DESPITE the frenzy of activities and grandstanding tactics being displayed by front row political parties for the November 16 governorship election in Anambra State, there is no easy way for the electoral body, political parties and candidates. When confronted with the question, ‘assuming the governorship election holds tomorrow, who do you think will win?’ most residents of Anambra draw blank. The situation in the state exactly two months to the election is that of confusion and consternation. The most prominent source of uneasiness about the forthcoming gubernatorial election is the existence of two candidates in both the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and the otherwise major opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

For the newly registered amalgam All Progressives Congress (APC), the throwback to the governorship primary is unsettling the party especially with the abdication of Senator Annie Okonkwo from his position as Campaign Director. In the fold of the peaceful Labour Party (LP), there is an onset of friction within the campaign organisation of the governorship candidate. And the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has started feeling the heat of the Anambra governorship election. The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof. Chukwuemeka Eze Onukaogu, has been crisscrossing Abuja intermittently to ensure that he squares up to the challenges of organising a credible election in a setting beset by high wire intrigues and desperation. The dual candidacy situations in APGA and PDP have presented the REC the first sign of what makes Anambra governorship a perplexing electoral contest. Can the pastor retain his composure and integrity after the battle? Like he said, he takes orders from above!

Obi’s Big Issues

IF there is any ‘non-combatant’ that is troubled by the Anambra governorship, it is Governor Peter Obi. Armed with the power of incumbency, Obi is torn between playing the godfather and ensuring that his detractors do not succeed him. Apart from the innate desire of every politician to remain relevant in the scheme of things, Obi is said to be interested in who succeeds for two major concerns. The popular belief among opposition politicians in the state is that Governor Obi’s operation of the State Local Council account is tainted by shadow fiddling “as such he is afraid of a possible probe and trial for economic crimes.” Then there is the revelation that the outgoing governor is interested in buying into the Orient Petroleum so as to join the big league of oil magnates in the state. A source from Umueri told The Guardian in confidence that it is not true that Obi did not have a succession plan. The source disclosed that the avowals by the Governor that he does not believe in the practice of imposition, he (Obi) was actually grooming one of the APGA governorship candidates, Mr. Willie Obiano to take over from him. “I do not know whether you were there at Ogbaru when the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr. Oseloka Obaze, was being received. Governor told the people that he does not have any candidate in mind, but that he would support whomever the people of Anambra north senatorial zone bring forward. But as far back as 2011, the governor confided in few close friends that he was grooming Obiano to take over from him,” the source stated.

He added that the main reason Obi wants Obiano to take over from him (Obi) is to ensure that he becomes a player in the Orient Petroleum. The source said the claim in some quarters that the governor wants somebody to cover his tracks is secondary, stressing that any other candidate can do that to reciprocate the governor’s support. Governor Obi is also accused of bearing false tales to the Presidency about some political actors in the state, including the former Special Assistant to President Jonathan on Technical Matters, Nze Akachukwu Nwankpo and the LP governorship candidate, Dr. Ifeanyi Patrick Ubah. In fact a youth group known as Igbo Youth Council, (IYC) recently astounded Anambra residents when it accused Obi of conspiring with APGA factional chairman, Victor Umeh, to abort Professor Chukwuma Soludo’s governorship ambition.

Thunder Clasps From The Courts

COURT pronouncements came in torrents to stagger the actors and supporters in the buildup to the governorship election. First, was the order granted by the Federal High Court, Awka Division, directing APGA to submit the names of its two governorship candidates to INEC. The need to abide by the September 17, 2013 deadline for the submission of forms CF 001 and CF 002 as provided in INEC timetable for the November 16, 2013 governorship election compelled a Federal High Court sitting in Awka to grant leave APGA to submit the names of its two governorship candidates to INEC. Investigations by The Guardian revealed that the order followed an ex parte motion filed by Dr. Chike Obidigbo and five others against the APGA governorship screening panel and INEC, challenging the authenticity and qualification of the membership to screen the party’s governorship aspirants for the party’s primary election to select a flag bearer. In the suit, No: FHC/AWK/CS/219/2013; the plaintiffs/Applicants prayed the Court to direct the fourth respondent, INEC, to accept the name of the first applicant, Dr. Obidigbo; as the candidate of APGA (sixth applicant) “pending the determination of the motion on notice filed along with this application.”

In the substantive matter, the plaintiffs contended that the screening committee made of three persons, namely Alhaji Tayo Sowunmi, Chief Onwuka Ukwa and Barrister Ifeanyi Mbaeri, is illegal.

They further argued that the three man panel is an illegal committee adding that since the committee violates the APGA constitution filed with INEC, what it did and the outcome of its proceedings are farcical, malicious and therefore null and void.

