POLITICS A DIRTY GAME? – Judge for yourself. Anambra 2013: The Undercurrents As Parties Raise Flag Bearers ACTION continues in the tension soaked build up to the 2013 Anambra governorship election. Labour Party (LP) brought about a relieving feature in the troublesome regime of governorship primaries, as it chose oil magnate, Mr. Ifeanyi Patrick Ubah through popular acclamation. The choice of the other Uba, Senator Andy, by a faction of the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP) is still generating heat in the party. And with two disparate judgments obtained from two different Federal High Courts in Port Harcourt, the PDP has shown dominance of the centre stage of discourse. For the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), it is time for fence mending as Governor Peter Obi ships his loyalists to Johannesburg, South Africa, for an executive retreat seen as part of the bounties to assuage frayed nerves. As things stand, three out of the four front row political parties for the governorship, namely APGA, PDP, LP and the All Progressives Congress (APC), have nominated their flag bearers in readiness for a month-long electioneering campaigns leading to the November 16, 2013 poll. As has become public knowledge, the choice of the candidates did not come off quite easy. Even in the LP, where the candidate emerged without contest, the party was not immune from the intrigues and underground plots that characterise governorship primaries in the state. In each party there were political tin gods that tended to pull the strings. The puppetry in PDP has become, in the words of the party’s former Chairman of Board of Trustees, “a joke taken too far”! As obtains after a major war, the little secrets of what transpired beyond the frontline and who did what have begun to trend. Did a rival party chieftain receive N500 million from a presumed PDP governorship hopeful to disqualify a powerful aspirant? And like the tortoise in folk tales, the presidency features in most of the stories of conquest or defeat making the rounds in Awka, the Anambra State capital about the forthcoming governorship election. THE CANDIDATES: APGA: Mr. Willie Maduabuchi Obiano THE governorship primary of APGA showed the determination of Governor Peter Obi to enthrone a successor anointed by him. Despite the fact that Willie Obiano entered the race barely a week to the primary election the governor’s alleged N25, 000 gifts to the delegates ensured that the former Director of Fidelity Bank PLC trounced tested and visible politicians such as, Emeka Nwogbo and Iyom Uche Ekwunife, who ran for governorship in 2010. Sources disclosed however, that Nwogbo’s decision to align with Obi’s candidate saved the day to stop the rampaging and political quick silver, Ekwunife, who many tipped to clinch the ticket. Preying on the widespread disenchantment among party stalwarts over unfair disqualification of certain aspirants, Ekwunife was set to emerge as a surprise candidate from the expected protest votes of most delegates before government machinery moved in and sealing an understanding with the House Representatives member, Nwogbo. Said a delegate after the primary: “Peter Obi never liked that woman and we were set to elect her until they sent down the ‘rain’. A lot us did not find the disqualification of strong aspirants funny. It was as if they did not want APGA to win the governorship, so we saw Iyom as a better alternative.” But shortly after Obiano was announced winner, it was an exultant Governor Obi that boasted that APGA would win the governorship. Emboldened by the favourable outcome for his anointed candidate, Obi declared: “I was the first person to pursue his electoral mandate in the courts for three years and eventually got it. I was also the first governor to be impeached and the impeachment reversed by court. I was the first Anambra governor, both in old and new Anambra, to complete two terms and, by the grace of God, I will be the first Anambra governor to hand over to his party’s candidate after completing two terms.” The Governor explained the criticality of the forthcoming governorship poll for APGA and pleaded with party faithful to work towards ensuring that the candidate wins the election. He hinted the need for unity, stressing that everybody should work together as a team, including those who aspired to be governor, but could not make it.” Also speaking in praise of the candidate the former chairman of APGA Board of Trustees, Dr. Tim Menakaya, said Obiano was a product of the party’s resolve to field a fresh face with impeccable track record. Menakaya warned against speculation and rumors, stressing that contrary to speculations “nobody was forced to step down” for Obiano. “Those who did that acted on their own and in the interest of the party. At the end we are happy that we are presenting a good candidate. What is left is for Obiano to go out there and win the election for the party,” he added. National state chairman of APGA, Egwuoyibo Okoye, told reporters that though it seems that those loyal to Obi have conceded a lot to the reconciliation in the party, the overall aim was to ensure that the party wins the governorship. He said APGA deserves kudos for fomenting peace since according to him, “we have not fielded two candidates as the PDP.” But while stalwarts were rejoicing over the outcome of the primary, one of the disqualified governorship aspirants, Dr. Chike Obidigbo, said it is evident that Obi deceived the people of Anambra North Senatorial zone. In a statement Obidigbo said the emergence of Obiano proved that “the governor’s pledge of neutrality in the search for a credible candidate from the zone to succeed him was deceitful.” He regretted that all along Obi had a successor in mind, but chose to drag leaders of Anambra North on a wild goose chase in search of a consensus candidate. It is perhaps on account of such reservations that the Governor set in motion a programme of appeasement. First, he restored the SSG, Oseloka Obaze, who resigned his appointment to contest the governorship and the one-week trip to South Africa for his cabinet, all in a bid to regain their confidence. It was also gathered that the local council poll would see Obi dishing out more freebies and junkets to ensure that his men took over the councils to work for the triumph of the APGA candidate on November 16. PDP: Senator Andy Uba/ Mr. Tony Nwoye IT all started as a child’s play, but the emergence of two candidates on the platform of PDP has gradually snowballed into a major crisis. The embarrassment of two factions of the party, headed by Prince Ken Emeakayi and Mr. Ejike Oguebego, respectively, have forced the National Working Committee of the party to wield the big stick. