Nweke: De Nigga with Midas touch

By Mascot Okoye

When Jeff Nweke, the Governorship candidate of the Action Alliance (AA), boldly introduced himself as “De Nigga” at the outset of the Anambra governorship campaigns in June, it was clear to many that he had come to shake up the race and spring surprises.

In Anambra State, we have heard countless promises. We have seen campaigns descend into contests of insults and governance reduced to a parade of egos.

This season, however, a different voice has emerged — one that refuses to be distracted by personal attacks, and instead focuses squarely on the real issues confronting Ndi Anambra. That voice belongs to Ozo Jephat Ezechukwu Nweke, the frontline governorship candidate of the Action Alliance (AA).

Jeff Nweke’s message is simple yet profound: enough of the politics of vanity, ego, and exclusion. His appeal is not to political godfathers or closed circles, but directly to the people — from the bustling markets of Onitsha to the farmlands of Ayamelum and Orumba, from the tech hubs of Awka to the riverine communities of Ogbaru.

For decades, we have had leaders who treated governance as a personal trophy rather than a sacred responsibility. The result? A state where opportunities are uneven, infrastructure is inconsistent, and citizens feel alienated from decisions that shape their daily lives.

Nweke insists this must change. His vision is of an inclusive government where every Anambra citizen — rich or poor, educated or not — has a seat at the table. He understands a truth too many politicians ignore: when the people are excluded from governance, leaders become strangers in their own land. Strangers make policies that do not meet real needs, build projects that solve no real problems, and drain hope instead of inspiring it.

Jeff Nweke vows to end that cycle. His government will be built on populist inclusion — where the voices of the people are not just heard, but acted upon.

Importantly, Jeff Nweke is not a novice learning the ropes. He is a longtime philanthropist who has empowered countless less privileged people, particularly in his Awka domain. 

Over the years, women and youth have benefited from his business empowerment schemes and scholarship programmes, with many now in gainful employment because of him.

As a security expert, he has invested both cash and resources to make Awka and its environs safe for socio-economic activity — earning respect across political divides. 

Now that Anambra urgently needs protection for its people, who better than an experienced “old sheriff” who knows the terrain?

In public life, Jeff Nweke’s Mayor-of-Casterbridge style of dressing stands out — a sartorial signature as distinctive as the vision he carries for Anambra.

Nweke is not serving recycled rhetoric. He is not repackaging old political games in new slogans. He is presenting himself as the candidate of the common man — one who knows the struggles of the street hawker, the frustration of the unemployed graduate, the determination of the market woman, and the ambition of the young entrepreneur.

In his own words: “This is our time for real change… the time for a complete turnaround. I am not a politician with empty promises. I always call a spade a spade. When we move, we go straight to action.”

On November 8, Ndi Anambra will face a defining choice: continue with the politics that leaves ordinary people behind, or embrace a leader who insists that the state belongs equally to the big and the small, the strong and the weak, the privileged and the marginalized.

Jeff Nweke’s campaign is not about trading insults with opponents. It is about confronting poverty, unemployment, insecurity, and bad governance with courage, competence, and a clear plan. It is about restoring trust between the government and the governed.

The road to a better Anambra will not be paved with ego or empty words. It will be built with unity, inclusion, and decisive action. 

Jeff Nweke is asking Ndi Anambra to rise above old divisions and embrace the bigger picture: a state that works for everyone.

On November 8, the power will be in our hands. Let us use it to open a new chapter. Let us vote for the candidate who represents us all. Let us vote for change. Let us vote for action. Let us vote for Anambra.

Jeff Nweke’s philosophy is the sure path to a paradigm shift.