By Akinwale Kasali
The out-going First Lady of Anambra State, Ebelechukwu Obiano, will be on the campaign train in 2023. She is to contest for the Senatorial seat of the Anambra North Senatorial District in the 2023.
This was disclosed by her husband, the outgoing Governor of the State, Willie Obiano.
The All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Governor disclosed this while addressing members of Nigeria Union Journalists, Anambra State Chapter, at his country home, Aguleri, in the Anambra East Local Government Area of the state, on Saturday. The Governor said he has no intention of contesting for any position. After eight years as a Governor, he said all he wants is to rest. But he is pushing his wife forward.
Mrs Obiano will be relying on the support of the in-coming Governor of the State, Professor Charles Soludo, to clinch the ticket.
She and her husband will leave office in March 2022.
If she gets the APGA ticket, she will be seeking to replace the incumbent Senator of the zone, former Minister for Aviation, Stella Oduah. Oduah, who, inexplicably, defected from the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, to the All Progressives Congress, APC, is on a second missionary journey in the Senate. It is not known if she would contest for a third time, but political watchers say she stands no chance of winning for the third time, with her defection to the PDP. In the November 6 Governorship election, Oduah not only lost her Local Government Area to the PDP, she also lost her Ward to her former party.
Mrs Obiano is regarded as the most powerful First Lady since the creation of Anambra. Not a few people see her as the defacto Deputy Governor. Her office, allegedly, has its own budget and security vote.
It was gathered that some youths in Oyi Local Government Area of the state, under the umbrella of United Ogbunike Youths Association, urged the Governor’s wife to run for Senate to represent Anambra North in the 2023 general elections.
The group said that the reason for their quest was for the Governor’s wife “to continue in the good work she is doing and also attract more development to Anambra North.”
The National President of the group, Okonkwo Ikechukwu, said they have observed that Mrs Obiano recorded tremendous human and infrastructure development during her husband’s administration, despite not holding any office.
Ikechukwu noted that contesting and winning a Senate seat would offer her veritable opportunities to continue to promote human development.
He said, “Mrs Obiano empowered many of our youths in Ogbunike. She has placed some in various lofty positions. Youths of Anambra North are beckoning on her to declare interest in the Senate race.’’
This request, it seems, has been endorsed by her husband.
