All is now set for today’s governorship primary election of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Anambra State. For obvious reasons, it is one exercise critical observers and bookmakers have been waiting for. APGA under the leadership of Governor Peter Obi whose tenure ends in March next year had held sway in Anambra State since 2006. But, barring any unforeseen circumstances, the new candidate that would fly the party’s flag in the November 16 governorship race would emerge in the next 24 hours.
And predictably, like in every power struggle, a lot of political undercurrents would play out as the party settles for a candidate of choice. Beyond other variables, the two major players whose interests would determine who emerges at the end of the game are Governor Peter Obi and the APGA National Chairman, Chief Victor Umeh. As the political battle incubates in the womb of time, many are patiently waiting to see how the interests of Obi and Umeh would either clash or coalesce in the journey toward the November 16 governorship poll.
Already, as major APGA stakeholders go for broke in today’s exercise, there are fears that the peace deal between Governor Obi and Umeh before the primaries may be heading for the rocks over the choice of candidate. For instance, it was gathered that Governor Obi may have literally ‘blessed’ a retired banker and former Executive Director of Fidelity Bank, Chief Willy Obiano to fly the party’s flag in the governorship race.
Obiano is from Anambra North, a zone which Obi is supporting to produce his successor.
There are permutations that Umeh is not comfortable with the choice of the retired banker who was said to have been drafted into the race just two weeks ago. The thinking in Umeh’s camp is that Obiano is not the kind of brand that can make APGA have a smooth ride in the coming election.
But Governor Obi’s supporters think otherwise and insist that Anambra state, indeed, does not need a conventional politician at this point in its history.
The calculation in the camp is that only a technocrat like Obi is needed to consolidate and sustain the culture of prudence established by the outgoing APGA governor.
It was also gathered that except a last minute change of heart by the two major actors in the ensuing power struggle over the choice of APGA candidate, another political battle is imminent between Obi and Umeh again immediately after the primaries.
The signs of the current fears among APGA members emerged shortly after the Appeal Court ruling reinstated Umeh and ruled that there should be a return to status quo. What the ruling meant was that all those elected with Umeh should return to their positions. Majority of the party officials had pitched tents with Umeh during the crisis and they returned with the determination to take their pound of flesh from Governor Obi.
It was also learnt that Umeh’s supporters saw their first chance when they drew up the guidelines for the council polls. It was gathered that they ensured that nobody from the transition committee at the councils was eligible to contest the October council election. This was a ploy to oust Obi’s supporters who had held sway and looked forward to the council elections as a chance to continue their tenure.
Having seen his supporters lose grip of the party ahead of the council election, Obi is said to be worried trying to ensure that his commissioners are selected as delegates for the governorship primaries.
Recall that out of the 13 APGA aspirants that initially declared interest in the race, only seven eventually scaled through with the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, (CBN), Prof Chukwuma Soludo becoming the major casualty of the party’s screening exercise.
The successful candidates include Hon Chukwuemeka Nwogbo, Paul Odenigbo, Hon Uche Ekwunife, Chief Willie Obiano, Mr John Nwosu, John Okechukwu Emeka and Nwachi Patrick Obianwu.
Those screened out were Chukwuemeka Soludo, Emmanuel Nweke, Ogbuefi Tony Nnacheta, Chinedu Idigo,Dr Chike Obidigbo and Mr Oseloka Obaze.
Barely 48 hours after the Anambra State governorship primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Awka, confusion continues to trail the exercise which produced two candidates.
While the Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Senator Andy Uba emerged the winner of the primary election conducted by the Ejike Oguebego-led faction, Tony Nwoye became the candidate of the parallel congress held by Prince Ken Emeakayi’s faction.
The PDP National Working Committee had given recognition to the Ken Emeakayi faction while INEC had insisted that only the Ejike Oguebego-led executive is known to the commission.
It was learnt that aggrieved by alleged injustice done to him by the party, one of the major stakeholders, Chief Chris Uba got INEC through his brother, Andy who is the Chairman, Senate Committee on INEC and gubernatorial aspirant, to recognize the chairman of his faction, Chief Ejike Oguebego instead of Emeakayi.
It was also learnt that INEC obliged him by putting out a statement to that effect adding that it would only monitor the congress being conducted by Oguebego and that any other one was considered illegal by the commission.
As the development was unfolding, all the 13 cleared aspirants except Senator Uba were working with Emeakayi and the NWC until Saturday when about four of them joined Uba at his own primary election held at Emmaus House, Awka.
While it was obvious that Senator Uba would carry the day at the Emmaus House primaries, the result of the one held at Ekwueme Square surprised many as the former state chairman of the party, Comrade Tony Nwoye emerged winner and beating Hon. Nicholas Ukachukwu who was tipped to win the ticket with a good margin. The emergence of Nwoye has been attributed to his antecedents in politics dating back to his time as the National President of National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS).
Though it was rumoured that he was being sponsored by an oil magnet, Prince Arthur Eze.
It was also gathered that his main sponsors are the party people as majority of them contributed money to ensure that he won.
For Senator Uba, though money was not his problem, he was said to have been drawing strength from President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife, Dame Patience who allegedly supported his candidature as a way to appreciate his role in making Jonathan emerge as Vice President to late Yar’Adua.
It was further alleged that between Tuesday and Thursday last week, some of the aspirants were taken to the Aso Rock Villa where they were appealed to by the First Lady to step down for Uba and support him, hence the cross over by some of them on Saturday.
Nwoye, Anenih, Obiogbolu and Walter Okeke were not at the Emmaus House primaries, while Ugochukwu Okeke participated in both exercises.
Reacting to the outcome of the primaries, former Health Minister, Professor ABC Nwosu described it as worrisome and a recipe for disaster.
That’s a recipe for disaster in an election.
PDP would again end up with litigations.
The party should explore its internal mechanism to settle it,” he said.
He said he declined from attending any of the congresses held at the weekend because of the confusion.
Also in his reaction, Chief Chyna Iwuanyanwu declared that the outcome was expected because of the factionalisation.
Prince Ken Emeakayi said that PDP remains a party and could not have held two governorship primaries in the state.
One of the aspirants that contested in the Primary election, Senator Emma Anosike said, “Having two candidates emerging for PDP is not a problem, it has been happening; if you follow the trend of PDP or other political parties, it happens like that but by the time they finish, the stakeholders of the party at top will now take their decision.
For one of the contestants, Dr. Alex Obiogbolu, he summarized it thus: “I am not aware that there was any parallel primary, you know we’ve been here since morning and the announcement that was made and the instructions from the National was that there should be state congress held at Dr. Alex Ekwueme Square.”
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Last updated: 26th August, 2013
Time: 03:12am
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