Abia not poor, just poorly managed – PDP gov candidate Anosike
June 26, 2026 12:58 am
Anosike
The Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate in Abia, Kelechi Anosike, spoke recently with journalists on zoning concerns, his political pedigree, and his welfare agenda for economic transformation, social protection, and inclusive development in the state. Excerpts from WALE AKINSELURE
You are from Abia Central. There is a perceived zoning arrangement as the current governor is also from Abia Central. What do you make of the argument that your victory would disrupt zoning, given that Abia North believes power should come to their zone in 2031?
When we look at the configuration of Abia Central, it is made up of Ukwa-Ngwa and Old Bende, and what is more traditional in Abia politics is the Old Bende and the Ukwa-Ngwa. The so-called three geo-political zones, or the three senatorial zones, are new developments. So, for us, the last governor, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, was from Ukwa-Ngwa, and the current governor, Governor Alex Otti, is from Ukwa-Ngwa. Dr Kelechi Anosike is coming as a governor from Old Bende. So, I am not disrupting any order. My emergence will not disrupt any political balance in Abia State.
You are a seasoned professional. How formidable are you politically, and how long have you been involved in Abia politics?
I joined PDP in 2005; that was when I secured approval from former President Olusegun Obasanjo to do one of his biographies, that is, “The Man, the Message, the Movement.” This was massively launched on the 15th of November, 2006. So thereafter, I’ve had to do several national assignments for the PDP. For example, in 2006, I was the chairman of a National Assembly screening committee sent to Plateau State. I’ve served in several Federal Government inter-ministerial committees with very eminent personalities, including late Prof Joe Irokwe. I worked alongside Prof Taiwo Osipitan to review the current Insurance Act. In 2008, I contested to be a member of the National Working Committee as Deputy National Financial Secretary. That was the convention that brought in the late Sir Vincent Ogbulafor as chairman. In 2011, I ran for House of Representatives for Ikwuano/Umuahia Federal Constituency. So, I’m an enshrined party man, but I’m not a regular politician. I’m more of a reformer, more of a builder. I create things, I look at situations. They call me blue-chip lawyer. If I look at companies, I know what to tell the company to revamp their fortunes. That is why my message is Abia is not poor; but Abia is poorly managed. There’s a lot that can be done in Abia State, and the message is getting traction with the people. They’re seeing what more they can get. So, the popular slogan is, they say, Alex Otti is doing well, but Anozie will do better because he knows how to manage funds and resources.
Politics in Nigeria is rough, and incumbency is a major factor. How do you intend to defeat an incumbent government?
I’m not a regular politician. When I joined the race, there were two other strong contenders—some former commissioners and a deputy chief of staff. Most people didn’t give us much chance. But our message is unique. I’m a welfarist in my mindset. I have a welfare philosophy. So, the people are looking for who will deliver. I want to create a people-centred government, where development is measured by the well-being of the people, not a brick-and-mortar government, not a concrete government. So, the people first is at the centre of it. So, when we told the delegates this is what we’re coming to do, they believed it, and we said there are funds to do it, and it will not cost much. So, we emerged from the primaries successfully, with a very wide margin. So now we’ve come to a larger space, which is the entire state. By the time they hear our message, our manifesto, and relate it to how it will affect them, the incumbency factor will not be much of a challenge to us, because the people are the ones listening, they’re the ones that will vote.
What are your key selling points to the Abia electorate?
We have a welfarist philosophy—people first. Every Abian in need will be a priority, not a problem, and no one will go to bed hungry. We are sponsoring a back-to-farm policy, Operation Feed Abia, while ensuring that infrastructure development goes hand in hand with improving lives. Our governance is anchored on seven pillars, beginning with economic welfare, focused on wealth creation through SME financing, skills acquisition, entrepreneurship grants, industrialisation, market expansion, agriculture, and solid mineral development. Abia’s resources—limestone in Arochukwu and Isuikwuato, gypsum in Lokpanta—will be harnessed for industries like cement and POP production through strategic partnerships. We aim to revive industrialisation and increase internally generated revenue. We will also prioritise social protection, targeting widows, the elderly, persons with disabilities, orphans, and vulnerable households through food support, emergency interventions, and monthly welfare schemes, alongside affordable healthcare and a functional health insurance system. Education will be reformed through scholarships, teacher welfare, certification, digital learning, and skills-based curricula to ensure graduates leave with both certificates and employable skills. Youth empowerment will move beyond handouts to grants, tech hubs, agriculture, and enterprise support, while leveraging federal funding opportunities from BoI, CBN, and NIRSAL that many states already tap into effectively. Workers’ welfare will be prioritised with an improved minimum wage of N90,000 and health insurance coverage under a civil service care scheme. Pension arrears will be cleared, rural roads will be opened to support agriculture and reduce post-harvest losses, and food security will be strengthened through revived extension services and agricultural support systems. We also have a justice and security welfare agenda to review awaiting trial inmates and correct cases of injustice, while strengthening fairness in the system. Governance will be people-centred, not just infrastructure-driven, ensuring development reflects human well-being. Ultimately, we are pursuing holistic development where every sector works together for the prosperity of Abians.
