APC, PDP, APGA set for Anambra governorship

After the conduct of their primaries, the three major parties contesting the November 6 governorship election in Anambra State are now set to solicit for votes from the people. Southeast Bureau Chief NWANOSIKE ONU gives an overview of what transpired during the primaries and how it may shape the main election

 

Four months away from now, the three major political parties in Anambra State will go to the polls to elect a new governor. The current administration led by Governor Willie Obiano of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) will come to an end on March 17, 2022.

As a result, the political parties are putting finishing touches to their preparations. The major parties are the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC). The fourth is the Young Progressive Party (YPP), which has elected Senator Ifeanyi Ubah as its candidate for the November 6 governorship election.

The leading parties held their primaries in different locations last week. First, the APGA held its primary last Wednesday and this led to the election of the former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Prof Charles Chukwuma Soludo. The battle to produce the candidate was another tedious journey for the party as two of the leading contenders were disqualified.

The disqualification was to pave the way for the renowned economist who was seen as the anointed candidate of Governor Obiano. The disqualified aspirants were Chukwuma Umeoji, who represents Aguata Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives and Nonso Smart Okafor, who represents Nnewi North State Constituency at the Anambra State House of Assembly.

They almost became a pain in the neck of Obiano and his foot soldiers, by almost denting the chances of Soludo in the race.

Four lightweights were cleared to contest against Soludo. They are Damian Okolo, Okwudili Ezenwankwo, who represents Orumba North and South Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives, Akachukwu Nwankpo, a former aide to former President Goodluck Jonathan and ThankGod Ibe.

At the end of the day, Governor Obiano had his way, as Soludo picked the ticket at the Prof Dora Akunyili Women’s Development Centre in Awka, the state capital. He scored 740 votes out of 792, as announced by the Returning Officer, Samson Olalere, while his closest rival Ezenwankwo scored 41 votes.

Soludo has become a global brand and any party that wants to defeat him in such a contest will have to do something extraordinary.

Besides, he has the blessings of Obiano who won all the 21 local government areas in the last governorship election almost four years ago. Though APGA seems not to be in good terms with some of its members, but the party is expected to close ranks during the election.

The party brands itself in Anambra as “a movement and not a political party”. Now that Obiano’s wish has been granted by his party, he has more work to do ahead of the November election.

The APGA candidate is good and sound, but some party members say he needs re-branding to be able to win the election.

There are major battles ahead for the party because the opposition parties are not smiling and are going to go all out to defeat the ruling party.

 

APC’s headache:

The APC is one of the three influential parties not only in the state but across the country. But, since its formation in 2013, it has not won any major election in Anambra State. But, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), one of the legacy parties that metamorphosed the APC, won six state assembly seats and Anambra South senatorial seat prior to the emergence of the APC.

Last weekend, the APC conducted its primary to elect its standard-bearer for the November 6 governorship election.

Read Also: Anambra 2021: Uba picks APC ticket

 

The party’s National Working Committee (NWC) sent a powerful electoral committee to conduct the primary. The committee was led by Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun.

The party chose the direct form of primary, using “Option A4” in all the 326 wards to get it right for the party.

Governor Abiodun, on arrival, assured the 14 aspirants of free, fair and credible primary that could produce the best candidate for the party.

However, the emergence of Senator Andy Uba as the winner of the contest was greeted with protests by stakeholders. They claim that no primary election was held anywhere in the state as planned, adding that the figures were only written to give the impression that there was a contest.

The protest was led by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige and Dr George Moghalu, the Managing Director of the Nigeria Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), one of the aspirants for the governorship ticket.

Ngige called on the committee led by Governor Abiodun to shift the primary to give the party ample time to resolve some internal issues in the party.

However, Senator Uba, according to Governor Abiodun, while announcing the outcome of the poll at Golden Tulip Hotel, Agulu Lake, early on Sunday scored 230,201 votes to emerge winner.

He was followed in second place by Johnbosco Onunkwo, who polled a total of 28,746 votes, while the total votes cast was 348, 490. The election committee said it adopted the open ballot mode also known as “Option A4” to conduct the primary.

Ngige said: “As I write you now, 4.25 pm, Saturday, June 26,  I am in my home town, Alor, with two electoral wards and there is no sign of any governorship primary in town. My inquiries and investigation show that the story is the same all around the 326 wards of the 21 local government areas.

