An open reply to the commentator on the Anambra South senatorial contest — and to Ndi Anambra South Onyedikachukwu Anambra

Anambra South is not short of qualified options. The claim that the district is stuck with “two non-charismatic candidates who do not inspire confidence” is an opinion, not a fair reading of the record.

Senator Emmanuel Chibuzor Nwachukwu (Onodugo Ukpor) is the incumbent APGA senator. He was sworn in on 8 October 2025 after winning the August 2025 by-election to succeed the late Ifeanyi Ubah.
That is less than a year in the chamber. The same commentator who withholds harsh judgment on that short tenure then treats “little impact so far” as if it were a completed verdict.
That is inconsistent. A freshman senator is not measured the same way as someone who has already served a full term.

His qualifications match what the commentator says the district should demand.

He holds a B.Sc. in Accounting from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (1987) and completed executive programmes at Lagos Business School and IESE Business School, Barcelona.

Before politics he spent decades in banking, investment, oil and gas, and telecommunications, including senior roles at UBA, the turnaround team at New Nigeria Bank, and as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of a major pipelines group.

That is not “pockets of philanthropy.” It is systems, numbers, corporate governance, and private-sector experience that actually belong in Senate committee rooms.

He also has a documented grassroots record as President-General of the Ukpor Improvement Union (2017–2020). He is the first person from Nnewi South to win the Anambra South seat under APGA.

He has already been assigned the chairmanship of the Senate Committee on State and Local Government Affairs — unusual for a first-term member and a signal that colleagues see competence, not just a party ticket.

Philanthropy and personal wealth are not disqualifiers. They are also not a substitute for the combination of education, executive experience, community leadership, and institutional familiarity that the commentator correctly says Anambra South should value.

Senator Emmanuel C. Nwachukwu
already has that combination. He is not an unknown quantity who only arrived with resources.

The commentator ends by preferring the APGA candidate over the NDC option. That preference is consistent with continuity, party structure in Anambra, and giving a sitting senator with relevant professional depth time to convert a short tenure into measurable legislative work.

Anambra South does not have to choose between “money” and “intellect.” In this race the incumbent already sits at the intersection of both.

The district’s voters are among the most educated in the state. They are entitled to judge performance after a full cycle.

They are not required to accept the premise that no one currently on the ballot is qualified to represent them. Senator Nwachukwu is qualified. The rest is for the electorate to decide in 2027.
-Pamela O.