…A look at some front runners

By Henry Umoru

Abuja – AS a party which officially won 28 out of the 36 states of the federation in the 2007 general elections and with plans to rule Nigeria for the next sixty years, screening of candidates for the Anambra State  gubernatorial primaries will further prove to the world that as a party, it has the wherewithal to administer this country for sixty years. The case of Anambra will be a litmus test for the party on how it would conduct primaries in the already factionalised states and also states where the party has not been able to reconcile the PDP present governors with their predecessors.

With PDP handling the volatile Anambra State primaries properly, it thus means that if the same strategies are applied, it would then solve the problems in states like Plateau, Bauchi, Zamfara, Ogun, Edo, Kebbi, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Oyo; Ekiti, Enugu, Taraba, Jigawa, among others when it gets to their turn for their respective primaries to get the PDP candidates.

Since the coming on board of the present NWC of the PDP, peace has continued to elude the State chapter of the party following some irreconcilable differences and the emergence of factions and loyalists. The locale will witness the fight of the titans, the old and new politicians, for the soul of PDP; the fight if not well fought and the umpires not working to their God given consciences, the end may not be okay for the PDP as it would further polarise the already crisis ridden party.

The party, in search of a candidate to fly as its flag at the election, said all interested aspirants should come to the national secretariat of the party at Wadata Plaza, Wuse Zone 5, for the collection of expression of interest and nomination forms.

The PDP through the National Publicity Secretary, Professor Rufai Ahmed Alkali and the National Organizing Secretary, Prince Uche Secondus announced the decision of Prince Vincent Ogbulafor led National Working Committee(NWC) by fixing the collection of nomination form for N5 million, expression of interest for N250,000.

This immediately triggered the purchase of forms by the aspirants and thereby making the national secretariat of the party a beehive of activities with aspirants too many at the close of sale of forms on Monday, 14, 2009 and a total of 51 persons purchased the expression of interest form while 48 submitted their forms for the screening.

Roll call of aspirants since the PDP opened the gates for collection of expression of interest and nomination
forms are Kodilichukwu Okelekwe, .Emeka Nwandu, Senator  Nicholas Ukachukwu, .

Annie Okonkwo, Odemezue Chukwura, .Damian Okolo, Professor Charles Soludo, Kenneth Osita Odidika, Chuma Nzeribe, Benard Okeke; Dr. Alex Obigolu, Senator Ikechukwu Obiora;.Prof. Austin Okafor; Nwoye Tony Okechukwu; Ekwenze Solomon; Mbamalu Emma; Mrs Eucharia Azodo; Barrister Mike Nkwocha; Lady Chinyere Ogualili and Ugokwe Jerry Sunny

Others are Mrs. Caro Nwosu, Senator Emma Anosike, Mrs Chika Ibeneme, Princess Catherine Egwu, Engr. E. O. Efobi; Dr Harry Oranezi; .Dr. Emeka Eze; Dr. Amachukwu Ezeike.Chuma Nwofor Uchenna Emordi,Victoria Uwankwo;.Engr Bethram Dim; Mrs Ifeoma Love Eze;.Mrs Nkoli Imo; Chief Okey Muo Aroh, Adimchukwu Calista and Ogbagu Goodluck Ihuoma. Still making the list are Sussan Ekinumfe Udemezue; Udemba Chinyere; Mba Nkechinyelu; Lynda Chuba Ikpeazu, Mrs Obiageli Okeke- Okwubanego, . Mrs Oyibo Obasi, Victor Osita Ezenwa, Ikefuna Samuel, Valentine Ozigboh, Basil Iwuoba, Chief Tony Ezeani, among others. Now that the rush for the collection of forms has relaxed, the question is how the party will handle the situation, though the entire exercise has been pushed to the various committees set up by the National Working Committee.

The 48- member Committees are the Authentication, Screening, Screening Appeal, Ward Congresses, Ward Congresses Appeal and State Congress. They are headed by Delta State governor,Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan , Minister of State Foreign Affairs Jibrin Maigari, Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswan, Ambassador Hassan Adamu and Minister of Agriculture Alhaji Abba Sayiadi Ruma respectively.

