I have read the report by a colleague and a friend, David Eleke, titled, “Will APC Abide by Existing Zoning Formula in Anambra?“, published by This Day. Quite frankly, I have more than a dozen reservations given the level of holes in David’s argument.
Even more, his deliberate effort to elevate the zoning argument he propagated in that report orchestrated an imbalance that defeats the rudiments of his thesis, as a neutral or a bystander’s unhindered observation.
First of all, the argument on zoning in the APC or in Anambra State was advanced by Mr. Eleke on the opinions of Obinna Tony Amaefuna whom he referenced as “Pope Amaefuna.”
Secondly, he anchored his argument on the opinion of Dr. Justine Ogoo Nwankwo, with whom I have shared the stage in many conversations in or about Anambra State. The author of the article, Mr. David Eleke is fully aware that both Dr. Justine and Mr. Obinna are fully engaged with one of the two aspirants in the APC which he examined in the piece.
This doesn’t take their informed or personal opinion away; only that it makes it less unaligned and utterly biased and unfit for advancing the argument on zoning in the coming governorship election in Anambra State or in the APC primaries. This background is necessary for disclosure purposes so that readers are better guided.
Now, on the meat of David’s argument about zoning in Anambra State and in the APC, there is simply no “existing” zoning “formula” in Anambra State and no “existing” zoning in the APC or any other political party.
We must recall that by the title of his piece, David had set out to answer if APC “will abide by existing zoning formula in Anambra” in the coming governorship election. Therefore, let us consider the following central argument he advanced in an attempt to answer the question he posed.
“The argument (over zoning) even though already existing became more pronounced in 2012 in the twilight of the administration of the then governor, Mr. Peter Obi. Obi had insisted on the ruling party, All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) producing a candidate from Anambra North as a way to make for balance after Mbadinuju from the South had finished a four-year and central senatorial zone where Obi hails from just finished eight-year term. Before then, Ngige who held sway for three years was also from central,” David argued.
To start with, David admitted by the facts he presented that there was no zoning in Anambra State. He admitted that Peter Obi from Anambra Central Senatorial zone, took over from Ngige who is equally from Anambra Central senatorial zone. The import of this fact put forward by David is that there was no zoning in Anambra if Obi succeeded someone from his senatorial zone.
But strangely, the piece it would appear, argued against the facts it threw up. The claims that zoning had existed before 2012 is at best a revision of history and this is why. Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife from Aguata in Anambra South senatorial zone “handed over” to Dr. Chinwoke Mbadinuju from Ihiala in Anambra South senatorial zone.
Dr. Ezeife’s tenure was short-lived because of military intervention. But in 1999, Dr. Mbadinuju from the same Anambra South as Dr. Ezeife secured the PDP’s ticket for the gubernatorial election and eventually won the election. In 2003, after the PDP showed no sign of allowing Dr. Mbadinuju to fly its flag against that year’s election, Dr. Chris Ngige, from Anambra Central zone was given the PDP’s ticket.
However, Dr. Mbadinuju from the Anambra South zone secured the AD’s ticket and contested the election. In that election, Peter Obi from Anambra Central also secured APGA’s ticket and contested. In the end, Dr. Chris Ngige of PDP, from Anambra Central was declared the winner of the election.
But in any case, if there is still a senatorial zone that is not at par with the rest in the governance of Anambra state, it is, without fear or favour, Anambra North senatorial zone which has only taken a shot at the Anambra Government House for just 8 years. Both Anambra South and Anambra Central have dominated political contests in Anambra State from inception and each has spent not less than 10 years on the saddle. But, at this stage, we should not be making this argument. The constitution of Nigeria does not support it and no party’s constitution expressly supports zoning.
In 2025, the governorship election in Anambra State will remain, as it has always been, an open contest where people with the ticket of their political parties would contest and one of them would win, irrespective of which part of Anambra state they came from.
As Noam Chomsky posited, “It is the job of intellectuals to speak the truth and expose lies.”
* Ebuka Onyekwelu is a journalist, trained political scientist, writer and columnist
