Anambra: In Search of a Political Reset in 2017

A year from now, Anambrarians will make history. The electorate is facing the most tumultuous time in Anambra politics in at least 25 years and their ultimate choice for governor is almost certain to be a candidate who reflects the churning and tumult of an innovative Anambra.
 
The turbulence in the political system isn't just about demographics. We are transitioning from an industrial to a service economy, from a bipolar to a multipolar world, in ways that limit Anambra's influence whether we realize it or not. And we are culturally transitioning in fast motion, thanks to a new, large and influential millennial generation powered by technologies that would have seemed fictional two generations ago.

Current trends show that Anambra are poised for a major reset, favoring candidates who buck historical trends and demanding a reshuffling of the way politics is typically practiced. It may not be resolved in 2017 altogether but it's coming, and the stakes are incredibly high.

Throughout the last election, the reality-show style of campaign coverage has sometimes obscured the enormity of the election and the task facing the next Anambra Boss.

The state is facing at least two huge challenges in the years and decades to come:

1. The stagnant middle class: There is a collective anxiety about where the next batch of jobs will come from, and what will enable regular Anambra to believe they can climb the socio-economic ladder. Even for those who believe the economy is better for them today than it was eight years ago, there is a sense of deep uncertainty about how our children can achieve more than today's status quo.

2. A broken political infrastructure: From how we conduct elections (funding, gerrymandering and candidate recruiting) to how we cover and debate ideas, the machinery by which Anambra politics functions have become unrecognizable. Cynical political strategists and elected leaders as well as a partisan and fractured media whose complaints about bias only serve to undermine the credibility of the entire system have destroyed the marketplace for political debate.

Interestingly, the fight over job creation is emblematic of the tumultuous times, both with the broken political system and the economic anxiety of the state. Solving the job creation problem to the satisfaction of the majority of Anambra may provide evidence that we are turning a corner on a broken political system and faith in an economic future.

Arguably, until the second challenge is tackled and we refresh the political marketplace for ideas so that it works, we probably won't be able to adequately address the rest of the enormous problems we face.

That's why getting the political system back into a place that is at least skeptically trusted by the electorate must be a priority for whoever wins the governorship if they have any hope of making meaningful progress on the other big tasks at hand.

John Okafor Chukwudi, Esq
Abuja, FCT