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared its intention to recognise and monitor the governorship primary conducted by the Oguebego faction, while the PDP NWC sent Katsina State Governor, Ibrahim Shema, to monitor the election conducted by the Emeakayi faction. The misleading positions by both INEC and PDP made some aspirants like chief Ugochukwu Okeke and Senator Emma Anosike to quit the Emeakayi camp to join the Oguebego-organised primary at Emmaus House, Awka. Nobody explained why the name of Tony Nwoye appeared in the Oguebego primary, but when results were collated, Nwoye was recorded as having polled one vote. The primary at Emmaus House ended even before the Emeakayi group rounded off voting. In the end, Senator Andy Uba and Tony Nwoye, were thrown up by the factions. That Nwoye beat Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu, who is a veteran governorship candidate by 498 to 357 votes, was intriguing. Even at that, Senator Uba, who beat his closest rival, Senator Emma Anosike by 645 to 110 votes told journalists that he expected other aspirants from the Emeakayi faction to join him in lifting the PDP in the state, saying that was the only they can work for victory at the November 16 governorship poll. He recalled how all the aspirants agreed in a meeting with the NWC prior to the primaries, saying they pledged to work with whoever won. On his part, Nwoye said there were no parallel primaries, pointing out that the Supreme Court in one of its judgments said you talk of parallel when two things are equal. “You can’t describe a fraudulent exercise as primaries; the Supreme Court has said that if a state conducted its primaries, it amounts to a fraud. It affirmed that only the national working committee has the power to conduct primaries,” he declared. Nwoye disclosed that the caliber of party stalwarts that witnessed the primary confers authenticity to his selection His words: “We had Governor Shema, Senator Ndoma Egba among others, who were in attendance. All these men of proven integrity gathered together at the police headquarters and x-rayed the whole situation before going to the field. How can someone now claim to have emerged as candidate through a fraudulent process? Who were the delegates that elected him?” Sources revealed that two powerful financiers who backed Nwoye for his victory, Prince Arthur Eze and Mike Nwakalor, had earlier reached out to the presidency on the need to pick a governorship candidate from Anambra north senatorial zone if victory at the polls is of essence. It is with this massive financial support that Nwoye stands for the fight against his former benefactor, Uba. Sources also disclosed that ‘technical’ support from Chuma Nzeribe, a close ally of Prince Emeakayi, suggested the input of Governor Peter Obi, in the emergence of Nwoye. Not deterred by the emerging gang up, the Senator approached a Port Harcourt High Court and obtained an order restraining INEC and PDP from submitting the name of Nwoye as the governorship candidate of the PDP. In a swift reaction, the Emeakayi group also approached another Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, which ordered PDP to abide by results of the ward and state congresses supervised by the national secretariat of the party in the selection of its governorship candidate. The ward and state congresses in reference was the one that produced Mr. Tony Nwoye. PDP NWC has reacted to the development by suspending Senator Andy and his younger brother, Chris Uba, from the party. Oguebego, a former chairman of the same faction, Mr. Benjamin Udeozor and Mrs. Anthonia Nwankwu, the Southeast zonal woman leader of the party, were also suspended. In a letter signed by the Acting National Secretary, Dr. Charles Aderemi Akintoye, the party based the suspensions on the failure of the five stalwarts to appear before the NWC as directed over the allegation that they conducted parallel congresses of the party against party regulations. Dated August 29, 2013, the letter read: “The National Working Committee, NWC at its 353rd meeting held on Wednesday, August 28, 2013 reviewed the happenings in Anambra PDP regarding the Anambra Primary Election. It was noted that you organised a parallel state congress, which was unauthorised by the party contrary to section 58 (1) a, b, c, f, h and j of the PDP constitution (2012 as amended). As a result of this, you were invited to meet with the NWC on Wednesday, August 28, 2013 for fair hearing, but you did not appear. In view of the seriousness of the issues involved, you are hereby suspended from the party and the case referred to the appropriate Disciplinary Committee for further necessary action.” LP: Mr. Ifeanyi Patrick Ubah WITH a unanimous show of approbation, the Labour Party, (LP) Anambra State chapter nominated Dr. Ifeanyi Patrick Ubah, as its gubernatorial candidate for the November 16, 2013 governorship poll. In his remarks before the nomination, national chairman of the party, Comrade Dan Nwanyanwu, revealed that though three aspirants purchased the intent and nomination forms for the governorship post, at the expiration of deadline for the submission of the forms, only one person, Dr. Ubah, returned his forms. Nwanyanwu however noted that despite the fact of a sole aspirant standing, the party would observe due process by ensuring that the 1137 delegates cast their yes or no votes, stressing that voting shall be done in line with Article 24 of the LP constitution as may be decided by the presiding officer.
Posted on: Thu, 12 Sep 2013 03:20:01 +0000