CLASH OF TITANS: WHO REPRESENTS NNEWI NORTH AT THE ANAMBRA STATE ASSEMBLY?

2019: WHO REPRESENTS NNEWI NORTH AT THE ANAMBRA STATE ASSEMBLY?

It is no longer news that the race to replace Hon. Amala Anazodo at the Anambra State House of Assembly is between Comrade Okafor Nonso (Smart) of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Dr Obinna Ngonadi of the Young Progressive Party (YPP) and Hon. BenChuks Nwosu of the People Democratic Party (PDP).

This is a three-horse race among the three powerful contestants.

Words on the street have it that Smart will easily defeat the other two contestants but this is politics and it comes with a lot of dynamics. Just like football, it is not over until it is over.

Let’s portray the strengths and weaknesses of the three candidates.

COMRADE OKAFOR NONSO:

Popularly known as Smart, Nonso Okafor was born and bred in Nnewi. His first stint in higher education was at Federal Polytechnic Oko, where he displayed exceptional leadership skills and left indelible legacies as the Students Union President between 2006/2007.

His visible impacts in the areas of youth empowerment, leadership, good governance and humanitarian services have earned him several awards.

He is one of the youngest recipients of the prestigious Henry Dunant Gold Medal of Red Cross and Red Crescent. He is also an awardee of the coveted Nigerian Youth Leadership Award of LEAP Africa, funded by Ford Foundation and International Youth Foundation, USA.

Smart was also a delegate and strong voice in the Next Generation Nigeria, an independent Task Force for the future of Nigeria powered by the British Council in 2010.

He was a delegate to the Mandela Washington Young Africa Leaders Initiative YALI sponsored by the then President Barrack Obama in 2014.

While in the USA, he moved the brave motion preventing youths from 50 African countries from adopting Gay Right as the major issue facing Africa during their YALI program in the US. He is also a member of Amnesty International and the Coalition for Youth Capacity of Youngstars Foundation Int’l.

He is a member of many professional associations such as Austin Black Chamber, Austin Texas, USA, Mandela Washington Fellow Alumni (YALI Fellow), LEAP African Youth Leadership Program Alumni, University of Texas IVP Alumni, Alamo City Chamber of Commerce, San Antonio USA.

His leadership Experiences includes President, Catholic Youth Organization of Nigeria (CYON), St. Flavius Church, Oworonshoki, Lagos; (2013-2014); President, Students Union Government (SUG) Fed. Poly OKO, (2006-2007); National President, Nnewi Academic Congress (NAC) (2007-2008); Chairman, Board of Trustees, Nnewi Academic Congress, (2013 to date); President, Progressive Anambra Youths (PAY); State Chairman, National Youth Council of Nigeria, Anambra State; among many other leadership roles.

He is the Chairman/CEO of Reapfold Limited, one of the biggest printing and branding companies in Anambra with offices in Lagos and Awka. He is the Managing Director, Downtown Farmcity Limited, an integrated farming business in Isuanaocha Awka North.

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STRENGTHS:

Smart’s major strength lies in the fact that he is the most popular among the entire contestants. He is known to be a grass root man. His curriculum-vitae boasts of many leadership positions and where he distinguished himself on all of them.

He won all elective positions he ever contested in his lifetime, meaning he has a winning spirit. He seems to be prepared for the job from birth. The amount of grace and goodwill going for him is unending. More so, he is the candidate of the state ruling party APGA and, which boasts of a lot of grass root supporters.

WEAKNESS:

His Party, APGA, seems to have some crises that arose after the primaries. There seem to be party members that were not satisfied with the leadership of its national chairman, Chief Victor Oye, and they have been calling for his resignation as a requirement for peace to come back to the party. If these crises are not addressed before the February 2019 election, it may affect the chances of some of its candidates in the general elections.

DR. OBINNA CHIMA NGONADI:

Dr Obinna

Chima Ngonadi is an electronic business consultant, industrialist, entrepreneur and a philanthropist. He is a well-experienced administrator and has held so many positions in well-known companies.

He is a director at Ngobros and Company, Nigeria Limited, which specializes in the importation of auto and steel spare parts and production of diapers.

He is a managing director of HUCO drugs limited, a pharmaceutical company.

These experiences have made him develop the necessary business and management skills to be successful at any level of private and public service.

He is a graduate of Accountancy from University of Nigeria and holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees in e-business from the University of Buckingham, United Kingdom.

He was in this field for so many years, delivering public lectures and seminars. He is an academic researcher and has carried out so many research works which has earned him so much recognition.

STRENGTHS:

Supporters of Obinna Ngonadi believe that his chances lie on the fact that Dr Ifeanyi Ubah and Kingsley Muoghalu will throw their weights behind him.

Obinna Ngonadi is contesting under the platform of the Young Progressive Party, YPP. The Presidential Candidate, of the party, Prof. Kingsley Muoghalu, is incidentally, from Nnewi. The notable philanthropist, Ifeanyi Ubah, who is gunning for the Anambra South Senatorial election, is also a candidate of YPP.

Another strength believed to be going for Obinna Ngonadi is the strength of his Multi-Millionaire father, Mr Humphrey Ngonadi, popularly known as Ngobros.

Mr Humprey Ngonadi is the Chairman/CEO of Ngobros and Co. Ltd and also the manufacturer of BabyMate diapers.

WEAKNESS:

Obinna Ngonadi is seen as a newcomer in the game of politics and is believed not to have possessed any known leadership experience.

He is not known to have occupied any elective political/leadership office. Many see him as someone, who doesn’t have a mind of his own. Though with a PhD, he is not known to have started and operated any major business venture just as his father did; so, people doubt if he had the capacity to deliver at the Anambra State House of Assembly.

BEN CHUKS NWOSU (ESQ):

Ben Chuks Nwosu is a legal practitioner and he obtained his Bachelor of Law (BL), LL.B (Hons.) and BA (Hons) Philosophy from the University of Nigeria.

Benchuks started his legal practice in 1990 at Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN’s Chambers where he rose to become the Deputy Head of Chambers in 1992.

Thereafter, he left and founded Ben Nwosu & Co Chambers, where he has been the Head of Chambers from 1992 till date.

He was an elected member of the Anambra State House of Assembly between 2003-2007.

As a member of the state assembly, he was the chairman, House Committee on Works and Public Utilities (2003-2007) and also Chairman, House Committee on Media and Communications (2003-2007).

Political Experience:

He was appointed as the Deputy Director General of the Ngige Campaign Organisation for Governorship election of Anambra State in 2010 and also the Director-General of Ifeanyi Ubah Campaign Organisation for Governorship of Anambra State in 2013.

STRENGTHS:

Benchuks’ strength lies in the fact that he is campaigning on the back of Hon. Chris Azubogu whose achievements as a two-time member of the Federal House of Representatives representing Nnewi North/South and Ekwusigo federal constituency has been applauded by Nnewi people.

Benchuks is a former member of the Anambra State House of Assembly and equally a former factional speaker. Therefore, if he wins the election, he will be a ranking member of the House.

WEAKNESS:

Many feel Benchuks is too old for the position and has gone before and, therefore, should give room to the younger generation with ideas.

There are insinuations that Benchuks has nothing much to offer again because he didn’t make much impact in his previous representation.