November 06, (THEWILL) – Today, November 6, 2021, is the Governorship Election Day in Anambra State, Nigeria’s Southeast.
The poll is holding amidst tension and heightened security across the South-East.
18 political parties will participate but political pundits have identified three political parties as the most dominant in the race.
The three leading candidates for the election are Charles Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA); Andy Uba of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and Valentine Ozigbo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
While the candidates of those parties have also been adjudged to be the most popular among them, however, one among them is most likely to emerge as the next governor of the state..
Soludo, who is running on the platform of APGA already has some advantages. His party, APGA is currently in power in the state. He is also lucky to have been endorsed and vigorously campaigned for by the incumbent governor, Obiano.
Uba is also fortunate running on the platform of the ruling party in the centre, the APC. Many believe he will use such status to alter the status quo in the State
The dominance of religious politics is a strong factor in the state. The Catholic and Anglican churches dominate the politics of the state, with the Catholic having an upper hand. This has brought silent rancour that many candidates have leveraged to push their aspiration.
While Andy Uba is of the Anglican stock, Soludo and Ozigbo are Catholics, just as all three candidates are from same local government area, Aguata.
However, their fates will be decided by 2.5 million registered voters and the ability of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a hitch-free, fair, and credible election.
Anambra with over 4 million population comprises 21 local government areas.
There are 5,720 Polling Units (PUs) across the state. However, there would be no voting in 86 PUs because there are no voters there, according to INEC.
The commission is conducting the election amidst series of violent attacks on its facilities in the South-east.
The attacks have been linked to the outlawed pro-Biafra group, IPOB, whose initial sit-at-home order threatened the conduct of the Anambra election.
Although IPOB has cancelled its sit-at-home order, there is a general apprehension of voter apathy because of the fear of violence.
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