Anambra’s Explosive 2021 Guber Elections: Limiting The Religious Brouhaha

DR. CHUMA-ODILI HARRIS 

Anambra State Gubernatorial elections, scheduled for November 2021, will be more contentious than usual. Tensions within and between the four major political parties APGA, APC, PDP, YPP, competing claims along religious lines. Presently, there’s an increasing religious brouhaha in the Christendom, along with agitations for a change of political baton, and apparent bias by the proponents, suggests the state is heading toward a very vicious electoral contest. And if the agitation continues, and particularly if the outcome of party primaries is marred or followed by widespread criticism based on religious sentiments, it would stir up inter-religious crises in the Christendom. 

The religious leaders, and all other stakeholders must work urgently to ensure that the forthcoming Gubernatorial election is not conducted in an explosive situation as this could further destabilise the polity. 

Anambra elections are traditionally fiercely contested between Catholics and Protestants, but in 2017, risks of religious sentiments cum discriminations were particularly low. This will be the first Anambra Statewide contest essentially between two “Religious parties” – the ruling Catholics and the opposition Anglican – since the return to civilian rule in 1999. 

While a genuine contest is a welcome sign of progress for our democracy, increasingly acrimonious relations between the two “Religious parties” could engender even fiercer clashes among their supporters once campaigning formally starts in October. Competing claims to the Governorship between Catholic leaders and their Anglican or Protestants counterparts could also result in voter apathy. 

Resultantly, aggressive agitations could erupt in Anambra State if the majority of the parties, whose frontrunners are all Catholics, wins the primaries; there is similarly a high risk of losing members to the waiting arms of the party that produces an Anglican as flag bearer. The failure of the ruling party, APGA, to study the religious undercurrents and ride with the prevailing tides, could make her lose a significant number of supporters if the brewing religious sentiments are not tamed ahead of the primaries. 

And this brings me to the planned exit survey “Should we vote another Catholic to be the next Governor, or change the political baton?” Your opinion counts!

Ekenem!