Gearing for PDP Anambra Central senatorial ticket

Baring last minute change of sched­ule, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Assem­bly primaries would be decided at various state capitals on Sunday.

In Anambra, as other states, the heat is already on. With some known names already angling for the senatorial and House of Representatives tickets in various constituencies and zones, the battle promises to be exciting, at least on the surface.

But, perhaps, the senato­rial district that many see as likely battleground is Anambra Central. Many reasons point to this. Aside Imo State whose governor, Rochas Okorocha, belongs to All Progressives Congress (APC) on account of his defection from his original All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Anambra Central is the only senatorial district that APC has a foothold in the entire South–East region. Senator Chris Ngige, who rep­resents the zone at the National Assembly, has incidentally, come across as a grassroots politician, that earned his goodwill and followership on account of his considered focused leadership during his stint as governor of the state. Reports also indicate that he is still interested in returning to the upper lawmaking house.

National Chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Victor Umeh, is also from the area. As Ngige, he has equally expressed desire in going to the Senate. Riding on the wings of the November 2013 governorship electoral victory of his party in the state, his clout in Anambra politics has been on the increase.

It was in fact, gathered that the party leadership in Anambra may have decided to concede the slot to him, as compensation for his roles in saving APGA from going under.

Among PDP aspirants for the ticket are Uche Ekwunife, a member of the House of Representatives, who re­cently resigned from APGA for the party; Annie Okonkwo, erstwhile senator, who until recently was a member of APC; Sylvester Okonkwo and Dr. Obiora Okonkwo, political scientist, and founder, Nigeria- Belgium Business Forum (NBBF).

The party, going by the clout of some of these aspirants, may not be oblivious of the enormous task confronting it in the event of Ngige and Umeh emerging senatorial candidates of their parties.

However, certain develop­ments in the conduct of its affairs, creates room for doubt on its preparedness for the task ahead. Reports from its recent delegates’ congress, for example, did not appear encouraging.

Among other anomalies, it was gathered that the list of those that participated in the congress, was manufactured by various interest parties in the party. The situation was not helped by the multiplicity of factions within the State’s chapter of the party.

Some names were for instance, alleged to have been smuggled into the list by the team from the national head­quarters of the party. The team, headed by former Deputy Sen­ate President, Ibrahim Mantu, was said to have worked without a functional state ex­ecutive. Insinuations were that it was quartered somewhere in Asaba, Delta State, from where it manufactured its list.

Ken Emeakayi camp, which though had been dissolved by court ruling on account of tenure expiration, exploited some aspects of the judgment to lay claim of authenticity over the list. Similar claims were advanced by Chris Uba faction of the party.

Ambiguities arising from these factions and correspond­ing actions, affected the integrity of the congress. There are fears of similar manipula­tions occurring at the Sunday National Assembly primaries. This is where analysts fear that PDP may shoot itself in the foot and in consequence, play into the hands of other political parties.

Ekwunife, House Committee Chairman on Ecology, looks good to go for the office. What may easily count against her however, is the relative low impact her representation has wrought on the state and the zone. South East has been at the receiving end of erosion and ecological disasters in the country. Not much has however been heard of her committee in addressing the menace in terms of enabling legislations.

More than this obvious shortcoming, the frequency of her movement from one party to another, readily gives her out as lacking in loyalty and conviction to any political party. The lawmaker has on occasions, for instance moved from PDP to The Progressive peoples Party (PPA) to APGA and back to PDP. The think­ing is that giving her or any defector from another party the ticket in a politically conscious zone as Anambra Central, may trigger protest votes to other candidates from the electorate.

This is also a consideration that may work against Annie Okonkwo, who has travelled from PDP to Accord Party to PPA to APGA to APC and back to PDP. The two are seen as political adventurers who are in regular contest purely for their interest and not on basis of any identifiable ideology.

Okonkwo’s last outing with APC may also count against him. He, it was, that Ngige beat to emerge Senator in 2011 when he was seeking a return to the upper lawmaking chamber. Even in APC there were indications that he was elbowed out of the party by the Senator.

Sylvester Okonkwo’s aspiration, alleged to be at the prompting of Akwa Ibom State governor, Godswill Akpabio, presents him as a stranger to the Anambra central electorate. He is also from the same ward with Annie, a factor that many say, may see the latter working against him if he emerges the candidate. The two are said to be in the race essentially to settle score with one another.

This is where Obiora Okonkwo has an edge over them. Coming from a state where the church is a critical factor in political calcula­tions, his position as political and economic adviser to the Catholic Archbishop of Onitsha and Metropolitan of Onitsha Ecclesiastical Province, stands to his advantage. Incidentally, he is said to have received the endorsement of the Catholic Church and Anglican Commu­nion for the job.

Okonkwo’s leadership of Nzuko Ime Obi, the umbrella group of leading political and economic elite in Idemili North and South councils of the state, is also a factor that the PDP may give consideration at the primaries. The area, which is known for its dense population, has always played significant role in emergence of any win­ner in Anambra governorship or Central senatorial contest. It is said to account for almost 50 percent of votes in the seven councils in the zone. Sup­porters of Okonkwo, who is said to have been endorsed by traditional rulers from the zone on account of his development politics, count on the block votes from the area to swing victory for PDP, if he eventu­ally emerges the candidate of the party.

He is also seen as a bridge-builder in Anambra politics, given his friendly disposition to the various PDP tendencies in the state.