DEPUTY Governor of Anambra State, Chief Chinedu Emeka is one the latest entrants into the senatorial contest. When he was expected to oil his machinery in readiness for the April 19 governorship election as a running mate to Governor Chinwoke Mbadinuju he opted for the Senate.

Emeka says his decision to seek the seat of Anambra North Senatorial District on the platform of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) did not arise from a perceived disagreement with his boss, Mbadinuju. He added that he was in the best of terms with the governor, stressing that they mutually discussed and approved his ambition to go to the Senate.

The Deputy Governor added that recent developments within the state polity had made some members of the governor's camp to go into realignments leading to someone from Anambra Central Senatorial Zone to be Mbadinuju's running mate in the coming election.

While Emeka hails from Anambra North, Mbadinuju is from Anambra South and his running mate, Chief Osita Ezenwa, is from Anambra Central Senatorial District. Until his nomination a fortnight ago Ezenwa was the Secretary to the State Government.

Dwelling further on why he opted for the Senate, Emeka said, "he would not be contesting in the same party with Mbadinuju if they had problems."

He said that the legislative arm of government was his natural place having served previously as the minority leader of the Anambra State House of Assembly.

He said that he had won election into the House of Representatives during the late General Sani Abacha era, but had his ambition scuttled by late Head of State's death leading to the collapse of that transition.

Again, Emeka added that he was heading for the House of Representatives in 1998 before Mbadinuju nominated him as his running mate. He feels he would be the stabilising force between the federal executive and the senate in the next dispensation, as according to him, "I was chiefly responsible for dousing the tension at the State House of Assembly and the State Government during the early days of the Mbadinuju administration."

Asked why he left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the for AD, he said the PDP leadership had lost focus, claiming that he had won the senatorial primaries of the party in the zone but for reasons the party leadership could not explain, his victory was not upheld.

According to him, the AD had proved to be a responsible party with sound principles.

Air Vice Marshal Canice Umewaliri

A retired air officer, Umewaliri is contesting for the seat of Anambra South Senatorial Zone on the banner of the AD.

Born on December 12, 1943 at Amesi in Aguata local council of Anambra State, he was the Minister of Communications in the 11-month regime of General Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd).

Umewaliri joined the Air Force in 1963. He was Officer commanding, Technical Training Wing, Kaduna, (1979); and Staff Officer-in-Charge of Engineering Plans, Headquarters, Ministry of Defence, Lagos (1982-85). During his chequered military career, he rose to become Director, Air Engineering, Nigeria Air Force Headquarters, Ministry of Defence, Lagos (1989-95); Air Officer, Personnel, Nigeria Air Force Headquarters (1995-97) and Chief of Defence Communications (1997-98).

He says his mission is to bring credibility to the legislature and in the process help move the country out of the doldrums of political and socio-economic underdevelopment.

Dr. Edward Godsmark Ugwu

Ugwu was the Enugu North Senatorial candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) until Dr. Okwesieleze Nwodo, former governor of Enugu State, decamped to the party from the PDP. He won the January 4 senatorial primaries of the ANPP but Nwodo's entry and declaration of interest in the position dramatically changed the position of things and fresh primaries was fixed for January 31.

Citing undue pressure on him by the party hierarchy to transfer his "mandate" to Nwodo, Ugwu decamped to the United Nigeria Peoples Party (UNPP) where he once again picked a ticket for the same position.

To realise his ambition, Ugwu will test his political might against Nwodo and Fidelis Okoro of the PDP among others on Saturday.

Paschal Myeleri Bafyau

Bafyau, former president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) is one of those that have added colour to the senatorial race with his rich political background. He is seeking to represent Adamawa South Senatorial District in the Senate on the Platform of the AD.

Born on March 17, 1947, he is helping the AD to making the much-needed in-roads to the North. Fondly addressed as "comrade" by admirers, Bafyau started his trade union activism as chairman (school branch) Railway Permanent Way Workers Union in 1967 and rose through the rungs of the ladder to become NLC President in 1989. He vacated the position in 1994 to participate in 1994/95 National Constitutional Conference (NCC) as a delegate.

Before then, he was member, Political Bureau (1986-89); member Constituent Assembly (1988-89); Chairman, Nigeria Committee in Defence of Nicaragua; Chairman Nigeria-Korea friendship Association and member, National Institute.

Senator Jonathan Zwigina

To be at the Senate Bafyau has to shake off the political hold on the constituency of incumbent Senator Zwingina.

