- Chief Peter Nwaedozie, APC Chairmanship aspirant in Anambra State, addressing party stakeholders and supporters in Awka on Thursday evening
Titus Eleweke, South East Editor
AWKA, Anambra – Chief Peter Nwaedozie, a businessman, estate developer, and an illustrious son of Anambra State, has declared his intention to reposition the Anambra State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and restore it as a viable, competitive political force.
Nwaedozie, who is angling for the position of State Chairman of the party, made this declaration on Thursday in Awka State capital.
According to him, his aspiration is driven by a genuine desire to effect positive change within the party and reposition it for electoral success, in the interest of Anambra State and its people.
The Anambra APC, currently led by Chief Basil Ejidike, is scheduled to commence the process of replacing its State Executive Committee (SEC) through congresses beginning February 18, 2026. The congresses will be conducted across the state’s 326 electoral wards and 21 local government areas, culminating in the election of a new State Chairman on March 9.
Chief Nwaedozie, fondly known by his supporters as “Nkpume Orumba,” is presently the only aspirant who has publicly demonstrated serious interest in succeeding Ejidike as Chairman of the Anambra APC.
Addressing an enlarged meeting of party stakeholders, ward and local government executives at the Senator Uche Ekwunife Centre in Awka,an event he convened—Nwaedozie spoke passionately before a large gathering of party faithful who turned out to hear his vision.
Explaining his motivation, he said:
“I want to lead the Anambra State chapter of APC because we need urgent change. Our party in this state has been in a state of coma.
We can neither win a councillorship position nor secure a seat in the State House of Assembly.
“It is not because we lack capable men and women with the pedigree to win elections. Rather, we have been lackadaisical in our political approach and have, over time, promoted imposition and mediocrity instead of merit and the will of the people.
“As a result, there is a widespread yearning for change. People are asking: who will bell the cat? Who will help reposition our beloved party, lead us to the promised land of Nigerian politics, and make APC a winning platform in Anambra?
“Today, I say to you: I am here. Send me. I have come to reposition the Anambra APC and ensure that things are done rightly.”
Nwaedozie formally presented himself to the stakeholders as a chairmanship aspirant and assured them that, if elected, he would immediately begin the process of rebuilding and strengthening the party.
He pledged that within his first year in office, his administration would secure a functional, permanent state secretariat for the party, putting an end to the cycle of renting offices for party operations.
Calling for divine guidance, he prayed that God would use party members to help him actualise his vision, while pledging inclusive leadership that would carry every member along.
According to him, his leadership would guarantee that the will of party members at the grassroots prevails, stressing that the era of writing results and imposing leaders from ward level to the state level would come to an end.
“On my watch as APC State Chairman, imposition will become a thing of the past. The process begins with the APC congresses starting from February 18.
“Let us go to work. This is the time to sow, and we shall reap the fruits of our labour. After March 9, if I emerge victorious, I will summon you again so that together we can chart the way forward. I believe in democracy, and I will not run a one-man show.
“The executive committee I will lead must be accountable and transparent in the conduct of party affairs. Just send me,” he appealed.
He further daidc that he was not embarking on the journey lightly but with a strong sense of responsibility and a clear focus on repositioning the Anambra APC to become one of the strongest state chapters in the country.
Earlier, Chief Nestor Okoro, a party elder and Coordinator of “Chief Peter Nwaedozie for State Chairman, APC Anambra State,” told the gathering that the meeting was convened to chart a new course for the Anambra APC and to introduce party members to the man poised to drive the desired transformation.
According to him, Nwaedozie would inject new life into the party and lead a process that would birth a reinvigorated APC in Anambra State, to the envy of other political parties.
“We need change. It is only when we reposition ourselves, win elections, and acquire political power that we can meaningfully change ourselves, our communities, our state, and our country.
“Let Nwaedozie be our collective decision. We understand the dynamics of Anambra politics, and we have dotted our i’s and crossed our t’s. We are ready,” he declared.
Okoro reminded party members that the ward and local government congresses would begin in February and culminate in the election of the State Chairman in March.
He emphasized the need for aggressive grassroots mobilisation and full participation in the party’s ongoing e-registration exercise.
Expressing optimism, he said that with cooperation and unity, the party would “get to the bridge and cross it” on March 9, emerging as equal stakeholders in a renewed APC.
He noted that Nwaedozie’s emergence would return power to the grassroots, beginning with the February 18 congresses to be conducted using Option A4.
“Elections will begin at the ward level, and the decision of the people must be respected. The practice of imposition and result-writing in the past bred disaffection and anti-party activities because members’ choices were ignored. The new executive committee will reflect the true will of the people,” he said.
Also speaking, Chief Obi Onwuachu, a member of the party’s Elders Council, described Nwaedozie as a grassroots politician with solid political pedigree and urged party members to mobilise massively for his victory on March 9.
In his remarks, Hon. Theo Nnorom, a two-time member of the Anambra State House of Assembly, stressed the strategic importance of the forthcoming congresses from the ward to the national level.
“This exercise is very important. It is even more critical that we have functional executives at the ward level. In the past, we had ward chairmen who could neither read nor write nor send text messages.
“During the last senatorial by-election, the consequences were embarrassing. This is our opportunity to reorganise the party properly from the grassroots,” he said.
Nnorom commended Nwaedozie for his consistency and courage, noting that it was unprecedented in the history of Anambra APC for a chairmanship aspirant to convene a stakeholders’ meeting to openly articulate his vision.
“It shows respect and appreciation for party members. We will vote for him,” he assured.
