When Dr. Tony Nwoye was introduced to the party members after the primaries at Finotel hotel, he presented a practicable bottom-top- approach to win the election -that I believe, was the best strategy out there that will keep the real voters in view at all time while ignoring the crowd. That plan was abandoned and never implemented, it became a chance we missed and one of the reason why we didn’t win the election.
Our campaign was probably one of the most uncoordinated campaign – with a very poor organizational structure- the chain of command was hardly identifiable and issues became clogged up. We couldn’t identify problems and hardly tackled any. There was simply no feedback mechanism. BestWestern Meloch hotels, Awka obscured the performance of the Udoka office.
We also failed to develop a penetrative media brand strategy for Dr. Tony Nwoye and was almost completely non existent in all media except social media. We neglected the media and our candidate received daily media hammering unchallenged in the print and electronic media. It’s no surprise that the candidate who invested more in the media won the election. We had young men who were ready to push the veteran journalist recruited by APGA off the ladder but we failed to utilize their potentials.
We also failed to properly evaluate the perception problem the APC had in SE and accommodate it in our campaign strategy, we just wished it away – most of the perception were ignorance bred and could have been tackled appropriately. The lack of a proper SWOT analysis became an albatross.
The belief that elections are won on the pooling units on election day cost us dearly. Unlike Dr. Tony Nwoye I know, we didn’t undertake a serious ward campaign in most wards and considering our peculiar perception in the state, waiting to do magic at the pooling unit was a disaster of a plan. Most electorates made up their mind on who to vote long before coming to the pooling unit
Our party structure and agents were not properly trained, and having been in the opposition for long had little or no motivation to campaign or poach voters. They simply waited to compensate their persistent suffering with election funds.
It’s also rumored that some high ranking members of the party in Abuja connived to limit the ability of our candidate to raise money within the APC caucus- this hindered our abilities to campaign efficiently as funding became a major problem. Due to the influence of these influential members at Abuja, our candidate received abysmal support in funding and in every other aspect from Abuja. They also ensured that the opposition controlled both INEC and the security agencies.
Lastly, most party stakeholders refused to converge their interest in the gubernatorial ambition of Dr. Tony Nwoye; they saw the emergence of Dr. Tony Nwoye as an end to their political career- that he will run them out of politics.
Despite being the chairman of the election committee, Ngige never showed up at the campaign office for a day, neither did he partake in any campaign with the candidate except in Alor his hometown. He raised no money for the campaign, rallied no stakeholder nor energized party members for the task at hand. He just did nothing.
Sen. Andy Ubah was no different as he couldn’t stomach the fact that his political son will rise above him in politics and claim what he has fought all his political life for- governor of Anambra state. Most of Sen. Andy Ubah loyalists also refused to participate in the election. Rather than see Tony succeed they became a stumbling block.
Ike Ekweremadu, Nigeria’s deputy senate president, has expressed grief over the demise of former Vice President of Nigeria, Chief Alex Ekwueme.
Ekweremadu described the death as a sad event for Nigeria and her democracy, noting that Ide Oko, as he called him, was a pillar of the nation’s democracy and the struggle for a restructured, just, equitable, and prosperous Nigeria.
He said:
“Dr. Ekwueme combined the uncommon toughness and courage of Heracles with the wits of Odysseus and Nestor. His fearless battle against military rule as the convener of the Group of 34 eminent Nigerians (G-34) can be likened to Heracles’ heroic encounter with the hydra-headed chthonic monsters.
“Ekwueme was a fine gentleman and an epitome of politics without bitterness.
Although he lost the presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), an offshoot of the G34 and pan-Nigerian political platform he built from the scratch, he remained faithful to the party in thick and thin until his death.
“He will be remembered as a public administrator per excellence and a soldier of conscience. He stood by his people during their most challenging and difficult time, knowing that politics has a local flavor most of the time.
“He offered his undiluted professional service in the design and development of access to the air for Ndigbo during the civil war 1967 to 1970. As the Head of Planning of the Biafra Airports Board, the late prodigy built two functional airports in Ulli and Uga, while the airport projects at Mbaise, Ntigha Ngwa, Umuleri, and Arochukwu were at various completion stages before the end of hostilities.
“Yet, as a detribalized and pan-Nigerian, he joined the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) rather than the Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe’s Nigeria Peoples Party (NPP) in the journey to the Second Republic.
He also did Ndigbo a great honour by facilitating the state pardon and eventual return from exile, and reunion of late Ezeigbo Gburugbu, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, with Ndigbo and Nigeria”.
The Senator added that Ekwueme bequeathed a legacy of integrity and strength of character as
“he was until his death reputed to have left Office as the Vice President of Nigeria poorer”.
While condoling the Ekwueme family, Government and people of Anambra State, and indeed the entire nation on the great loss, Ekweremadu prayed God to grant the deceased a peaceful repose.
Similarly, the Senator representing Anambra South senatorial district at the National Assembly, Dr. Andy Uba, has described the exit of Ekwueme as
“loss of a great iconic figure”.
In a press statement he signed, Uba who is currently representing the immediate constituency of the late Vice President, condoled the family, the senatorial district and Nigeria at large.
“I want to sincerely condole with the family of Dr. Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme, GCON and the people of Anambra South Senatorial Zone, Anambra State and the Federal Republic of Nigeria, on the loss of this great Iconic figure and Former Vice President of Nigeria”,
Uba said.
“Ekwueme’s selfless contributions to Nigeria’s democracy cannot be overemphasized. I therefore honour his legacy and mourn his loss alongside his family and the people of Nigeria. “I pray that the Almighty God grant us the fortitude to bear this great loss”.
The All Progressive Congress (APC) has set up a Reconciliation Committee to handle the fallout of the governorship primary in Anambra State. The committee was mandated to reconcile aggrieved members to ensure the party go into the election united.
Inaugurating the committee at the party secretariat in Awka, state Chairman, Barr. Emeka Ibeh said reconciliatory efforts would begin in earnest as the governorship campaign kicks off next week.
“The mandate of the committee is to reach out to aggrieved aspirants who may have natural misgivings on the outcome of the primary election which threw up Nwoye as the candidate for the November 18, 2017 election.” he said.
Ibe expressed optimism that the APC will capture Anambra state government house come March 8, 2018.
The Committee, headed by running mate to APC’s gubernatorial candidate, Hon. Dozie Ikedife Jnr, has Tony One-Week Muonagor as Secretary, Chief Chidi Ebede, John Bosco Onunkwo, George Ozodinobi, Tony Akaenyi and Chibuzor Obiakor.
Others are Chief Uzoma Onwuachu, Osy Ezenwa, Barrister Hyacinth Nweke, Hon. Celestine Ughamadu, Calista Nwachukwu, Ike Ekwensi and Alex Ekemezie.
Recall that Tony Nwoye beat Senator Andy Uba, Engr. Barth Nwibe, George Muoghalu, Patrick Nwike among others to emerge winner of the August 16 primary.
Last week, the APC National Working Committee affirmed him as the party’s standard bearer for the November 18 governorship election.
The party also hailed the primary election conducted by Governor Kashim Shettima, describing it as free, fair and transparent.
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