From Chuks Okocha in Abuja, 09.25.2009

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in Anambra State in the 2007 governorship election, Dr. Andy Uba, seems to be employing a two-pronged approach in his bid to emerge governor of the state in 2010.
Uba is back at the Court of Appeal in Enugu seeking to be recognised as governor of the state on the basis of 2007 election voided by the Supreme Court.
But yesterday, he wrote PDP asking to be part of the process towards next year’s governorship election in the state.
Uba specifically asked PDP National Executive Commit-tee (NEC) to adopt him as the consensus candidate of the party for the February 6, 2010 governorship election.
PDP’s move to pick a consensus candidate from among the 47 aspirants of the party cleared for the primary beginning next Monday had collapsed like a pack of cards as the aspirants insisted on the primary election.
In his letter to the party’s NEC dated September 16, 2009 and copied Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT), Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, and all members of NEC, Uba asked the party to adopt him as the consensus governorship candidate.
Uba said in the letter: “I urge our great party to place my case in same scale as my colleagues whose election were voided but were allowed to re-contest in the re-run elections as flag bearers of our great party.
“I believe that it is in the greater interest of our great party to safeguard and defend the decision of the party as it relates to 2007 mandate /flag bearer to the governorship office in Anambra State as this accords with the constitution and 175 NWC resolution on the issue of candidature and re-run of elections.”
According to him, “let me appeal in the most solemn manner that justice should be manifestly done in my case in accordance with our party’s constitution, equity and good conscience.”
Uba pledged his loyalty to the party, saying “at times such as now, when God has placed so much responsibility on our party, a great zeal for justice, equity and fairness should be in great dose. As always, my commitment and loyalty to our great party remain unflinching and untainted.”
He said that some members of the party misconstrued his going to court at the apex level to challenge the annulment of his victory in 2007 but did not elaborate further on it.
Uba was Special Assistant on Domestic Matters to former President Obasanjo.
He contested the 2007 governorship election in the state on PDP platform and won.
But the Supreme Court voided the poll on June 14, 2007 on the ground that the tenure of the state Governor Peter Obi had not expired.
The apex court also berated the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for conducting the poll in the first instance.
In what could be termed a locus classicus in law, the apex court restored Obi as governor of the state and ordered Uba to vacate the Government House as, according to it, Obi’s tenure would lapse on March 17, 2010.
But as Obi’s tenure was coming to an end with a new poll to be conducted on February 6, 2010, Uba again approached the court to affirm that he is the governor-elect on the basis of the same 2007 governorship poll.