By Uzo Ugwunze
Ahead of the coming November 8, 2025, Anambra state Governorship election, a High Chief of the Nri ancient kingdom, Anaocha local government area, Barr. Chukwudi Oli( Ọba Ezeafia Na Nri) has begun a deft move to mobilise the indigenes, and, other residents of the kingdom to endorse the state governor, Prof. Soludo’s re-election bid.
Ọba Ezeafia, a great philanthropist in Nri kingdom is incidentally one of the principal lawyers to the state billionaire oil magnate, Prince Arthur Ézè who had already thrown his weight behind Soludo’s re-election.
Apparently, following the footsteps of Arthur Eze, Ọba Ezeafia told newsmen Thursday in Awka that he has concluded arrangements for a grand reception of Soludo in his Nri kingdom so that his people will publicly declare their support unequivocally for his re-election.
Interestingly, the deputy governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Senator Uche Ekwunife hails from the Nri community.
Some political observers have told this reporter that the turnout of Nri people at tomorrow’s Soludo reception in the community is expected to serve as a litmus test of Ọba Ezeafia’s electoral value in the ancient kingdom.
A close associate of the Nri High Chief, Chief Ogochukwu Egolum, however, told newsmen, “Ọba Ezeafia is deploying huge assets to mobilise the people of Nri and non-natives in our community to give Soludo an organic endorsement for his re-election.”
He said, ” Everyone knows that Ọba Ezeafia is a great and respected philanthropist in ancient Nri kingdom. He built roads, houses for widows, disbursed start-up funds to several youths, have been funding Nri Ọnwa Agwu festival for several years now , and many other such gestures. But he has never gotten involved in politics.
“Oba Ezeafia has, however, decided to get involved in politics. He has realised that political platforms give one more opportunities to touch more lives and attract developments instead of relying only on one’s personal income as he has been doing all these years.”
Chief Egolum cited for instance, that Barr. Chukwudi Oli was very excited when he heard that Governor Soludo recently awarded contract for the construction of the popular Agbanabo road in Nri, a road which every past government has not given attention despite its strategic importance to socio-economic development of the area.
Egolum said that already heads of the various villages, women groups, youths, non-natives, age-grades, cultural groups have adequately been mobilised by a Committee set-up and funded by Oba Ezeafia to plan and organise the reception of the Governor.
He stated further that Ezeafia who lives outside the community has already returned to make sure nothing was left undone for the planned grand reception of the Governor.