“As a result, most party members have left for home, having waited since 8 am. I discussed with your member, Senator Ken Nnamani and I will advise you to call the panel members to shift the exercise to Tuesday, June 29 to also enable you tidy up some issues raised by aspirants.”

Ten other governorship aspirants were in sync with Ngige, including Chief Azuka Okwuosa, Comrade Maxwell Okoye, an aide to President Muhammadu Buhari and others.

The APC has many rivers to cross, as far as the November 6 governorship election in Anambra is concerned, if it hopes to do well in the contest.

Uba will be swimming alone, with his foot soldiers, if nothing is done to right the wrongs before the main election. Besides, most people are disenchanted with the Uba family and they will likely vote against him on election day, as they see it as a payback time.

The only option left for the APC is going through the election with the full backing of the powers that be. Before now, both Ngige and Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma had boasted that they would go into the November election with ‘seen and unseen’ forces.

That statement drew the ire of the other parties who have challenged them to follow the law of the land, top avoid trouble. The disdain for the APC by the ordinary person on the streets continues to grow each passing day and it is not advisable to do anything that will aggravate the situation.

 

PDP stoking controversy:

The APC is not the only party having some issues; the PDP has produced two candidates in parallel primaries at the weekend. They are Valentine Ozigbo, a former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Transcorp Plc and Senator Ugochukwu Uba. Both candidates emerged from the two venues where the party held parallel primaries last weekend.

The emergence of the two candidates has further heightened tension in the party. The names of all the aspirants appeared in the two different venues where they got different figures. Before the primaries, three persons had already withdrawn, citing unresolved differences in the party. They are Dr Tony Nwoye, Emeka Etiaba (SAN) and Genevieve Ekwochi, one-time Commissioner for Women’s Affairs.

Ozigbo secured 62 votes to beat Dr Obiora Okonkwo who came second with 58 votes. One of the female contestants, Senator Uche Ekwunife came third, with 44 votes, while Chidi Onyemelukwe, daughter of former Vice President Alex Ekwueme, had only one vote.

The one held at Prof Dora Akunyili Women’s Development Centre was conducted by the Chairman of the Anambra PDP Governorship Election, Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom.

But, Senator Ugochukwu Uba who polled 275 votes defeated Godwin Ezeemo, who scored 114 votes, at the primary held at Paul University, in the capital. The result of that faction was announced by the electoral panel chairman, Chief Obidi Ebede.

Four governorship aspirants took part in the factional primary; namely, Godwin Ezeemo, Chief Ubaka Okeke, Chief Jonny Maduaforkwa and Senator Ugochukwu Uba. They presented a letter from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), dated June 22, 2021 and signed  by the Secretary to the Commission, Rose Oriaran Anthony.

While congratulating Uba, one of the contestants, Ezeemo said he was satisfied with the outcome of the primary. He commended the peaceful process of the election, the comportment of party members while hailing Chief Chris Uba for his doggedness.

In his reaction, former Governor Peter Obi congratulated Ozigbo who emerged victorious, saying the election had come to an end. He also commended the other contestants that participated in the election for their hard work and sacrifices.

Obi, therefore, called on them not to see the conclusion of the primary “as the end of the beginning, but rather the beginning of the end”. He said: “I thank the national chairman who, together with his leadership, has remained neutral. I congratulate the PDP family in Anambra State who has given the state the most peaceful and organised process of choosing a candidate.”

The governorship candidate of the party in the last election, Oseloka Obaze said the real work has started for the party towards reclaiming the state.

It has always been the norm for the PDP in every election year to produce two or three candidates in Anambra State. But, who is really the party’s candidate? The Uba faction claims it has a court judgment that recognizes it as the authentic executive by INEC.

The Ozigbo group relies solely on the decision of the NWC, which raised the electoral panel that conducted its primary. It is the controversy in the PDP that has made some of the notable figures and major stakeholders in the party not to partake in the primary.

Some of them are Senator Joy Emodi, who buried her mother a few weeks ago, Senator Ben Obi, Prof Alphonsus B. C. Nwosu, a former minister among others. Also absent was the party chairman, who had been piloting the affairs of the party before the court judgement, Sir Ndubuisi Nwobu.

Who will save PDP from the current mess in Anambra State before the election in November?

Would this pave the way for the APC or APGA to win the November 6 election?  Only time will tell.