FOR Sale! Anambra 2014: Governorship for sale but to the highest bidder The conduct of the PDP in the run up to the Anambra gubernatorial election shows that the party’s ticket may be for sale to the highest bidder. PENULTIMATE week, the ruling People’s Democratic Party, PDP, rolled out its guidelines for the Anambra State primary election in preparation for the state gubernatorial poll fixed for November 16. The party also threw open its Wadata Plaza, National Secretariat for interested aspirants to pick Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms ahead of the August 24 primary election wherethe party’s flag-bearer would emerge to wrestle with Senator Chris Ngige of the Action Congressof Nigeria, CAN, now All Progressive Congress, APC, and the candidates of All Progressive Grand Alliance and other parties in the gubernatorial election. Wadaza Plaza thus became a beehive of activities, heightening the political atmosphere, and, as against the solemn nature of the Secretariat, praise singers were on ground to hail aspirants who came with their supporters in different kinds of cars. It was also time to raise money for the party, a period some PDP officials described as ‘Ojanta’, meaning, ‘’Market is booming.” For the Anambra election, the PDP set aside its 2010 guidelines for primary elections which stipulate that an aspirant shall obtain the Expression of Interest Form-Code PD002/G for N500, 000, and the Nomination Form- Code PD003/G, for N5,000,000; save for female aspirants who shall be exempted. Soludo, Ogene, Odenigbo, Uzoh, Mrs. Ekwunife , Okonkwo, Ndubuisi and Ifeanyi Uba Each male aspirant from Anambra State rushed to the Secretariat, collected the Expression of Interest Form for N1million, not N500, 000 as well as the Nomination Form for N10 million, not N5 million, making it a total of N11 million, while each female aspirant picked the Expression of Interest Form for N1 million and N5, 000, 000 for the Nomination Form, totally N6million as against the former arrangement of N500, 000 for Expression of Interest Form and free Nomination Form for women. There is now a new dispensation in the party where women no longer enjoy the privilege, just as the PDP is also using the Anambra election as a case study for the increase in Nomination fee. During the period of collection of forms ahead of the Anambra primary election, twenty- six aspirants picked the Expression ofInterest Forms to vie for the PDP gubernatorial ticket, but, at the close of submission of both the Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms on Monday midnight, only17 aspirants returned the forms and thus met the 12 midnight deadline. The implication is that nine aspirants have backed out of the race. In terms of Naira and Kobo, the PDP raked N12 million from the two female aspirants in the race and N165 million from the 15 male aspirants who submitted theforms at N11 million each. On Tuesday, the 17 ‘successful’ aspirants appeared before the Ambassador Aminu Wali- led Screening Committee at the National Working Committee, NWC,meeting hall of the PDP National Secretariat. Other members of the Screening Committee are former Deputy Governor of Ekiti State, Mrs BiodunOlujimi; Mohammed Umaru Kumalia; former Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Austin Okpara and Casmir Ugwu. The 17 aspirants, who appeared before the screening Committee, are Senators Andy Uba and Emmanuel Anosike Obi; former Minister of Women Affairs and past National Woman leader of PDP, Chief Iyom Josephine Anenih;Dr. Obinna Uzoh; Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu; Barrister Mike Okoye;Nze Akachukwu Nwankpo; Chief Ugochukwu Okeke; Amb. Jerry Ugokwe; Sylvester Okonkwo; TonyNwoye; Patrick Nduka Ugbomo; Agape Ifunanyachukwu Dike- Kramer; Dr. Alex Obiogbolu; Charles Odunukwe; Onwuanyi Afamefuna Damian and Walter Ubaka Okeke. Those who picked forms and did not return for reason which may not be unconnected with the hiketo N10 million the fee for the Nomination Form fromN5,000, 000 are Eucharia Azodo; Donatus Okonkwo; Chukwuka Onyema; Adimachukwu Calista; Chinyere Udemba; Ikeobasi Mokelu; and Linda Chuba Ikepeazu. Besides the raising of the fee for the Nomination Form from N5 million to N10 million,Sunday Vanguardgathered that the PDP has pegged N10, 000 each for thethree delegates per ward as against the N100 that was hitherto paid by each of the three ad-hoc delegates during the past governorship primary elections, just as over N300, 000 will enter the purse of the party at the end of the exercise. ~Moses Einstein Felix Deception is suicidal: a livery of self-folly ***************************** Feel Free to COMMENT, SHARE/Tag your friends. Join us #NewsNAIJA for MORE NEWS ***Say a prayer for Nigeria today,Foster National unity and harmony;Shun any form of ethnic or religious violence. Report any clandestine act if suspicious. ************************************
Posted on: Sun, 11 Aug 2013 05:30:23 +0000