Anambra: Confusion again!

Anambra State has since the advent of the Fourth Republic won the uncanny political reputation for eccentricity. It was the first state to move its governorship election outside the usual general election cycle after its second governor in the Fourth Republic, Dr. Chris Ngige was sacked by the courts.

Hence it would not be holding election for governor in the forthcoming round of general elections. As in the past round of elections, the PDP is again presenting multiple lists of candidates for the legislative elections. However, for the first time the party is being resisted.

Governor Willie Obiano was still ensconced in the norms of banking during the 2011 general elections and so would not have been familiar with the time tested pattern of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in presenting at least two sets of candidates for federal and state level elections.

It is a practise that had in the past paid off for the party as the various candidates of the party would mobilise their various supporters to ensure victory for the party leaving the final decision on the occupant on the seat for the courts.

It was as such surprising when Governor Obiano in a state wide broadcast said:“Sadly, since the publication of the final list of candidates that are duly approved by INEC to contest the coming elections, we have seen many aspirants whose names are not on the INEC list parading themselves as candidates and campaigning for election in Anambra State.

“This is not only a total breach of the law, but also a deliberate attempt to mislead the electorate and manipulate the electoral process. These booby-traps have unnecessarily heated the system in the past. They are not acceptable to Ndi Anambra today.

“Therefore, I wish to categorically declare that any aspirant whose name is not on the INEC list and who continues to parade himself or herself as a candidate for the coming elections will be assumed to be deliberately misleading the public in contravention of the electoral laws and shall face the law.

All the security agencies are fully prepared to enforce the electoral laws in Anambra State and ensure a peaceful, free and fair atmosphere for the coming elections.”

Before Obiano’s broadcast, Umeh, the national chairman of APGA, said he had notified INEC chairman of the alleged ploy by PDP to present multiple candidates for the election, warning that though PDP had in the past got away with it by allowing two or more persons to lay claim to its ticket and go into the election proper with such claims, it will never be allowed to do so in 2015.

According to Umeh, his party would take all the necessary legal measures to stop what he called the deceit by PDP, arguing that the party was resorting to the presentation of double candidates because of the fear that one person cannot win election for it.

As in the past, Chief Chris Uba is a prominent figure in the contentions in the PDP. Unlike before he is not just dictating the tune from the background, he has for the first time come out as a candidate himself having taken for himself, the party’s Senate ticket for Anambra South presently occupied by his senior brother, Dr. Andy Uba.

Andy, however, is not surrendering his seat to his brother and has mobilised associates against his brother.

The two brothers, Andy and Chris are presently campaigning for the seat even if Chris is the one presently recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

Vigorous campaigns

Should Chris succeed and win, the Uba brothers would have made history being the first family to have produced three brothers as senators.

The seat had in the past been occupied by the eldest of the Uba brothers, Senator Ugochukwu Uba.

In Anambra Central senatorial zone, though Senator Annie Okonkwo’s name is the candidate as published by INEC, another aspirant in the zone, Mrs. Uche Ekwunife, is still campaigning vigorously and telling her supporters that she is the candidate of PDP for the zone.

The situation is the same in Anambra North senatorial zone where former minister of aviation, Mrs. Stella Oduah is still campaigning, even though Chief John Emeka, another former minister is the INEC recognized candidate.

There are similar situations for the House of Representatives where many of those who stood for the party primaries and lost are still telling the electorate that they are the rightful candidates. For instance, in Nnewi North/Nnewi South/Ekwusigo federal constituency, it is still not clear who is the rightful candidate among Mr. Julius Oforma, Chief Chris Azubougu and Dr. Harry Ohanezi. Same for Ihiala federal constituency where Mr. Emeka Anohu and Mrs. Erinne are laying claim to the ticket of the party.

As it is, the APGA candidate for Anambra Central, Chief Victor Umeh and his counterpart in All Progressives Congress, APC, Dr. Chris Ngige may have to contend with Okonkwo/Ekwunife for PDP, while Chief Dubem Obaze of APGA will contend with the duo of Emeka/Oduah in Anambra North. In Anambra South, former NCC vice chairman, Chief Ernest Ndukwe of APGA may have to go to the poll against two brothers, Andy Uba and Chris Uba, unless there is a categorical statement banning those who are not in the INEC list from parading themselves as candidates.

During President Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign tour of Anambra State weekend, PDP politicians, including those whose names were not published as candidates, tried to outdo the other at the Holy Trinity field, Onitsha as they danced around with their supporters and posters in the presence of the party’s national leadership.

According to Umeh, his party would take all the necessary legal measures to stop what he called the deceit by PDP, arguing that the party was resorting to the presentation of double candidates because of the fear that one person cannot win election for it.

But Uche Ekwunife, who was favoured to clinch the PDP ticket before the INEC list was made public, still insists that she is the candidate of the party, adding that PDP submitted her name to INEC after she won the primary elections conducted by the party and observed by INEC.

She however said that no matter whose name was published by INEC, the major emphasis should be to vote for PDP as Anambra State stands to loose a lot at the central politics if the party’s candidates lost the national assembly elections.

According to her, it would be easier for her to attract more projects if voted as PDP senator.

Since the publication of the INEC list, Ekwunife has been canvassing for votes for herself and PDP, just as Senator Annie Okonkwo is doing in the zone.

Among the communities Ekwunife visited last week include Nawfia, Nawgu, Abba and Enugu-Adidi during which she informed her supporters that she would campaign in all the 109 wards in the senatorial district before the election proper.

Written by Ujumadu Vincent