Capacity Over Sentiment – Why Idemili Is Looking Beyond the Politics of 2023

By Arthur Maduka

The political mood across Nigeria has been evolving since the 2023 general elections. One pattern that has become increasingly clear is the experience with a number of lawmakers who rode into office largely on the popularity of Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party at the time.

In many constituencies across the country, relatively unknown candidates with little public record emerged victorious because the electoral environment was heavily shaped by the enthusiasm surrounding Obi’s candidacy. The phenomenon was powerful, particularly in the South East. Voters were energized by the moment and many candidates benefited from a wave that went far beyond their individual profiles.

Nearly four years later, the political landscape is more reflective. In several places, those lawmakers have struggled to build strong legislative records or maintain visible engagement with their constituencies. Some have already moved to other parties, including the All Progressives Congress, hoping the advantage of incumbency might secure their future. Others from the South East appear to be aligning politically with Obi’s new platform, the African Democratic Congress, perhaps hoping that the electoral momentum of 2023 might return.

But conversations across Idemili North and South suggest that the electorate is now approaching the next election cycle with a different mindset.

The lesson many people say they have learned from 2023 is simple: popularity waves can win elections, but they do not guarantee performance. As a result, voters appear more interested in the individual capacity of those seeking public office. Track record, competence, and measurable impact are becoming the central benchmarks.

In my own discussions with residents across Idemili communities, one theme keeps recurring. People are no longer interested in reinforcing failure. If someone has held office for nearly four years and cannot point to clear legislative or developmental achievements, the argument goes, then the electorate has every right to reconsider its choices.

For many voters in the constituency, the 2027 election for Idemili North and South Federal Constituency will therefore be about personal merit rather than political momentum.

This shift in thinking partly explains the growing attention around Eric Nnamdi Anyamene. Although he has not formally declared his intention to contest, his name increasingly appears in conversations about the future of representation in the constituency.

The reason is not difficult to understand. Over the past few years, residents have witnessed the activities of the Eric Nnamdi Anyamene Foundation, through which he has funded a number of interventions that directly affect people in the constituency. These programmes have been carried out without the authority of public office, relying largely on personal resources and networks.

For many residents, that alone raises an important question: if a private citizen can undertake such initiatives without access to government structures, what might be possible if such capacity were combined with the platform of public office?

There is also a perception among some voters that effective representation requires more than occupying a seat in Abuja. It requires influence, professional exposure, and the ability to navigate the institutional networks where national decisions are shaped. In that regard, supporters argue that Anyamene’s experience and connections could prove valuable for a constituency that wants stronger representation.

The emerging conversation in Idemili is therefore less about political sentiment and more about comparative capacity. Voters appear determined to evaluate aspirants based on what they have done, what they understand, and what they can realistically deliver.

It would be premature to predict the outcome of the 2027 race. Elections remain complex and political alliances evolve quickly. Yet one observation seems increasingly clear: the electorate in Idemili North and South is signaling that the next representative will likely be chosen on the strength of credibility and demonstrated ability.

If that remains the standard, then the coming contest may well be one of the most consequential political moments the constituency has experienced since the return of Nigeria’s Fourth Republic.

And this time, as many residents now insist, capacity—not sentiment—may ultimately decide the outcome.