While explaining the central place of citizenship vigilance in any democracy, the governorship hopeful explained that those who attempted to shut him out of the governorship race believed that as a peace loving and patriotic citizen he “would go home to sulk in quiet despondency” noting however that the court exists to ensure that “deceit and manipulation have no place in an open society”. His words: “We decided to approach the Courts to test whether our laws are made just for the fun of it or to serve as basis of our democratic practice. It is now obvious that with a forthright judiciary and courageous press, our democracy will stand the test of time. Anambra people can now begin the process of checking the backgrounds of those who want to lead them.”

PDP compounds litigation

AND not to be outdone in the litigation crisis, PDP expanded its circus in the Courts. From Port Harcourt, Senator Andy Uba’s former sparring partner, Prince Nich Ukachukwu, received an order directing INEC and PDP to field his name rather than that of Tony Nwoye as the authentic candidate of PDP. Presided over by Justice S.A. Aliyu, the Court disqualified Tony Nwoye, as the party’s governorship candidate in the state, saying that Ukachukwu by virtue of being the aspirant with the highest votes in the primary election should have his name sent to INEC as the governorship candidate. As Ukachukwu is clutching his order, Nwoye however sued INEC and PDP at the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking the court’s order to compel INEC to recognise him as the PDP candidate. Nwoye’s suit suffered a temporary setback when counsels representing Ukachukwu and Andy Uba, announced their appearance seeking to be joined in the suit. Piqued by the development, a pressure group within PDP led by Mr. Bertram Okonkwo said it was unfortunate that members of the party in Anambra State have not known their governorship candidate two months to the election. He said it is left for the PDP to go back to the drawing board and re-strategize on the way forward, stressing that the best option for the party is to revisit the list of its primary aspirants and pick a consensus candidate. “Political pundits are of the opinion that one of the aspirants who contested but were not successful, such as Dr. Alex Obiogbolu, Senator Emma Anosike and Chief Ugochukwu Okeke, could be a possible consensus candidate for the Anambra PDP,” he suggested. He urged the gladiators to put personal interest aside and work for the oneness and togetherness of PDP.

Campaign hiccups for LP

AGAINST the background of petty squabbles between Directors of Ifeanyi Ubah Campaign Organisation and heads of other groups, the leadership of Labour Party (LP) including the National Vice Chairman, Southeast and state chairman, Callistus Uju Okafor and Sam Osita Oraegbunam; have said that reliance on the rule of law saved the party from crisis. Okafor and Oraegbunam, who spoke to The Guardian in separate interviews, disclosed that when the party noticed the first sign of possible discontent it summoned a State Executive Committee, (SEC) meeting, stressing that the openness and truthfulness that characterised the deliberations in the meeting helped to insulate the party from friction. Oraegbunam noted that attempts by certain individuals to impose candidates on the party always lead to endless bickering and animosity, adding that lack of internal democracy in political parties was the major cause of fractionalization and ceaseless litigations, which threaten the unity and cohesion of parties. He disclosed that having produced its governorship candidate in peace and brotherly love, Anambra LP was at the threshold of winning the November 16 governorship election, pointing out that the party’s governorship candidate, “Dr. Ifeanyi Patrick Ubah, has been pursuing his electioneering campaigns without distractions or inhibitions”. “It is now very evident that Dr. Ifeanyi Patrick Ubah would win the November 16 governorship election in Anambra State. He emerged in peace and only such a candidate without any hangover of crisis or litigation can have the peace of mind to deliver good governance. Our candidate has been meeting with Anambra people from different walks of life and it is clear that he would hit the ground running in March 17, 2014,” Oraegbunam declared. Oraegbunam denied speculations in certain quarters that Ifeanyi Ubah campaign organisation was in disarray, pointing out that the flag off of the governorship campaign did not witness any disagreement since according to him, everything went according to plan.

UPP utilizes substitution window

THE United Progressives Party (UPP) has become the first political party to take advantage of the substitution window. Founder and national chairman of the party, chief Chekwas Okorie, presented Professor Benedict Ndubuisi Akanegbu as its governorship candidate. He indicated that Prince Ogochukwu Akanegbu voluntarily withdrew from the race after winning the primary election. The UPP strongman expressed the hope that “Akanegbu will make Anambra State to take her rightful place in Nigeria.” The governorship candidate said he intends to enter into a social contract with the people of Anambra State, even as he promised to unveil the contract in Awka in a few days’ time.

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..NGIGE OR NO OTHER PERSON...reppn enugu-ukwu.............>upto apuga_fidelity bank goats

Good journalism.
We know the non combatant and all the lies he's been feeding the Presidency with. He is the chameleon in the GEJ economic team.
Innosson motors is a good venture but he has to watch his alliance with the non-combatant. Ban on tokunbo will not automatically mean magic in sales.

letz vote Dr patrick ifeanyi ubah of labour party "ebe eséré mmadu" for freedom and transformation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uQ4uOc5lv8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mI5eF8Owzs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SukR4tGSmL0

If not APGA, who else?

Ikengawo:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mI5eF8Owzs

biafranqueen:

That character is FUNNY

manny4life:

That character is FUNNY

Really funny I was laughing but I was confused is this a joke or a campaign commercial?