OKEY MADUFORO writes on Mrs. Uche Ekwunife who was recently declared winner in the Anambra Central Senatorial election.
Anambra State has this nag for throwing up gladiators that determine the fate of its political landscape. The state is unarguably one of the major flashpoints of politics in the South East, if not Nigeria in general. It produced the first female executive governor in Nigeria, in the person of Virginia Etiaba whose instatement came as her boss, Peter Obi, was impeached by the state legislature for alleged gross misconduct.
The victory of Ekwunife in the last senatorial poll is still being celebrated by her supporters, while her political foes are gazing in awe as to how she was able to surmount the gender barrier and campaigns of calumny to ascend to the heights.
Ekwunife’s name was introduced into the political field when she declared her intention to represent Anaocha/Njikoka/Dunkofia constituency in the House of Representatives.
Then the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was still grappling with the palace coup that ousted the Uchenna Emeordi-led state executive, which was replaced with the Tony Nwoye executive.
During the 2007 general elections, a total of 87 aspirants had indicated interest in that position, and the primary election of the PDP was enmeshed in a war of attrition.
Ekwunife was never given a chance since she was then cutting her teeth in partisan politics and also coming from the private sector. She was an executive of the defunct Standard Trust Bank (STB).
While the horse-trading lasted in the PDP, Ekwunife merely laid wait, to strike at the right time.
And the time came when others appeared to have expended their arsenals. Ekwunife rose from obscurity to clinch the highly contested candidature of the party. The main election seemed like a walk-over, as the PDP won all the seats in the National Assembly.
Her first term in the National Assembly was, no doubt, eventful. At every sitting of the House of Representatives, she showcased her intellectual wealth.
At some point, ranking members of the hallowed chambers and old political war horses could not help but appreciated those latent qualities of this young woman who came into the House in her 30s.
Being a banker, she was put in the Appropriation committee of the House. Other committees she worked with include Environment (Chairman), Defence, Electoral Matters, Public Accounts, Public Procurement, Special Duties, and Women.
Born December 12, 1970 – exactly 11 months after the Nigerian civil war, which ended officially on January 12, 1970, young Uche passed through primary and secondary schools in Onitsha, her place of birth, meteorically, and found herself in the University of Calabar (UNICAL) in 1989. She graduated in 1992 with B.Sc (Hons) degree in Business Education (Accountancy). Then in 2002, she got her MBA from Nnamdi Azikwe University, Awka.
She worked with Royal Merchant Bank and Equatorial Trust Bank (ETB), both in Onitsha, before joining STB, where she rose to the position of Head, Private Banking Unit.
Subsequently, her excellent banking carrier projected her to the position of President, Young Bankers’ Association in 2000.
Before the 2011 general elections, Ekwunife had midwifed several upstages in the politics of Anambra State, hence gaining more political mileage in the process.
A case in point was in the 2010 gubernatorial election where she dumped the PDP to contest the Anambra governorship seat on the platform of the Progressives Peoples Alliance (PPA) which Peter Obi of APGA won. She later defected to APGA in 2011 where she regained her seat in the House of Reps.
Not relaxing on her governorship ambition, the banker-turned lawmaker contested for APGA governorship primaries in 2013 and was first runner-up to Willie Obiano, the eventual winner.
Back in PDP’s fold in August last year, she threw her glove into the ring for the senatorial ticket of Anambra Central, battling against Senator Annie Okonkwo, Obiora Okonkwo and Sylvester Okonkwo in the primaries.
On becoming the party’s flag-bearer for the senatorial contest, she was quoted to have said: “Those that I contacted to help me were afraid that I would not win due to the calibre of people that were in the race. So I had to paddle my canoe, with all measure of optimism that I would secure victory.”
However, opinions hold that Ekwunife had the backing of former governor, Peter Obi, and First Lady, Patience Jonathan, which resulted in her emergence as the party’s flag-bearer. Obi only defected to the PDP from APGA after his tenure as governor. He however became the chief campaigner for the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan in Anambra.
Away from her political activities, she has also been involved in philanthropic undertakings. In 2001, she established a scholarship scheme for the education of indigent students. The scheme, which was named after her father, Sir Emmanuel Ogudebe, has over 1,500 beneficiaries across Anambra.
Women, particularly widows, have also benefited immensely from her kindness. She established the Hon. Uche Ekwunife Youths and Widows Support Centre, a non-governmental organisation, to help in the capacity building of young people and widows.
At the National Assembly, she gained popularity for canvassing for the bills for an Act to provide for the Establishment of the National Environmental Sanitation Commission (NESC); to amend the Environmental Health Officers (Registration Act) 2002 and other related matters; to establish the Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria and other matters connected therewith; to establish the National Youth Development Agency of Nigeria for the purpose of planning, implementing, and overseeing a national integrated youth promotion development programme and for connected purpose among others.
Iyom, as she is fondly called embarked on a total of 89 constituency projects between 2007 and 2013 while in the National Assembly and contained in 2014/2015 budget are her 28 constituency projects.
Against this backdrop Ekwunife must be singing a song of great accomplishment as she prepares for her inauguration in June this year as senator of the Federal Republic. She also hopes that her opponents, during the election, Victor Umeh (APGA) and Chris Ngige (APC) will not contest her declaration at the tribunal.
The amiable lawmaker is a recipient of several awards and chieftaincy titles from communities around Anambra. She has been conferred with the titles of Iyom Ugochinyeleze-na-nwata, (Nri), Ada Ugo-Igbo (Igbo-Ukwu), Anyanwu-Aguluezigbo, Ife-Abagana, Nnedioramma of Aguata, Ezinne na Nimo and Ugomba-Agulu.
She is a Paul Harris Fellow of the Rotary Club International. She was recognised by the Nigerian Union of Journalists, Anambra chapter, with an Award for Excellent Performance.
Married to Chief Larry Ekwunife, a successful businessman from Nri community in Anaocha LGA of Anambra, the marriage is blessed with children.