In this interview with IKENNA OBIANERI, Miss Chioma Ifemeludike, a Nollywood actress and African Action Congress candidate for governor in the November 8, 2025, governorship poll, discusses her ascent to the AAC, her desire to lead Anambra, and other matters pertaining to state governance.
Why did you choose to enter the murky world of politics, and what were you doing before?
I’m Chioma Ifemeludike, and I’m from Eziowelle, which is in Anambra State’s Idemili North Local Government Area. I am a Nollywood actress and filmmaker who was born in Jos, Plateau State. First of all, politics is not murky water; rather, it was our leaders’ poor leadership that gave the impression that it was, and this is one of the things that people like myself are working to change. I’ll say that getting involved in politics was an impulsive choice. I should also mention that I am a political scientist.I attended Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, now Anambra State University, where I studied political science. Being in this political race is not a coincidence, even though it happened on its own because I did not plan some of the current events, particularly as a candidate for my party, the African Action Congress. However, during my ten years of activism as a human rights advocate, I have witnessed numerous leadership failures at both the state and national levels.And because my activism has shaped me into a leader, I have chosen to assume the role at this moment. In my opinion, this is not merely a coincidence; rather, it is destiny carrying out its plan.
How did you, as a young woman, become your political party’s candidate?
Our primary was free and fair, and I was chosen as our party’s candidate by the delegates and party members. Officials from INEC were present to oversee it. Our message is fair representation and decent leadership, and we are a very peaceful party. That is all there is to it. Our foundations are justice, equity, and fairness; leadership must be based on these principles to ensure that people’s rights, lives, and property are safeguarded, since we haven’t witnessed any life protection in Anambra in recent years.Since there hasn’t been enough effective leadership in Anambra, our political party is here to stand for all that effective leadership entails.
What are your specific plans for joining the governorship race?
There is no other plan, for the fact that I have been a human rights advocate means that I have that passion to step into leadership and stand up and speak for the people, the downtrodden and the oppressed people of our society, so, it is the same thing, the only difference is that when I was an activist, I was on the shouting side, but now, that I am a politician, I am in the active side, the action side and participating actively and finding myself on that round table where decisions will be made. So, this is the time to practice all the experience I have garnered and now put that passion into action and see how our people, Ndi Anambra, will have a better leadership and a better society.
What are your specific plans for joining the governorship race?
There is no other plan, for the fact that I have been a human rights advocate means that I have that passion to step into leadership and stand up and speak for the people, the downtrodden and the oppressed people of our society, so, it is the same thing, the only difference is that when I was an activist, I was on the shouting side, but now, that I am a politician, I am in the active side, the action side and participating actively and finding myself on that round table where decisions will be made. So, this is the time to practice all the experience I have garnered and now put that passion into action and see how our people, Ndi Anambra, will have a better leadership and a better society.
You are aspiring to rule Anambra as governor, what do you think is missing that you are coming to offer?
Leadership is missing in Anambra. Over the years, what we have had are people who play to the gallery, we have never had leadership. We have never had it in Anambra. We have never had people who want to come and do a proper paradigm shift. We have never had people who are passionate about the masses. People who care, people who love, people who want to see lives touched, people who want to see youths empowered. Anambra has never had leadership, we have only had businessmen in power, people who negotiate themselves to that very level and every other thing becomes business as usual. People who surround themselves with sycophants who are not ready to tell them the truth, they all just want to get what they want, stomach infrastructure. People who get appointment based on their alliance with those in authority and not what they can do to make governance better.
Since you are from Anambra Central and the majority of parties have zoned their tickets to Anambra South, claiming that it is their turn to produce the next governor, do you not believe this could hurt your chances at the polls?
Politicians use zoning as a narrative to mislead the public. The public should be more concerned with good leadership than with trivial matters like zoning. That ought to be behind us, and I assure you that the most crucial thing is that I am contributing excellent leadership.
About The Author
