Anambra South by-Election: 5 Contenders to Replace Ifeanyi Ubah

Voters in Anambra South head to the polls Saturday, Aug 16, to fill the Senate seat left vacant by the late Ifeanyi Ubah, elected on the Young Progressives Party (YPP) in 2023 and later defected to the APC before his death. The contest has tightened into a five-way battle, with party structures and local loyalties likely to decide the outcome.

Here are the 5 Contenders to replace Ifeanyi Ubah:

Emmanuel Nwachukwu (APGA) 

Emmanuel enters as the government party’s flag bearer and is widely viewed as Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s preferred choice. His relatively low public profile is offset by APGA’s organising muscle, ward captains, door-to-door canvassing, and election-day logistics that move voters from villages to polling units. The pitch is continuity: send a senator who can align Abuja bargaining with Awka’s priorities on roads, schools, and SME credit.

For Nwachukwu, the path is volume plus discipline. APGA needs a heavy, even turnout across strongholds while limiting leakage in mixed wards. The risk is perception: voters may ask for a louder, nationally known voice in Abuja.

If the campaign keeps the conversation on tangible projects and leverages incumbency on service delivery, his low name recognition becomes less of a drag.

Azuka Okwuosa (APC) 

Azuka is a veteran grassroots operator with robust party backing. APC figures argue that a slice of Ifeanyi Ubah’s former network has tilted their way, offering ready-made canvassers and polling-unit agents. The message blends national access with local pragmatism: an APC senator can pull federal attention to stalled projects and security concerns.

Okwuosa’s coalition is a puzzle of old loyalties and new converts. To win, he must consolidate pro-APC wards, convert undecided Ubah sympathisers, and keep error-free operations on election day. The risk is brand headwind: APC faces scepticism in parts of the South-East. A clean, issues-first close that reassures swing households on power, jobs, and security is his best route.

Chris Uba (PDP) 

Chris Uba brings name recognition and deep networks. His frame is experience: send a negotiator who knows how federal budgets move and how to extract constituency projects. The PDP base still exists across the zone; if it is energised and unified, Uba becomes dangerous late.

The challenge is twofold: internal cohesion and voter fatigue with old-guard politics. PDP must keep local leaders rowing in the same direction and present a forward-looking slate of priorities, including youth jobs, market infrastructure, and feeder roads. So undecided voters see more than a familiar surname. If those pieces click, Uba can surge on turnout. If not, the base fragments.

Donald Amamgbo (ADC)

A businessman-philanthropist is running as the outsider who can cut through party drama. His events emphasise problem-solving, health outreaches, school support, small-business clinics, designed to turn goodwill into votes. In a crowded field, that “community first” lane can attract non-aligned voters and the politically weary.

But ADC’s thin structure is a real constraint. Victory would require a volunteer-heavy ground game, hyper-targeting low-turnout wards, and overperforming in urban precincts where candidate appeal can beat party label.

If Amamgbo converts affection into actual polling-unit presence, agents, transport, and voter reminders, he can surprise. Without that machinery, goodwill stays goodwill.

Prince Oforbuike (YPP) 

Prince Oforbuike is a late, surprise pick from Orumba South. His case is continuity with a human face: protect projects linked to Ifeanyi Ubah’s era and keep an alternative voice in the mix. In a sentimental cycle, that narrative can resonate—especially where YPP once punched above its weight.

The mountain, however, is steep. Late starts mean limited time to build name ID and organise thousands of micro-tasks that win elections, PU agents, result collation, and rapid response to glitches. Oforbuike’s window is narrow but clear, convert YPP loyalists, tap sympathy, and squeeze tactical votes where the big parties split the field. Anything less, and the math is unforgiving.

Source: BusinessElitesAfrica | Read Full Story…