Ogbulafor while inaugurating members of the Committees said history will not forgive them if they mess up the state and the party, just as he warned that they should not be intimidated by any person or group, adding that the faith and soul of the party was in their hands as they can not afford to fail. According to him, “go into Anambra and deliver a free and fair election, this is the first test for the party”, adding that they must guide against acts that could tarnish the image of the party in the discharge of their duties.

We have detached ourselves from these committees in view of name calling that has been given to the National Working Committee (NWC). I don’t see any reason why you should let this party down. This is the first step for this party. So history will not forgive you and us (NWC) if you mess up in Anambra.”

For Uduaghan, the chairman Authentication Committee, “let me just appeal to some of these aspirants, it is not and it should not be a do-or-die affair. It is only when you take it as a do-or-die affair that you will use illegal means to try to win at-all-cost. If the people want you, let them go and choose you. And if you are chosen in a free and fair manner, you can now extend your hands of fellowship to every other persons that has contested because people say (jokingly) some of these contestants na only commissioners den de look for. Eh my chairman. That is the truth. We don do this thing before. So we know how it works. Chief Ebenezer Babatope, no be so. Some are looking for board chairmen; some are looking positions of commissioners.

They just want to use this one to make a point. The Alhaji Jibril Maigari led Screening Committee had arrived Enugu State with aspirants being issued screening forms. The exercise started on Tuesday at the Nike Lake Resort Hotel, Enugu. The aspirants have started appearing before the Committee. The likes of Soludo, Obiora, Annie Okonkwo, among others.

Aspirants to watch

The fact remains that they have all picked forms, but it is a case of many are called few are chosen as they cannot all get there, only a candidate would emerge at the end of the day. At the end of the day, the committees would help remove the chaff from the grains. There are very new, new and old politicians among the aspirants while there are some who are professionals at picking forms.

Among the women, one of them is known for that, she had picked forms severally for the governorship position – she picked when the PDP Chairmanship position was zoned to the South East and she also picked for the presidential election, the woman is Mrs Caro Nwosu. Among the aspirants, there are familiar names in the political terrain like Ukachukwu Nicholas, Senator Annie Okonkwo, Senator Ikechukwu Obiora, Chuma Nzeribe, Chuma Nwofor, Uchenna Emordi, Jery Ugokwe, Senator Emma Anosike and Nwoye Tony Okechukwu while Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo is also well known not as a politician; and then there is
Kenneth Osita Paulys Odidika.

Chief Uchenna Emodi: Most surprising was the appearance of Chief Uchenna Emordi who resigned his position as the National Working Committee recognised chairman of Anambra State to join the race, he was the chairman of the party in the state before he took the decision to contest for the governorship position.

Like a bolt from the blues, and  while the NWC had not recovered from taking a decision to bow to the court’s ruling and recognise him, he took all by surprise on Sunday and picked the form. Emordi is a loyalist of Chris Uba. When asked to comment on the development, Chief Chris Uba simply said, “No Comment yet”. Indications are rife that with Andy Uba not in the race, his brother may take advantage of what is on ground to support Emordi with all it takes. Time shall tell.

Senator Ikechukwu Obiora: Obiora who is spending his first tenure in the Senate is representing Anambra South Senatorial District and he is the chairman, Senate Committee on Housing. Obiora, a very vocal lawmaker was a prominent face during the Abubakar Sodangi led investigation on the Federal Capital Territory Administration. He raised very salient issues and his questions were germane to what were on ground. He was not a boring personality throughout the sittings. Senator Obiora who went for a rerun in January this year to get back his seat in the Senate according to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) scored 46,165 votes to defeat Sir Chris Atuegwu of the Action Congress who scored 212 votes; ALP 145 votes, NAC 23 votes; NDP 50 votes and Hon Azuka Okwuosa of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) 185 votes.