Anambra 2013: Obianor emerges APGA candidate AMIDST twists and turns, a former director of the Fidelity Bank Plc, Maduabuchi Willie Obianor, on Monday clinched the governorship ticket of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) for the November 16 election in Anambra State. Obianor, a late entrant into the race, was said to have been well favoured by the outgoing Governor, Peter Obi, being a longtime friend and ally. Obi was chairman of Fidelity Bank before his election. However, National Chairman of the party, Victor Umeh, was conspicuously absent at the primary election which took place at the Women Development Centre, Awka. But the event which was chaired by a former running mate to Chris Ngige, Phil Agbasiwas, was witnessed by a member of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT), Tim Menakaya, and Nigeria’s Ambassador to Spain and widow of the late leader of the party, Bianca Ojukwu. Also in attendance was a one-time Commissioner for Special Duties and son to Ojukwu, Emeka. In his remarks, Obianor said his election was not a personal victory. He pledged to continue with the good works of Obi and urged everyone to join hands with him to take the state to the next level. The candidate said he was very humbled by the victory and confidence reposed in him by the people. Obianor’s emergence is coming just as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) also on Moday announced Tony Nwoye as its candidate for the election. “Go tell the whole world, Tony Nwoye is our man for Anambra. Tell the world PDP is the party of the people and has conducted free and fair primary election,” National Chairman of the party, Bamanga Tukur, said in Abuja as he accepted the report of the Governor Ibrahim Shema-led Anambra State PDP Governorship Congress Committee which produced Nwoye as candidate. Tukur’s comments came against the backdrop of parallel congresses in Awka where two governorship candidates, Nwoye and Andy Uba, emerged at the weekend. While Uba emerged winner of the congress held by the Ejike Oguebego faction of the party, Nwoye emerged as winner of the congress conducted by the Ibrahim Shema-led Anambra congress committee with support of the Ken Emeakayi-led state executive. While PDP is giving recognition to Emeakayi faction, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is according recognition to Oguebego as Anambra PDP chairman. INEC, however, said even before the primary election that only the candidate who emerged from the Oguebego-supervised election will be given recognition as the authentic PDP governorship candidate. However, following the crisis generated by the parallel congress, President Goodluck Jonathan, Daily Independent gathered, is to meet with selected stakeholders of the party in Anambra State today to find a solution to the crisis. Presenting the report of the congress to Tukur and members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party on Monday, Shema said though Uba was present during the stakeholders meeting with all the aspirants before the election, he was, however, absent at the primary election. He said Nwoye emerged at the congress as the candidate and winner of the primaries with 498 votes, adding that Uba did not present himself for the election. Shema said the closest aspirant to Nwoye, Nicholas Ukachukwu, polled 357 votes. Speaking on the absence of INEC at the congress, he said the commission was duly informed of the congress in accordance with the provisions of the Electoral Act, adding: “I think it is only INEC that could explain why they were not at the congress.” “We proceeded to the venue of the congress and in line with our party’s constitution and the Electoral Act, all listed aspirants came, except Senator Andy Uba who was absent at the congress,” Shema said. He explained that the total number of delegates accredited stood at 916. In the meantime, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has tasked INEC to tell Nigerians who the governorship candidate of the PDP in Anambra State is. A statement by Okelo Madukaife on behalf of the APC noted that “the PDP has a long history of fielding double candidates which has been elevated to a high vote rigging art that puts the party on unfair advantage.” “In the 2003 elections, the PDP fielded two candidates in every senatorial zone by simply substituting the names of candidates long after the deadline. “In the process two sets of election results were declared, both announcing victory for the PDP, but with different set of candidates. “Senator Ben Obi, Senator Joy Emodi (Anambra North) and Senator C.N.Ukachukwu (Anambra South) were short-changed with the names of Emma Anosike, Ikechukwu Abana and Ugochukwu Uba, sibling to Andy and Chris Uba respectively. “In the same election, six members of the House of Representatives were equally substituted in a highly organised electoral fraud supervised from the top,” the statement added. “We urge INEC to stamp their feet facing PDP with clear-cut demands on the production of one candidate within the timeframe provided for the submission of lists.” “Failure to do so should attract instant disqualification of one or both candidates. “Nothing short of total enforcement of this will satisfy anyone that INEC is intent on conducting ‘the best governorship election in the history of Nigeria’ as the umpire has promised.”
Posted on: Tue, 27 Aug 2013 04:01:50 +0000
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