At present, Zwingina is the chairman of the Senate Committee on Information. A veteran politician of sort who was in the tick and thin of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the botched Third Republic, he has picked the PDP ticket for re-election to Senate to represent Adamawa South and he feels no opposition will stop his re-election bid.

Mrs. Ngozi Uche

Uche could perhaps pass as the latest entrant into the senatorial contest. She joined the fray last February following the assassination of her husband, Chief Ogbonnaya Uche who was the ANPP Senatorial flagbearer for Imo West, otherwise known as Orlu zone.

After her husband's murder, which is perceived to be politically motivated, the leadership of the ANPP decided to thrust the mantle to Ngozi, a decision she initially resisted but caved in following pressures. Her reason for turning down the offer at the beginning was that Uche's death was shocking and she was finding it difficult to reconcile herself to the loss. But the party had to meet the then March 10, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) deadline for submission of list of candidates and so the leaders intensified their pressure on her.

Already, her entry is generating a lot of sentiments in the Senatorial District, which Senator Arthur Nzeribe has been representing since 1979. It is to be seen if the sympathy votes her candidature would produce would be enough to dislodge Nzeribe and hordes of other candidates, seeking to represent the oil-bearing zone of Imo.

Okey Muo Aroh

Aroh's emergence as the Anambra Central Senatorial Candidate of the ANPP may continue to raise dust until the end of the polls on Saturday. In four months, he had belonged to three political parties and nursed ambition for two political posts.

Seeking to occupy Senator Mike Ajaegbo's seat at the senate, Aroh was the chairman of Idemili North local council between 1999 and May 2002 on the plank of the PDP. Thereafter, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) became his nest under which banner he sought to become the governor of Anambra State. While observers were waiting for his governorship campaign to gain ground, he changed his mind and decided to go for the senate.

Asked why he was changing his ambition and political party like the chameleon and its colour, Aroh his decision was to meet the needs and aspirations of his people as well as the changing political equation of Anambra.

"First of all, I wanted to be the governor of Anambra State because I feel I know the problems of the state and I want to be part of the solution. But they said 'in the Central Senatorial Zone, your friend and brother, Senator Mike Ajaegbo had declared that he is no longer going back to the senate, you were the chairman of his campaign organisation. You know that terrain very well. We feel that in this arrangement where the Vice President (Chuba Okadigbo) of ANPP has come from this state and he is from Anambra North and the governorship candidate of the party has come from Anambra South, that they need a politician of your stature to hold forth for them in Anambra Central and Okey Aroh will fit there,'" he said.

Aroh said his mission to the Senate is to champion a constitutional amendment to remove state and local council origins from Nigeria's political lexicon and the recognition of residency as the only criterion for determination of origin.

"My mission to the Senate will include provision effective and dynamic representation for Anambra Central Senatorial District and to serve as the fulcrum of political leadership geared towards synergizing the human and material resources available within the district for the general upliftment of the long suffering masses of Anambra Central," he added.

Mrs. Modupe Sasore

Sasore is one of the amazons in the race for the 109 seats in the Senate, the upper arm of the National Assembly. She is also one of the senatorial candidates with a rich political dossier and whose participation is enlivening the contest.

Born 54 years ago, Sasore cut her political teeth in 1979 under the defunct Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), participating prominently at the local council level. In the Third Republic, she belonged to the Social Democratic SDP.

A lawyer by training, Sasore has been a consistent member of the PDP. A combination of personality, consistency and loyalty led to her being appointed as Special Assistant to President Olusegun Obasanjo on Presidential Matters.

At present, she is contesting for the Lagos West Senatorial seat on the platform of the PDP and she says the time had come for the electorate to "disallow those impostors who parade themselves as candidates from getting any mandate" because "I am the authentic non-controversial candidate."

Sasore said her opponents stand no chance against her at the Saturday polls and cautioned the electorate to vote wisely during the election. She said she is gunning for the senatorial seat in order to ensure a higher living standard for the people.

She said she decided to run because until professionals participate in politics, the perception of the people that politics is a dirty game would not change.

Sasore retired four years ago from a fulfilling career of about 20 years that spanned from (Lever Brothers Nigeria (now Unilever) to West African Portland Cement Company Plc as a lawyer.

Danladi Bako

Danladi Bako, the Koguna Sakkwato is the PDP candidate Sokoto Central District.

Already enjoying the support of some women and youth groups in the zone, Bako a journalist is a former Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC).

Danladi, as he is fondly called by his colleagues, kept a low profile while heading the NBC a character and disposition that stood him in a class of his own.

