Many people were shocked following the result of the Nnewi North
Constituency of Anambra state in the just concluded State House of
Assembly election held on March 9, 2019, as the son of akara (bean cake)
vendor, Nonso Okafor, fondly called Smart who contested under the
platform of APGA, trounced Obinna Ngonadi, son of Chief Humphrey
Ngonadi, a multi-millionaire industrialist to emerge winner of the
election.
According to Daily Sun, thirty eight year-old Nonso defeated Obinna,
candidate of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) in the industrial
community; with a remarkable margin as he will now represent the four
quarters of Otolo, Uruagu, Umudim and Nnewichi that make up Nnewi North
Constituency in Anambra State House of Assembly.
Recall that the people of the area had on February 23, voted massively
for one of their own, oil and gas mogul, Dr. Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah on the
platform of YPP, to become senator of Anambra South.
Curiously, all the money and influence of other big shots in the area
who rallied round the Ngonadis, could not save them from the giant
killer called Nonso, who could barely fund his campaign.
Mother of the winner, Mrs Monica Okafor, a widow and an akara seller
since 1999 when she lost her husband and began to fend for herself and
their four children; two males and two females, said she was short of
words to express what God had done for the family.
Radiating with smiles in the course of this interview, she said her
heart was full of joy when she heard that her son won the election. Of
course, before Nonso went in for the contest she said she called him to
tell him that the battle would not be a child’s play. But he left her
with the assurance that he would win the election; just like the case of
David and Goliath in the Bible.
“I thank God who made this possible; that God who lifts up the poor from
a refuse dump, I thank Him. God knows all we have suffered in this life
and has decided to wipe our tears, I thank Him,” she said.
Mrs Okafor explained that her choice to go into akara business was
circumstantial in the sense that when her husband died in 1999, she
closed her own trading business at Nkwo Nnewi market and decided to do a
home-based one to enable her properly take care of the home front,
monitor when her children return from school and all that. And she has
no regret over her choice because “with my akara business; I was able to
take care of my children, feed them well, pay their school fees, clothe
them properly and they never lagged behind in anything.”
Although the last born of the family, Nonso’s mother said that he showed
very early in life that he would go places. According to her, his
character disposition as he was growing up gave her an indication that
he would be something else as he talked and reasoned like adults even as
a small boy.
“I saw in him rare qualities and he has a different character
disposition. Sometimes when he talks, I become shocked because he would
exhibit wisdom that could not come from many adults. When my
mother-in-law was still alive, I called her one day to tell her that
this boy might be Ogbanje (one of the gods in Igbo ancient his- tory
believed to have the capability to influence human actions).
But she said it was not true, and only told me that the boy is a special
creature who would in due course show what he is created for. And I did
not stop there. I consulted one Rev Father Odunukwe at Nnobi where I
went for prayers, he told me that I should not panic, that God brought
Nonso into the family to be a great man,” she narrated.
characterized by fear of God de- void of moral bankruptcy from their
childhood to their present age unlike some youths of these days who have
questionable rectitude. She said Nonso never engaged in any immoral or
irresponsible behaviour that could dent the family record and had been a
champion to anything that could bring succour to the youths; “I think
that is what has endeared him to many.”
Mrs Okafor said the significance of Nonso’s victory in the State
Assembly poll was to show that it is only God that crowns whoever He
chooses and that money is deemphasised when it comes to God’s
intervention.
