Anambra’s Choice: Why Ekwunife Still Matters (I)

It was Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, who declared in 1856, “The ballot is stronger than the bullet.” In Nigeria’s dynamic political climate, especially in the Southeast, that truth rings loudly. Party loyalty runs deep, passions flare quickly, and affiliations often evoke fierce reactions. The November 8, 2025, Anambra gubernatorial race is no exception.

Now that Senator Uche Lilian Ekwunife is the deputy governorship candidate alongside Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu under the All Progressives Congress (APC), many voters in the region feel conflicted. The APC brand remains unpopular in the Southeast, a region that has historically felt neglected by national leadership. But here’s the essential question: should we vote for the party or for the person?

Person Over Party: A Case for Evaluating the Individual
Anambra stands at a critical crossroads. And at such times, the real question we must confront is simple yet profound: Should loyalty to a political party override our judgment of an individual’s performance, track record, and capacity to deliver?

For those who judge leadership based on impact, accessibility, integrity, and transformational results, Senator Uche Lilian Ekwunife is a name that rings louder than any party logo. Here’s why her candidacy should not be reduced to mere partisan affiliation.

A Proven Record of Excellence
Senator Ekwunife is no stranger to the people of Anambra. With a political career that spans over a decade and a half, she has served in both the House of Representatives (2007–2015) and the Senate (2015–2023), representing Anambra Central with distinction.

Her legislative career has not been ornamental, it has been deeply practical and policy-driven. As Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Science and Technology, she championed initiatives that encouraged innovation hubs, youth-focused tech programmes, and vocational skills development. Her style of governance emphasized outcomes, not optics.

She didn’t just sponsor bills; she followed through on them. She didn’t just hold press conferences; she held town hall meetings. She didn’t vanish after elections; she returned home to give feedback, listen, and adjust her actions to community needs. Her public service has always reflected an ethic of accessibility and humility.

Grassroots Transformation: Touching Real Lives
Dr. Ekwunife popularly known as Iyom held town hall meetings regularly, not just to talk, but to listen. Her empowerment programmes were not photo-ops. but from the lives she has touched directly. Her brand of politics is refreshingly people-centered. The term “Mama Empowerment” isn’t a nickname, it’s a reflection of lived realities in hundreds of households.

Scholarships That Changed Lives
Through the Sir Emmanuel Ogudebe Foundation, she has sponsored hundreds of students across Anambra through secondary and tertiary education. Today, many of those beneficiaries are doctors, engineers, teachers, and entrepreneurs, proof of an investment in the future.

Health Outreach That Saved Lives
Her free medical outreaches provided surgeries, maternal care, and mobile clinics in underserved communities. She facilitated the building and equipping of rural health centres, taking healthcare to people who had once been abandoned by the system.

Empowering Women and Creating Jobs
From market women to widows, Senator Ekwunife helped small-scale traders access capital, training, and growth opportunities. She ran financial literacy programmes for women and supported micro-businesses with startup kits. For young people, she facilitated jobs in federal ministries and parastatals, actions that have lifted entire families from poverty.

A Different Kind of Leader
Unlike many politicians who surround themselves with heavy security and remain distant from their constituents, Ekwunife is known to walk freely through markets and villages. People relate to her not as a distant politician, but as “Mama Anambra.” She speaks the people’s language, understands their worries, and takes them seriously.

Her political success wasn’t handed to her on a silver platter. She didn’t rise in politics through godfatherism or noise but through performance. She earned her stripes through resilience, results, and respect. Even when political winds blew against her. So if people dislike her current party for national issues, they should remember that Ekwunife is not Abuja.
She is Uche, your sister, daughter, wife and long-standing advocate.
That’s leadership. That’s grace under pressure.

Leadership Beyond Party Lines
In a political atmosphere often coloured by party loyalty, few individuals rise above labels to become symbols of service, vision, and people-driven leadership.

One such leader is Senator Uche Lilian Ekwunife, a household name in Anambra State and beyond. Her political journey, has been marked by consistent grassroots engagement, tangible development, and fearless representation.

Beyond her current position as deputy governorship candidate, Senator Ekwunife holds a strategic national position as the Director General of the South East Governors’ Forum. In this role, she coordinates regional collaboration among state executives across the Southeast, advancing shared goals in security, economic development, and infrastructure. Her ability to bridge political divides and unify leadership voices across party lines speaks volumes of her diplomatic acumen and commitment to regional progress.

Ekwunife’s tenure as DG has seen her play a pivotal role in coordinating joint efforts on pressing issues like youth unemployment, regional road rehabilitation, and improved inter-state relations. This rare blend of national influence and local rootedness is exactly what Anambra needs at the state executive level.She is more than her party — she is a proven performer. With Senator Ekwunife beside Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu voters can be assured of balance and continuity.

Ejike Agbata writes from Nri,
Anaocha LGA,
Anambra State.