Alhaji Ahmed Maccido

In what is expected to be a battle of wits in Sokoto, Bako is contesting the seat against the son of Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Ahmed Maccido who is seeking the position on the platform of the ANPP.

If the Sultan decides to choose between Bako and his son, he would have a tough task on his hands because Bako married from the Maccido family.

Speaking on his mission, Maccido said he wants to tackle poverty and make life more meaningful to his people.

On the challenge posed by Bako, a traditional title-holder in the Caliphate, he said issues bordering on political, economic and social development would decide the battle, which he hopes to emerge victorious at the end of the day.

Chief Ben Ndi Obi

Obi has been active in the arena of Nigerian politics for almost three decades. He was a founding member of Nigerian Advance Party (NAP) in the Second Republic as well as its National Publicity Secretary until the collapse of that republic in 1983.

During the General Ibrahim Babangida era, he was a member of the SDP. And under the Abacha transition programme, he was a founding member and later National Secretary of the Congress for National Consensus (CNC).

Obi says his creed is politics of service, not greed. We assured that the general welfare of the people of Anambra Central Senatorial Zone and the State, would be the constant and supreme motivator of all his actions in furtherance of the welfare of his people if elected.

He attended the famous Corona Preparatory/ Primary School, Apapa and Igbobi College, Yaba all in Lagos. He later went to SCS Business Technical Institute, New York, United States where he studied and obtained degrees in Public Relations and Administration. Thereafter, he got more professional certificates in his field of specialisation.

Obi was director, Societe Generale Bank Limited, Lagos and Special Adviser to the National Security Adviser to the President. He resigned the appointment to actualised his senatorial ambition.

His emergence as the PDP candidate for the Anambra Central Senatorial District did not come on a platter of gold. He had to contend with stiff opposition "foundation members" of the party who the ticket should be given to a decampee who did not contribute in building and nurturing the party. Obi decamped to the PDP recently from the ANPP. Series of intrigues, political manoeuvrings and court had characterised his candidature, until the national leadership of the PDP resolved it recently.

Hon. Gbemisola Saraki

At present a member of the House of Representatives, Gbemisola, daughter of acclaimed kingmaker and godfather of Kwara politics Dr. Olusola Saraki is eyeing the Kwara Central Senatorial seat on the platform of the PDP.

She said she hopes to carry out productive representation for the zone and reinforce her women and youth empowerment scheme.

Her words: "The first is to strengthen my present micro-credit scheme which has assisted the women folk a lot in my constituency and the second is the intensification of educational and training assistance to indigent students and others within the senatorial district."

Alhaji Abayomi Nuraini Mumuni

He started as a presidential aspirant on the plank of the UNPP with machinery put in place but ended up as a senatorial candidate on the platform of the ANPP. Mumuni is going for Lagos Central Senatorial District.

After claims of being ready to give President Olusegun Obasanjo a strong fight for the presidency, Mumuni said he dropped the bid because of intense pressure from his friends and political godfathers.

Vying for the senate, he contended was a call to duty in a more sensitive capacity. He asserts that he would impact more on the lives of his people at that level.

A former Special Adviser on Economic and Foreign Matters to Governor Jolly Tanko Nyame of Taraba State, Mumuni is the Are Jagunmolu of Lagos.

Ameh Ebute

Ebute was Senate President in the botched Third Republic on the card of the SDP. He defeating Dr Chuba Okadigbo to emerge as the leader of the National legislature which was later truncated.

Now, he says he is back having remained in the background for some time. Ebute is gunning for Benue South Senatorial on the ticket of the ANPP.

Dr. Perry Iloegbunam

Iloegbunam, National Secretary of the AD is also in the race. He is going for Enugu West Senatorial District.

Among the over 3000 senatorial candidates across the country, are Colonel S. Stephen (NDP) Adamawa South), Vincent O. Osulor (ANPP, Ebonyi Central), Igbiona Patricia (UNPP, Edo South), Hon Asuquo Nya Eyoma (ANPP, Cross River south) and Amoda Sarah (NDP) Delta South), Julie Coker (UNPP, Delta South), O.C.J Elizabeth (JP, Anambra South and Chief E.M.E Ugenyi (APGA, Abia South).

After claims of being ready to give President Olusegun Obasanjo a strong fight for the presidency, Mumuni said he dropped the bid because of intense pressure from his friends and political godfathers. Vying for the senate, he contended was a call to duty in a more sensitive capacity. He asserts that he would impact more on the lives of his people at that level.