Tinubu: Employing Peacebuilding and Conflict Resolution to Drive National Development

Abiodun Oladunjoye writes about various steps already taken by the President Bola Tinubu‑led government at the centre towards peace‑building and conflict resolution as tools for development in the last three years.

Idemili North and South Federal Constituency consists of two local government areas in Anambra State. Both areas are the most populous in terms of voter concentration in the state and fall within the Anambra Central senatorial zone, while bordering the commercial city of Onitsha, which lies in the Anambra North senatorial district.

Given these characteristics and the cosmopolitan nature of Anambra State, it is not surprising that the people of the area are highly politically aware, a feature that usually makes elections keen and competitive.

In the run‑up to next year’s general election, political contenders in the area are already preparing to secure the tickets of their respective parties for the House of Representatives seat.

Some of the parties expected to appear on the ballot are the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA); the emerging Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC); and the All Progressives Congress (APC), the ruling party in the country.

Because of the competitive nature of the election, parties must choose their strongest candidates to compete effectively.

The incumbent member of the House of Representatives for the area, Hon Harris Okonkwo, is running for a second term on the NDC platform with few challengers. APGA has already cleared four candidates for its primary election: Paschal Metuh, Kenechukwu Igboebisi, Ikenna Iyiegbu and Ifeanyi Ibezi. Sources say only two have the capacity to compete: Dr Ifeanyi Ibezi and Hon Ikenna Iyiegbu.

Both men will battle it out this coming Saturday to determine who picks the flag. However, the zoning arrangement and equity in the area have already given Iyiegbu an advantage, as voters are more likely to support a candidate from Idemili South Local Government Area, where Hon Okonkwo hails from.

Presently, the people of the area seem inclined to elect a representative from Idemili South, because the zoning formula and the need to balance the number of terms taken by their counterpart in Idemili North give Okonkwo an advantageous position for the seat.

But Okonkwo, who is positioned for the seat, is being challenged by four other candidates for the NDC ticket: Chuka Ezewune, Eric Anyaneme, Ifeanyi Mbanusi and Chiogo Ikokwu.

Sources say Okonkwo stands a better chance of flying the party’s ticket for several reasons.

He is an incumbent, and NDC needs to field a candidate who has both the financial capability and the popularity to match other parties’ candidates.

Also, Okonkwo has remained a consistent supporter of the party’s presidential hopeful, and his backing would be useful for Peter Obi in ensuring a landslide victory in Anambra State at the presidential election.

Although APC remains the ruling party in the country, its impact and visibility are not felt in Anambra State. Thus, its candidate would not be seen as a major threat to either APGA or NDC, which has suddenly become the darling party of voters because of the love for Obi, who could emerge as the party’s presidential ticket.

Beyond these advantages, Okonkwo is largely seen as having performed creditably in the last three and a half years of representing Idemili North and South Federal Constituency, surpassing the records of his predecessors in the House of Representatives.

Some of his achievements include 13 bills, five motions and four petitions. For his numerous works, he has also been awarded several honours, including Best Performing First‑Time Lawmaker of the Year 2023 by the United Business Women Association of Nigeria and Diaspora; the prestigious LEE Leadership Excellence Award for First‑Time House of Representative Member of the Year 2023; ICON of Youth Empowerment by the Youth Assembly of Nigeria (YAN); Integrity Icon of Nigeria (ION) Award for Ethical Leadership by the Centre for Ethics and Self‑Value Orientation; and the Dedicated Legislative Oversight and Public Health Advocacy Award.

Some of his bills include: Federal College of Entrepreneurship and Skills Acquisition, Ogidi, Anambra State (Establishment) Bill, 2023; Federal Medical Centre Act, Awka Ettti, Anambra State (Amendment) Bill, 2023; Federal Polytechnic Act, Oba, Anambra State (Amendment) Bill, 2023; Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria Act, Nnobi, Anambra State (Amendment) Bill, 2023; The Nigerian Police Training College, Umuoji, Anambra State (Amendment) Bill, 2023; The Mining Intelligence and Security through Public‑Private Partnership across Mining Communities in Nigeria (Amendment) Bill, 2023; Sustainable Mining Infrastructure Development Bill, 2023; Labour Act (Amendment) Bill, 2025, among others.

Okonkwo has at least made his representation felt in every community under the constituency he represents.