presently far popular than any other political figure in the seven local government area councils under his South-East senatorial jurisdiction.
The fact that the senator’s wife, Bariyaah Abe, is also popular among the women in the area on account of her philanthropic gestures, is a further boast for the senator. Last year, the lawmaker’s wife gave wrappers to well over seven thousand women in the seven area councils of the constituency including Gokana and Eleme. Abe, on his own, recently provided about 300 bags of fertilizer to women farmers in the district as part of his regular and routine empowerment programme. In the Senate, he is noted for his qualitative contributions to issues both at the plenary and at the committee levels. In terms of character, Abe is quiet, refined, intelligent, calm but very calculating. His intelligence and brilliance often shows in his trend of logic during arguments. He delivers his points on critical issues with clinical efficiency. In today’s Rivers politics, he is not a pushover. His support and loyalty to Amaechi is total. It is to the credit of the lawmaker and his colleague in the House of Reps, Hon Dakuku Peterside, that Amaechi’s job was saved recently through the intervention of the National Assembly in the aftermath of the violent crisis that tore Rivers State House of Assembly apart. What is likely to work in favour of Senator Abe’s governorship quest is the fact that there is already a popular sentiment in Rivers State that the Ogonis be allowed to take the governorship slot in 2015, considering the fact that the people of the area have never produced a governor. Abe, seen as a “worthy son”, in the thinking of many within and outside his senatorial district, are now clamouring for him.
But the Kalabaris are a force that must be appeased for the Ogonis to take the guber slot, which is also being claimed by the Riverrine Kalabari, in line with the alleged stakeholders’ zoning arrangement in 2002. Abe is also believed to have made adequate financial plans to prosecute his governorship project when the time comes. But the problem between his Godfather, Amaechi, and some politicians in the state might create problems for hims. Besides, there are sentiments in the Amaechi political camp that the Opobo-Nkoro Riverrine people be considered in place of Kalabaris if the 2015 governorship must leave the upland area to the Riverrine axis. In this scenario, Abe’s ambition may be supplanted in favour of Hon Peterside who represents the Opobo-Nkoro Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives. Apart from the Peterside factor, the PDP leadership in the state in concert with notable Rivers political leaders some of who equally have governorship ambition, might prove a challenge to Abe. The bull-dog and almost rash approach by foremost PDP guber aspirant, Wike, might derail the ambition of Abe. But the support of Governor Amaechi might change the tide of things for him if he eventually becomes the anointed candidate and governor Amaechi still remains in total control of political permutations tills 2015.
Taraba State
In Taraba State, Abuja based lawyer and Senator representing Taraba North, Aisha Jumai Alhassan, has since indicated her desire to run for the Taraba State governorship in 2015. Alhassan is of the All Progressive Congress (APC). She is Senate Committee Vice Chairman on Women Affairs. She is a well-heeled grassroots politician in Taraba whose popularity transcends her senatorial district to the length and breath of the state. Among the Taraba women and youths that form the bulk of voters in the state, Senator Alhassan is a political matriarch of some sort. She is equally closer to the Taraba State potentates who dictate the trend of political events and the choice of who becomes what in league with their political establishment. In the senate, she is active and vocal at plenary and also contributes to debates on crucial issues, just as she is in committee matters. She was recently honoured with a parliamentary award for her distinction as a renowned politician with grassroots base. The senator is also eager to blaze the trail as not only the pioneer female governor in the Northern region, she equally aspires to breast the tape Of history as the first woman governor to be elected in Taraba come 2015. As she prepares for the guber primaries, history beckons on her.
Lagos State
The governorship position in Lagos State has always been quite unpredictable in terms of a clear choice of candidate even to the very last minute. Though, the scenario is a bit different if an incumbent is seeking a re-election. Like in most states, the incumbent Lagos governor is usually re-elected. But in the battle for 2015, the Lagos governorship is expected to parade an array of aspirants among whom is likely to be Senator Ganiyu Olarewanju Solomon. The senator represents Lagos West Senatorial District on the platform of APC. Solomon may contest with Senator Oluremi Tinubu of Lagos Central District if her rumoured ambition becomes a reality. He is also going to slug it out with the former Lagos State Accountant General, Akinwunmi Ambode, who is said to be the candidate sponsored by APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. Within the APC fold, Senators Solomon and Tinubu are serving lawmakers believed to have strong interest to succeed the incumbent governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN). While the ambition of the wife of APC national Leader, Tinubu, is still talked about in low tones as a mere rumour uptill now, that of Solomon is already in the open.
But politics of Lagos is very dicey and the choice of who becomes the governor in 2015, will be essentially determined by both Asiwaju Tinubu and Fashola. The governor is said to be more disposed to a technocrat like him as successor. The political trend in Lagos has been that most people long touted would-be successors are often jettisoned for political dark horses. The case of Fashola was a clear example. Senator Solomon is the minority whip in the senate. He is an experienced politician with a strong grassroots base.
DailyIndependent.
