Anambra 2021: APC’s peace of the graveyard

Ahead of the November 6 gubernatorial election in Anambra state, ‘Dare Odufowokan, Assistnat Editor, reports that the All Progressives Congress (APC) must hurriedly put its house in order if it truly wants to produce the next governor of the state.

 

Few days ago, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) named Senator Andy Uba, who won the controversial primary election of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) as the candidate of the party for the November gubernatorial election in the state. According to the commission, 18 political parties and candidates would participate in the November poll.

The decision was contained in a statement by the commission’s National Commissioner and Chairman (Information and Voter Education Committee), Festus Okoye, after its meeting held in Abuja. Explaining INEC’s decision, Okoye said the commission would continue to act in consonance with the constitution and the law and will continue to obey the judgments and orders of courts served on it.

But checks by The Nation revealed that in spite of INEC’s affirmation of Uba’s candidacy for the election, all is still not well within his party, the APC as controversies continue to trail his emergence as governorship flagbearer. Party sources claim that the leadership of the party within and outside the state are still finding ways of resolving the contentions arising from the exercise.

This is largely becasue14 of the aspirations who vied for the APC guber ticket in the state and some prominent leaders of the party in the state, kicked against the result announced by the Chairman of the primary election committee for the election that produced Senator Uba, Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, saying no election held.

The party insists it conducted guber primaries on 26 June at Golden Tulip Hotel in Awka, the state capital and Senator Uba defeated 13 other aspirants to clinch the ticket. Governor Abiodun, while announcing results, said Uba got 230,201 votes while his closest rival, Johnbosco Onunkwo, garnered 28,746 votes. He also listed Chidozie Nwankwo as scoring 21,281; George Moghalu, 18,596; Paul Orajiaka, 4, 348; Geoff Onyejeagbu 3,414, Azuka Okwuosa 17,189; Nwokafor Daniel 3,335, Ikeobasi Mokelu 3,727, Kwebuike Ifeanyi 1,466 and Godwin Okonkwo 5,907.

But Minister of Labour and Employment Senator Chris Ngige was quick to reject the election result. The former governor insisted that there was no election held on the said date recalling that he had earlier advised that the exercise be postponed when it became obvious that the committee saddled with the assignment would not be able to go on with the election as scheduled.

Majority of the governorship aspirants also rejected the ‘purported result reportedly released by the committee. Spokesperson for the aspirants Chief George Moghalu, said: “We reaffirm the fact that election did not take place in Anambra as planned. All of us have been on the road reaching out to our supporters to vote for us. Primaries are not conducted in the bedroom but in the field.

“They started distribution of materials after 3pm, and in some cases got to their designated places about 6pm. Someone is bold enough to announce a result on Facebook. It’s so sad and hurting because what they’re trying to do is to endanger our party in the state, and that we can’t accept.

Other aspirants who kicked against the conduct of the APC primary election were Johnbosco Onunkwo, Ben Etiaba, Amobi Nwaokafor, Chidozie Nwankwo, Geoffo Onyjegbu, Azuka Okwuosa, among others. The leadership of the party in the state also rejected the results. Publicity Secretary of APC in Anambra State, Okelo Madukaife, dissociated the party from the primary election.

“The figures do not owe to Anambra State APC primaries which did not hold and for which we looked forward to the Caretaker National Executive of our great party to choose a new date within INEC timetable. The leader of our great party in Anambra State and Minister of Labour & Employment, Sen (Dr.) Chris Nwabueze Ngige, proposed Tuesday, June 29, 2021, for the primaries to hold.

Meanwhile, Uba urge his opponents and other aggrieved persons to accept the outcome of the primary election as announced by Governor Abiodun. With his name on INEC’s list, he is appealing to his co-contesters to join hands with him, in order to deliver Anambra for APC. “I implore you to please join me as I recognise that I cannot go on this journey alone. The victory that bears my name is our collective victory.

“I reach out to all, to please join this crusade for eventual victory in November. There is strength in unity; we will walk away from all divisions that have stunted our development and prevented us from our collective dreams,” he said.

 

Danger lurks

And contrary to calm atmosphere within the party, danger still lurks on the road of the APC to the guber election as Moghalu, has dragged the party to the Federal High Court, Abuja, for alleged failure to conduct a valid primary election. In fact, he is praying the court for an order to remove Andy Uba and the APC from participating in the governorship election in Anambra State.

