On Saturday, Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State will face Nicholas Ukachukwu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and 14 others seeking his position in the Anambra State governorship election.

Mr Soludo, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) candidate, was elected on 6 November 2021 and sworn in on 17 March 2022. He will conclude his first term in March 2026.

Zoning Arrangement

A zoning arrangement is central and in play in the Anambra governorship poll. The arrangement favours Anambra South Senatorial District, so it is no wonder almost all the candidates in Saturday’s poll hail from the district.

Paul Chukwuma of the Young Progressives Party is the only candidate outside the Anambra South District. He hails from Umueri in the Anambra East Local Government Area within the Anambra North District.

The zoning arrangement began when Chijioke Mbadinuju served as governor of the state from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2003 under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) platform.

Mr Mbadinuju, who died in April 2023, hailed from Uli Community in Ihiala Local Government Area, which is within the Anambra South District. He attempted to return for a second term, but failed to secure the PDP ticket. He then defected to the now-defunct Alliance for Democracy, where he emerged as the party’s candidate but lost in the 2003 general elections.

Chris Ngige of the PDP, who was declared the winner of the 2003 poll by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), also hails from Anambra South District. However, on 5 August 2005, the Anambra Governorship Election Tribunal sacked him and declared Peter Obi of APGA the winner of the election.

Mr Obi was sworn into office as governor after an appeal court upheld Mr Ngige’s removal in March 2006.

The emergence of Mr Obi, who hails from Agulu within the Anambra Central District, provided the district with an opportunity to take its turn in the zoning arrangement.

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