APGA Chieftains, Community Leaders Back Okonmah for Anambra East/West Federal Constituency Seat

By Romanus Udekwe Okue-Agbomma

The purchase of the Expression of Interest form by Dr. Bobmanuel Okonmah for the Anambra East and West Federal Constituency seat on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance has triggered a wave of enthusiasm across the constituency, with chieftains, community leaders, party faithful and ordinary residents expressing strong support for his aspiration ahead of the direct primaries scheduled for Friday, 23rd May, 2026.

Dr. Okonmah’s move, has been greeted with widespread approval, with many describing his entry into the race as the most significant political development the constituency has seen in recent memory.

A senior APGA chieftain in Anambra East, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the moment Dr. Okonmah picked up the form, the political landscape of the constituency changed. “The people of Anambra East and West have been presented with a rare opportunity — a man who genuinely embodies their aspirations rather than one who simply promises everything and delivers nothing,” he said, urging members to come out massively on May 23.

A highly placed party official said Dr. Okonmah’s formal entry had settled a debate that many members had been having for weeks. “APGA is a covenant with the Igbo people,” he said. “To vote for a lesser aspirant would be to betray everything the party stands for. Dr. Okonmah personifies what APGA represents — competence, character and commitment.”

Stakeholders were particularly emphatic about his educational background. A community leader in Anambra West said the constituency had suffered long enough from intellectually shallow representation. “We need a man in Abuja who can interrogate budgets, hold his own in debate and scrutinise legislation seriously,” he said. “His academic record is not packaging — it is substance.”

A young graduate in Otuocha who had been jobless for two years welcomed the development with undisguised relief. “I have read about this man and asked questions. He is the real thing,” he said, adding that he planned to mobilise his peers for the primaries.

Several sources highlighted Dr. Okonmah’s international exposure and business connections as equally decisive qualities. “For a constituency with so much agricultural, commercial and human potential still sitting idle, his business connections are not a bonus,” a respected party insider said. “They are a necessity.”

A party elder drew attention to the aspirant’s financial independence, warning that legislators without independent means inevitably became compromised. “A man who needs the National Assembly to survive will always be somebody’s property,” he said bluntly. “Dr. Okonmah does not need that seat to eat. That is the kind of man you can trust.”

A widow in Anambra East who had benefited from Dr. Okonmah’s foundation was emphatic. “This man was helping us before anybody told him to run for anything,” she said. “That is not politics. That is character.” A youth leader agreed, noting that Dr. Okonmah had invested in young people long before asking anything of them. “He has earned our vote,” he said simply.

An okada rider in Nando, who said he had never missed a party primary, captured the general mood with refreshing directness. “I don’t understand grammar,” he said with a laugh, “but I understand a good man when I see one. On May 23, I am voting Okonmah. Full stop.”

The message from across Anambra East and West — from party elders to market women, from community leaders to struggling graduates — is unanimous. Vote Okonmah on May 23.