Gov. Obiano And His Hope Of Incumbency Advantage: A Phantasmagorial?

By Amb Adichie Izuchukwu.


As Anambra 2017 Gubernatorial election draws closer and faster, it might interest us to know that Anambra electoral competition are made up of 'Strategic Challengers which my boss Dr. Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah remains a major contender, Incumbent Gov. Willie M Obiano and voters'

Adichie

With the three electoral actors of electoral competition which are the strategic challengers, incumbent and voters, is Gov. Obiano not less qualified incumbent to hope on incumbency advantage, hence phantasmagorial tendency since in Nigeria where electioneering is largely focused on performance and issue-based politics and not on accord of political advantage over the challengers?

ON INCUMBENCY ADVANTAGE.

Incumbency Advantage is important aspect of politics once it comes to Electioneering.  Every incumbent enjoys structural advantage. The incumbent is the existing holder of a political office. It is usually used in reference to elections where race for a political position can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent(s). Every incumbent build on his Incumbency advantage and, those are structures being enjoyed by an incumbent who is seeking a reelection into a political office against his challengers.

It has become a norm for an Incumbemt to win their party's nomination to run for office and unseating an incumbent during a party primary is very difficult. The incumbent often has more name recognition because of their political position.

Sine-qua-non, Incumbent usually have access to campaign funds and government resources that can be indirectly used to boost his campaign. Another aspect which forms the major contributor of Incumbency Advantage for an Incumbent while seeking for  reelection is largely based on his PERFORMANCES.

Gov. Obiano Performance, A Decider For His Incumbency Advantage?

Anti-Incumbency factor can be responsible for voting out an Incumbent who has been in office for a successful term without a quality score-card.

And Gov. Obiano who only have enjoyed the financial part of Incumbency Advantage remains less-qualified Incumbent to contest for any political election in Anambra State following his poor performance indicator on development and growth.

He have not only proven himself incapable of leading a State like Anambra, but have proven before millions of Ndi-Anambra that he's unworthy to be trusted with our mandate again, hence, we are correcting our 2013 mistakes.

The entrance of Dr Elo Afoka his Aides as a challenger has logically qualified Gov. Obiano as a less-qualified Incumbent. Question, "Why should a son contest along his father for a political head of Umunna?"

However, succinctlynessless succinctlynesslessly, voters are already convinced of his poor performance indicator hence, political tsunami awaits him and his political associates come November, 2017, only if he will still have a trusted fellow because I'm aware of litany of desertation to be experienced soon by APGA.

The plethora of Incumbency Advantage remains his calamity. The invisible projects, the monumental flyovers, the phantom MOU's, the fleet of vehicular excesses, the political segregation, the secretiveness in contractual dealings, cosmetics youth empowerment and huge security vote remains anti-Incumbent factors. These factors has already aided the challengers even before election proper among the voters.

Come November 2017, Anambra voters will register their displeasure  on service delivery by Anambra government officials.

According to General Montgomery, he stated thus, my own definition of a leader is one who has the capacity and will to rally men and women to a common purpose and character which inspires confidence.

Has Gov. Obiano been able to rally men and women of goodwill together?

Definitely, no! Not surprisingly.

In conclusion, Gov. Obiano's hope of seeking reelection only remains phantasmagorial because variable has proven and linken him to be a less qualified Incumbent.

Amb Adichie Izuchukwu
Writes from Anambra.

Izuchukwuadichie@gmail.com
@payeeizuchukwu.