Read Also: Anambra 2021: Okonkwo resigns from PDP

 

Moghalu accused the APC of refusing to conclude the selection and nomination process for its candidates for the governorship election. In his affidavit, he deposed that the party had decided to adopt direct primary which was why they published a list of venues that was meant for the exercise. He also stated that the party received the sum of N22.5m from him for indication of interest and nomination in order to allow him participate in the primary election.

According to him, he was only informed a day before the primaries that the election committee was to address all aspirants and stakeholders in Awka. “The committee announced election results it did not conduct, and which fakery was credited to the third defendant as the winner of the primary election scheduled for emergence as APC’s candidate in the November 6 governorship election in Anambra State,” he stated.

He also asserted that the APC did not invite the Independent National Electoral Commission to monitor the process. Observers say Moghalu’s action could spell doom for the APC in the race to Anambra Government House. “Should the Judge grant any of these prayers few days to the closure of nomination, APC may just be out of the race. The allegations are weighty, coming from a participant,” an observer said.

Similarly, the Young Progressives Party (YPP) has asked a Federal High Court in Awka to nullify the primary elections conducted by the APC and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). It asked the Court to interpret Section 285 (14)(c) of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), Section 87(1) of the Electoral Act (2010) as amended, and the regulations and guidelines for the conduct of party primaries as provided by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the conduct of the 2021 Anambra State gubernatorial election in view of the primary elections conducted by PDP and the APC last month.

The YPP, which has produced Senator Ifeanyi Ubah as its own candidate, in the litigation document made available to journalists in Abuja, stated that in view of Rule 4.5.1 and 4.5.2 of the guidelines for the conduct of political parties primaries 2018, the court should determine if the PDP’s primary is valid following the party’s failure to submit its delegates list seven days before the date of the primaries.

According to Barrister Kenneth Udeze, national Chairman of Action Alliance (AA), “the intra party crises and legal bottlenecks associated with party primary elections ahead of the November governorship election in Anambra State, including that of APC, PDP and the ruling APGA, have placed them on the verge of losing power.” He predicts the possibility of a smaller party snatching the governorship seat come November.

 

Peace moves

But party sources claim efforts are on to unite the party behind Uba. “The aggrieved party leaders and aspirants are being appealed to. We are very optimistic that the party will go into the election united. I can tell you for free that our leaders are talking. That is why nobody is making inflammatory statement. What you call peace of the graveyard is actually a sort of cease fire imposed to allow for discussion among stakeholders,” a party leader said.

The Nation also gathered that as part of the peace move, Uba has been told to hands off the selection of his running mate. “The party leaders and other stakeholders will now decide who the deputy governorship candidate would be. This is part of the peace deal being worked out. In order to ensure that everybody is placated in one way or the other, many things are now on the table being discussed,’ our source added.

Also, last week, the national leadership of the APC appointed Babajide Sanwo-Olu and AbdulRazaq AbdulRahman, governors of Lagos and Kwara states respectively, to head its reconciliation efforts on the Anambra governorship primary election. John Akpanudoedehe, national secretary APC caretaker and extraordinary convention planning committee (CECPC), announced this.

“The CECPC has appointed the Governors to unify and strengthen the party in the state ahead of the elections. The two party leaders are charged with the responsibility of bringing together all the erstwhile aspirants and their supporters to join the campaign organisation of the party and achieve victory for it in the state,” he said. He added that the party is looking forward to a unified front and a shared commitment before, during and after the election.

Sir Basil Ejidike, the chairman of the party in the state, The Nation gathered, is currently at the forefront of garnering support for Uba. Ejidike, it is believed would rather want the party to put behind it, the controversy over the primary election and concentrate on winning the November poll. He is one of those urging the aggrieved party members to accept Uba and work for him.

The Nation also gathered that efforts are on to get Moghalu and other party members currently in court to withdraw the cases in the interest of the party. “Moghalu and Comrade Maxwell Okoye, another chieftain of our party, are in court to challenge Uba’s candidacy. But I can tell you once there is an agreement, all the cases will be withdrawn,” a source said.