You keep emphasising that you are not a regular politician. Do you think Abia is ready for a generational shift?
From our emergence and the score we got at the primaries, where I got over 16,000 and the next person got 3,000, the same thing will happen at the general election. The people want better welfare. They want someone who will build infrastructure as well as take care of the people’s welfare; they want grants. One of the missing links in this subsidy removal is that the social aspect wasn’t emphasised. The idea should be to remove the suffering of the people. The president expects the governors to use the huge funds received to develop their states, build lives. Some people just focus on infrastructure. There is so much money in their hands and they forget the people. The people are at the centre of it. Governance should be about social welfare.
Beyond the manifesto, do you think the PDP still has the structure to win the governorship election in Abia State?
PDP remains the most expansive, the most formidable party in Abia State, having ruled the state for several years, and even came second in the last election—just lost narrowly. You may wish to note that there is no party presently in Nigeria without crisis. Even the incumbent in Abia State is the weakest incumbent I’ve ever seen. The party is polarised into two: the Julius Abure and the Nenadi Usman faction. So, the incumbent is going into the race with a divided house. But PDP in Abia is a united front. And one thing our candidacy has done is we have injected new energy into Abia PDP. They see us as a new face; it’s a new mindset. Some persons that have left the party are all coming back. We’ll be receiving calls that PDP is serious with this candidate and they can work with this person. So, we’re going into the contest with a full house, united front. And several other parties did not field a gubernatorial candidate because of my emergence. There are about seven parties, and it will be a wide range of coalition that you’ll see in the coming days. We are putting our best foot forward, and with our team like the party chairman who is a grassroots man and well experienced as party state chairman. We all know where the votes are, and we’re going in there to get it. And the State Working Committee has been marvellous in our coordination. So, what we’re doing now is a brainstorming session.
We’re back on the drawing table. So, there’s no doubt that we are much victorious.
Do you trust the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct a free and fair election?
Yes, I trust INEC. I trust the process. I am a system person. I trust INEC and trust the Federal Government to give them the required budget to enable them effectively discharge their duties.
What structure do you have to avert rigging?
You cannot totally eliminate manipulation in one form or the other. There is no system that is 100 per cent perfect. But with the help of security agents and some measures being put in place by INEC, like electronic transmission of results, I am sure we will be able to get between 80 and 90 per cent fairness in the process, which will favour us.
Are you ready for an open debate with Governor Alex Otti?
Sure. That is where we will put his policies under public scrutiny.
Which faction of the PDP did you emerge from: the Turaki or Wike faction?
There is only one PDP. The biggest problem we have is when people run faulty narratives. We have only one regulator of political parties in Nigeria, which is INEC, and we have only one political party known as PDP, under the leadership of Abdulrahman Mohammed, what people call the Wike faction. Everything outside that does not belong to the party. Just recently, INEC released the code required by political parties to submit names of candidates. And that code is already with the national secretary of the party in the person of Samuel Anyanwu. That is a clear indication that we have only one PDP—there are no two PDPs. At some time, we had crisis and went to court. Over time, those cases have been taken care of from the judgments delivered by several High Courts, Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court. All those judgments establish the fact that there is only one PDP with Abdulrahman Mohammed as national chairman and Samuel Anyanwu as national secretary.
What is your relationship with Okezie Ikpeazu? How is he supporting your ambition?
He is a party leader. He is Nigeria’s Ambassador to Spain. He is now on a foreign mission.
You said incumbency factor does not threaten you; you would also have to deal with federal might as the governor’s body language looks aligned with the President for the presidential election. How do you contend with this?
They are all conjectures; it is also postulation that our party looks to support the president. The governor is the weakest incumbent I have ever seen. There is the Abure faction and the Nenadi Usman faction. There is no structure. So, defeating him is very easy. The PDP that has been here since 1999 has structure down to every unit. Labour Party is not a factor, not a challenge.
What is your plan to ensure Umuahia is an enviable capital compared to other state capitals in the South-East?
Past governments have tried to give it a facelift. We have an urban renewal programme. We need to move the Government House back to Umuahia. The current position is that businesses are dying there. Where the governor is, businesses come, hotels boom, people come there, and the economy reflates. For the past three years, the seat of power was moved elsewhere. Umuahia is suffering the brunt of this. When you move that government back to Umuahia, plus our urban renewal, there will be a resurgence and a revamp. There is no land that is a bush. Everywhere is affected by time and government policies.
Who is your political godfather?
The people are my godfather.
Are you free of litigation from the aspirants you contested against?
There is none. There is no basis because we had very free and fair primaries, and he won not because he was assisted but because the people accepted his message and decided to support him. There is no basis for any contention.
Olawale Franklin Akinselure is a journalist at Punch Newspapers with 12 years of experience covering education, politics, health, environment, judiciary, metro, and community beats. He specializes in producing insightful, wide-ranging reports that inform and engage readers. His reporting reflects practical newsroom experience, editorial insight, and a dedication to accurate, reliable journalism.
All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.
Contact: [email protected]