Who Replaces Ifeanyi Ubah? Anambra South Set for Fierce Senate By-Election

Voters in Anambra South will head to the polls today Saturday, August 16, in a tense by-election to replace the late Senator Ifeanyi Ubah. Ubah, elected on the Young Progressives Party (YPP) platform in 2023 before defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC), left the seat vacant following his death earlier this year.

The race has narrowed into a five-man contest, with party machinery, personal networks, and local loyalties expected to shape the outcome.

Emmanuel Nwachukwu (APGA)

Flying the flag of the ruling party in Anambra State, Nwachukwu is widely seen as Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s candidate. Though lacking national name recognition, his campaign banks on APGA’s strong grassroots network, ward captains, and door-to-door mobilisation. His pitch is alignment — a senator who can match Abuja’s bargaining with Awka’s priorities.

Azuka Okwuosa (APC)

A veteran grassroots politician, Okwuosa enters with the APC’s backing and a slice of Ubah’s old network. His strategy blends national influence with local pragmatism, promising to attract federal attention to stalled projects and security concerns. His challenge is overcoming anti-APC sentiment in the South-East.

Chris Uba (PDP)

Uba, a political heavyweight with deep networks, projects himself as the experienced dealmaker who can deliver constituency projects. The PDP’s strength in the zone remains, but Uba must hold the party together and counter voter fatigue with old-guard politics.

Donald Amamgbo (ADC)

A businessman and philanthropist, Amamgbo casts himself as the outsider focused on community solutions. His outreach programmes in health, education, and small business have built goodwill, but ADC’s weak party structure is a major hurdle. Victory depends on converting goodwill into an organised ground game.

Prince Oforbuike (YPP)

A late entrant from Orumba South, Oforbuike carries YPP’s hopes of continuity after Ubah’s legacy. His message leans on loyalty and sympathy, but a late start and thin organisation leave him with an uphill task in a crowded field.

As election takes place today, observers expect a fiercely competitive outcome, where turnout, party discipline, and last-minute voter persuasion will likely prove decisive.