Chinedum Treasure
Victory of Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu as flag-bearer of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Saturday’s primary of the party for the Anambra 2025 Governorship election on November 8 has thrown members of Ikemba Front into continuous joyous mood.
The group which had earlier thrown their weight behind Senator Ifeanyi Ubah’s gubernatorial ambition had their expectations caught short after the death of Ubah.
But Ikemba Front led by Arinzechuchukwu Awogu, former chairman of Ogbaru Local Government Area of the State switched their support to Ukachukwu who revived his gubernatorial ambition after Ubah’s death.
Ukachukwu had earlier assured Ubah that as long as he remained in the race, he (Ukachukwu) would perish his ambition, promising to deliver Nnewi South, his Local Government Area of origin for him during the governorship election proper.
Given this huge support to Ubah, Ikemba Front did not hesitate to sink and swim with Ukachukwu when he joined the governorship race after Senator Ubah’s demise.
This support had been made easy by the fact that Ukachukwu hails from Anambra South Senatorial zone in which the governorship slot in the State has been zoned to.
And with a well organized structure from State, Local Government Areas to the wards in the State, they went ahead to participate in the APC ward congress which produced delegates who voted in the last Saturday primary election.
A week before the primary, the Ikemba Front,led by it Elders’ Committed boss, Elder Oraefo, Awogu, Okoye Agu, former Deputy Governor of Anambra State among other leaders of the group endorsed Ikukuoma.
They had also in their endorsement reiterated that the zoning formula of the State remains intact and therefore it is the turn of South Senatorial zone to produce the Governor of the State irrespective of the party.
No doubt their joy know no bounds when Ukachukwu overwhelmly won the party’s ticket for November 8 election with 1, 455 votes as against Valentine Ozigbo’s 67 votes, JohnBosco Onunkwo’s 26 votes and Edozie Madu’s eight votes.
Other popular aspirants in the race like Paul Chukwuma, Chukwuma Umeoji and Prof Obiora Okonkwo had thrown in their towels earlier Friday when they couldn’t match Ukachukwu’s force.
Expressing his joy over the emergence of Ukachukwu, Gerald Emenike, Ikemba Front Coordinator for Ekwusigo Local Government Area of the State said that as much as they are happy, the candidate must move fast to unite all factions created by the primary election to form a formidable opposition against the incumbent Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo on November 8 election.
Congratulating Awogu, National Coordinator of Ikemba Front for his resilience and steadfastness in fostering support for Ikukuoma, Emenike insisted that “Ukachukwu must reach out to all factions created by primary”.
Another Ikemba Front member who didn’t want his name in print said with Ukachukwu’s victory: “Ifeanyi Ubah has revenged through the landslide victory”, insisting that only grassroot support would lead APC to victory on November 8 election.
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