…As AA candidate, Jeff Nweke bemoans politics of bitterness
By Chinelo Obogo, Lagos and Aloysius Attah, Onitsha
The candidate of Action Alliance (AA), in the November 8 governorship election in Anambra State, Ozo Jephat Nweke has called on candidates of political parties participating in the election to endeavour they play by the rules and avoid the temptation of blackmailing others to gain political advantage.
Nweke who spoke in Awka, the Anambra State capital said political campaigns should be a period when candidates of parties should engage in selling their programmes to the electorate and convince them on the viability or otherwise of what they are bringing to the table.
He said “the essence of political campaigns shouldn’t be to malign or engage in character assassination or unnecessary altercations with political opponents; but to showcase our developmental plans for the people.
“Campaigns should be issue- based. What are your plans for the security of lives and property? How do you intend to stop kidnappings and killings that have become common place in our state?
“ How do you intend to tackle the debilitating multiple taxation choking our people to death and stagnating businesses, what are your plans for the education sector, welfare of the people and the state’s economy? How do you attract investors to come and build industries, employ our youth and improve our revenue base without necessarily taking people to the cleaners in the name of politics? These are the issues that ought to dominate our discourse and not name callings,” Nweke stated.
Ozo Nweke further said anything contrary to these amounts to politics of bitterness and undue recourse to the gallery which is not what the people of the state need at this moment in time.
The AA candidate equally condemned as despicable some recent attacks and use of uncouth language by some people who reacted to a trending video of Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo dancing with his son to a music waxed by the later, saying such attacks were unnecessary.
He said that Soludo is a family man with children and has done nothing absolutely wrong to dance with his son. Again, according to him, Soludo is human and deserves to express himself like every other human on what he likes, adding that “It is, therefore, both condemnable and detestable for anyone to ridicule the first family of the state because of that. My idea is that we should all desist from this dirty politics of bitterness and calumny just to gain undue political advantage and focus on issues.
“On our side, we have mapped out very robust programmes on how to rescue Anambra from misrule and put the state on the path of development and progress which keep unfolding as we meet people in our campaigns. I believe there could be different approaches toward the way things are done but Governor Soludo is trying his best in terms of general development.
“Though, he is not above mistakes as such default is naturally embedded in our everyday life. We hold him high and where such mistake is noticed, should be handled with correction in order to move the state forward in positivism,” Nweke stressed.
Meanwhile, Daily Sun investigations have revealed that with barely three months to the November 8, 2025, Anambra State governorship election, the contest appears to be shaping up to be a fiercely contested battle.
The coalition of opposition that adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as a vehicle to contest the 2027 presidential election may shift voter sentiments which could alter the initial three-horse race between incumbent Governor Charles Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and George Moghalu of the Labour Party (LP) because of the entry of John Nwosu as the ADC candidate
Initially, the election was perceived as a contest between Soludo, Ukachukwu and Moghalu but Nwosu’s emergence can be said to be significant because ADC has become the preferred platform for opposition coalition forces nationally and he could potentially benefit from Peter Obi’s political movement. Though Nwosu was initially favoured to clinch the Labour Party governorship ticket, he withdrew from the primary election due to the party crisis at the national level. He then resigned from the LP and joined the ADC following Patrick Obianyo’s voluntary withdrawal.
A crucial aspect of the election, it was gathered is the contrast between the candidates. While Soludo, Ukachukwu, and Moghalu are very seasoned politicians in Anambra politics, Nwosu is a younger candidate who would appeal to the youth demographic. His first political contest was in 2021 which makes him the “fresh face” in the race, according to pundits.
Also, his party, the ADC is gaining traction as a platform for disillusioned LP, PDP, and APC members who are frustrated by the internal crises within their respective parties. If Nwosu can rally the youth vote and anti-Soludo sentiment, he could force a major upset, Daily Sun gathered.
Anambra State comprises 21 Local Government Areas (LGAs) and 326 wards. The state is also divided into three senatorial districts: Anambra North, Anambra Central, and Anambra South and it has a long-standing “zoning agreement,” which is aimed at reducing tensions by rotating key political offices among the zones. At the moment, all four leading contenders, the incumbent, Governor Chukwuma Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), George Moghalu of the Labour Party (LP), and John Nwosu of the ADC are from the Anambra South senatorial zone.
Ukachukwu hails from Nnewi South LGA, while Soludo is from Aguata which is one of the most populated LGAs in Anambra South and has historically been a strong base for APGA. Moghalu and Nwosu are from Nnewi North LGA. The fact that two of the four leading candidates are from this particular LGA shows how keen the contest would be.
Also, the concentration of candidates from a single senatorial zone is an indication that the contest will be fought within Anambra South, as each candidate would want to consolidate their home base before going to Anambra North and Anambra Central for more votes.
