The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Nigeria’s Anambra State, Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu, has declared his party’s intention to leverage upcoming by-elections as a demonstration of its growing influence in the southeastern region. With crucial votes scheduled for August 16 to fill vacant legislative seats, Ukachukwu framed the contests as a litmus test for November’s gubernatorial race, asserting that “Anambra is now an APC state.”
Speaking to market union leaders in Awka during an endorsement event, the candidate vowed the elections would expose his party’s dominance, directly challenging incumbent Governor Chukwuma Soludo. “After August 16, we’ll know who is in charge,” he said, dismissing political rivals with the proverb, “A barking dog does not bite.” The by-elections will fill the Anambra South Senate seat and Onitsha North 1 State Assembly position, vacated due to lawmakers’ deaths.
Central to Ukachukwu’s pitch was a pledge to prioritize traders, who he claims have been neglected under Soludo. Criticizing prolonged market closures by regulators like NAFDAC, Nigeria’s food and drug authority, he promised low-interest government-backed loans to small businesses and collaborative tax reforms. “If elected, my commissioner for trade will be a trader—not a career politician,” he emphasized, positioning himself as a pragmatic leader attuned to grassroots concerns.
His economic proposal includes establishing a state-managed fund allowing traders to access loans repaid over five years at single-digit interest rates. He also advocated consensus-based tax policies, contrasting this with current enforcement tactics by “revenue agents.” The strategy aims to capitalize on widespread discontent among Anambra’s merchant class, which forms a significant voter bloc.
Political analysts view the APC’s aggressive stance as part of broader efforts to erode the traditional stronghold of rival parties like the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Soludo’s All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the Igbo-majority southeast. However, voter turnout and the APC’s organizational capacity in the region remain open questions, given historical electoral patterns.
As campaigns intensify, Ukachukwu’s rhetoric reflects the high stakes of the by-elections, which could reshape political dynamics ahead of November’s gubernatorial contest. With promises of pro-business governance and appeals to local identity, the APC aims to position itself as a viable alternative in a state long resistant to its national dominance.
