PDP’s endless impunity in Anambra by Uchem Obi

Do you know Uchem Obi? He is a fierce lawyer even if not in court , in pages of national dailies and he has written over 2000 opinions at least to my knowledge.

He was active during Dr Chinwoke Mbadinuju’s regime and partially during Dr Chris Ngige and Dame Virgy Etiaba.

He went to rest and during the election of Governor Willie Obiano, he resurfaced again , more active than ever and he had his way. Although a very passionate member of the PDP or to say the least he has sympathy for PDP. In this piece , he x-rayed Anambra and PDP’s shenanigans. Enjoy his thoughts below:

 After fifteen years of unbroken democracy, it is sad that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the self-acclaimed largest party in Africa which has been in power throughout this period has not been able to imbibe the most elementary principles of democracy.

When the party first came to power in 1999, its missteps were excusable.  But the years 2003 and 2007 dashed the hopes of many who believed that the party would learn with time. Instead of an improvement in its democratic disposition, the party progressively sunk deeper and deeper into the dungeon of impunity and maladministration.

For lack of a credible alternative, many Nigerians continued to keep faith with the party, hoping that with time, things would get better and the country would be saved the embarrassment of being ridiculed in the league of democratic nations.

Not even President Jonathan’s gospel of transformation since 2011 has tempered PDP’s undemocratic inclination. Not even the fear of losing next year’s election to the opposition party has encouraged the party to put its house in order and desist from anti-people practices. In every democracy, elections, whether primary or secondary, are contested and won by majority votes and not awarded by fiat.  The inability of the PDP to conduct a free and fair primary election in Anambra has become the bane of its existence since 2003.

Godfatherism, political brigandage, electoral malpractice and crass impunity have sabotaged the electoral chances of the party in the state.   With legislative elections coming up in the state early next year, one rightly thinks that the party which had been sidelined for years in the state should allow democratic values to dictate its policies.  This would earn it public confidence and help in a large measure to enhance the electoral chances of President Jonathan next year.

The party recently held its House of Assembly primary elections  and in most centres, the results were duly announced and accepted by all the parties.  In other climes, the publicly announced results should have put an end to all issues concerning the primary election and given momentum to the winners to begin their campaigns for the main election.  This could be true in other climes but not in Anambra State.  In Anambra, a credible winner of a free and fair primary election may still have to contend with the whims of a godfather whose candidate lost the election but who is very connected to powerful people in PDP’s national office, otherwise known as Wadata Plaza.

For instance in Ekwusigo Local Government of the State, the primary election held there was won by Mr Theo Egbe, an engineer, who was reportedly publicly announced as the winner of the election by Mr. Peter Ekutume and Mr. Nelson Udogu, the Electoral officer and the retuning officer respectively.  Before the primary election began, the aspirants, Engr. Egbe and Mr. Onyebuchi Offor, were urged by the officers to commit themselves to the outcome of the election.  Consequently, the two aspirants embraced one another in public glare and promised to abide by the outcome.

Typical of Anambra politics, this commitment turned out to be a farce. A total of thirty-six delegates voted in the primary election.  Twenty one of those delegates voted for Engr. Egbe while fifteen voted for Mr. Offor.  The result of this election, which was recorded on the Peoples Democratic Party’s State Assembly Primary Election result sheet with code number PD004/hass/2014 was duly signed by the agents of the aspirants, Mr. Ifeanyi Chukwulobe for Onyebuchi Offor and Paulinus Udeh for Theo Egbe.  Interestingly, this result sheet had at its bottom the signatures, names and official designations of Alhaji Adamu MUAZU, National Chairman of the party, Prof. Adewale Oladipo, National Secretary, Alhaji Abubakar Mustapha, National Organising Secretary, Peter Ekulume, the Electoral Officer and Nelson Udogu, the Returning officer.

The people had spoken.  Majority of the delegates voted and thereby nominated Engr. Theo Egbe to represent Ekwusigo State Constituency in the coming election.  On the proper ideals of democracy, this matter is a fait accompli because majority of the people made their choice.  However, it does appear that in PDP, the choice of the people is subservient to the will of godfathers.  How can one explain that the Party’s state Headquarters refused to announce this authenticated and already released result?  How can one also explain that when the Party’s State office chose to announce the result, it announced Mr. Onyebuchi Offor as the winner of the Primary election?

What happened to the result which was announced at the venue of the primary election?  What explanation could be given to the delegates who voted on that day and went home rejoicing, that PDP has really re-branded under National Chairman Muazu; that votes now count?  Can there be no end to impunity in PDP? It is very disturbing and mind-blowing that as Nigeria prepares for general elections next year, the ruling PDP does not yet believe in the power of the people but in the will of godfathers.  If votes are going to count in next year’s election, why would the party sabotage a popular aspirant backed by the people and prefer an unpopular one rejected by the people but backed by a godfather? Is PDP planning to win the coming election fairly or is the party planning to manipulate the results?

It is bizarre for PDP to shoot itself in the foot again in Anambra State but everything is pointing to it.  First, the party advertised the sale of its forms E01 and NM for State House of Assembly for One Million, Two Hundred Thousand Naira.  Engr. Theo Egbe coughed this colossal sum into the coffers of the party as did other aspirants.  Second, the party set up a screening committee and mandated all aspirants to appear before it.  Engr. Egbe subjected himself to this exercise.  After diligent procedures, many were disqualified.  Engr. Egbe was one of those found worthy to proceed and was issued with a clearance certificate.  Third, the party set up a primary election committee and appointed its own agents to serve on it as electoral and returning officers.  Forth, the party fixed a primary election date and chose its own delegates to that election.

On the day of the election, Engr. Egbe won the election which was fixed, serviced and supervised by the PDP.  How then can the Party without any reason jettison the authentic result of its own due process?  Is this another return to political brigandage which destroyed the party in the state? It must be recalled that in 2011, Engr. Egbe won the same nomination but was rudely and unlawfully substituted in the main election with another person, who immediately after the election defected to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).  The Supreme Court has fixed January next year for judgment in the matter which has dragged on since 2011.Must this impunity continue?  Why won’t PDP go into next year’s election with its best candidates?  The power to win elections is in the hands of the people and not in the hands of godfathers.

•Obi writes from Abuja