governorship election in Anambra State,
virtually all the political parties and
aspirants seem yet to find their rhythm.
The election holds barely 90 days away to
elect Gov Peter Obi's successor.
Analysts blame the scenario on the delay
by the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) in releasing the
guidelines and timetable for the election.
The aspirants had been cautions not to
run foul of the laws, or be seen as
jumping the gun when the Commission
had not given the green light to start
campaigns. The green light finally came
some three weeks ago. The contest is
characterised by intrigues and scheming
by the various political blocs and camps.
The PDP is one of the most visible parties
in the state, but grapples with efforts at
self-rediscovery. The party is besetted
with crisis over whether or not President
Goodluck Jonathan will seek re-election in
2015. The North says he should not.
Anambra must be high on the PDP
agenda as it remains the arrowhead to
determine where the South-east geo-
political zone goes in the 2015 polls. So,
with the state's governorship election fast
approaching, the party must stand firm,
for obvious political reasons.
Now, those who have not been part of
the politics in Anambra for many years
are said to have stormed to the Wadata
House headquarters of the People's
Democratic Party (PDP) to pick the
Expression of Interest(EOI) form. The fee
went up from the N250,000 in 2009 to
N1 million for the Anambra guber ticket.
MASSIVE PURCHASE
But this has not dampened the spirit of
the about 27 aspirants jostling for the
PDP ticket, even as more than half are
said to be women, one of them a
hairdressing salon operator in Awka. At
least two aspirants have been accused of
massive purchase of the form for their
respective camps.
Alleged abuse of the free access of the
PDP female aspirants to the nomination
form is also said to be generating ripples
and may force the party to review the
policy. Wadata Plaza sources said the fee
for the nomination form could go up as
high as between N10m and N20m for
each aspirant. The hike, it is believed,
would help keep unserious aspirants,
proxies and stooges out of the race.
Primary election will obviously determine
who picks the PDP ticket for the Anambra
guber race. But the allegation that two
aspirants have acquired the nomination
form for about ten of their supporters is
causing tension.
Analysts say the move may be a design to
put a clog in the wheel of the primary
election stated for August 24. The game
plan was to put the PDP in a situation
whereby there will be a repeat of the
primary. "In the end, they would use
their contacts at the Wadata Plaza to
settle for a consensus candidate option,
hoping that that would favour them
more, having already watered the
grounds well in that direction,"a source
familiar with the race for the PDP ticket
in the state said.
"Alternatively, they would bamboozle the
party headquarters into inviting all the
'aspirants' to Abuja where the matter
would be resolved through internal
mechanism. This includes but not likely to
be limited to asking the 'aspirants' to vote
among themselves to choose who they
want to fly the party's flag at the Nov 16
governorship election in the state. Of
course the outcome would be foreclosed
as each 'aspirant' would simply vote for
his/her sponsor."
Some of the guber aspirants, especially in
the PDP, are reportedly being sponsored
by some northern elements with a view
to using them to attempt to scuttle
President Goodluck Jonathan's 2015
agenda. Analysts say Aso Rock may
consider backing the aspirant without
political blemish or baggage.
TOP ON LIST
The analysts said of all those jostling for
the PDP ticket, only Walter Ubaka Okeke
and Alex Obiogbolu are exciting the
party's big wigs. But Okeke, according to
them, remains top on the list as he fits
perfectly into the battle to pick the PDP
ticket because he is said to be well-heeled
with a deep pocket, well-read,
psychologically very stable, and a key
player in the Nigeria's big oil/gas services
sector since 1995.
His businesses are domiciled in the Niger
Delta. He was said to have been paying to
the governments an annual tax in the
region of millions of naira, as against other
contestants who pay peanuts and only for
the sake of the gubernatorial election
process requirement. He is reportedly
married from either Bayelsa or Rivers.
While Obiogbolu reportedly has what it
takes to govern the state, the larger
section of Anambra's 177 communities is
said not to be favourably disposed to
someone from his area due to social
reasons. But he is seen as capable and
qualified with immense administrative
experience in government business.
Obiogbolu is a reputable medical officer
and successful businessman who has a lot
of enduring legacies to his credit in the
state's civil service.
Chief Sylvester Okonkwo, a close
confidant of a South-south governor, is
said to be among those who have not
visited the state in the last 10years. It
seems his only reason for picking the
form is because one of the key players in
the PDP politics urges him on.
Unfortunately, the present political
equation of the state does not favour his
aspiration, as he comes from the Central
zone like the outgoing Governor Obi and
former Gov. Ngige.
NASS MEETING
For Senator Andy Uba, it was said that he
has been working against the emergence
of the PDP candidate based on primary
election. Sources accused him of moving
to upstage all other aspirants
undemocratically. He was alleged to have
held meetings with his 'aspirants' in
Abuja. Some serving and former members
of the House of Representatives including
Ben Nwankwo, Fort Dike, Eucharia Azodo
and Lynda Ikpeazu allegedly attended the
meetings recently. These meetings were
described as historical as it was the first
to be held between the senator and Reps
as a group since their inauguration in the
National Assembly.
Chief Mike Okoye, a successful legal
practitioner, was alleged to be relying on
his friendship with the former Governor
Diepreye Alameseigha to grab the PDP
ticket. Unfortunately his political
traducers are quick to point out that he
once held sway in Hope Democratic Party
but let go of it when it mattered most,
hence political watchers wonder what he
really wants this time around.
RELIGION FACTOR
Dr Obinna Uzor remains a close friend of
former President Gen Ibrahim Babangida,
and also does not hide his penchant to
cling to anything Catholic. That's why he
has been going round building parishes
for his beloved faith. Analysts say he may
at the end of the day realise why the holy
book warns that in heaven, there is no
Catholic, Anglican or Pagan.
Elders of the party in Anambra State are
said to be rooting for a holistic review of
the input each of the aspirants has made
to the growth or otherwise of the party in
the past ten years.
Some of the aspirants were alleged to
have sowed confusion and crises in the
PDP only to run into another party. It is
feared that they are on the familiar move
again, knowing fully well that the
Bamanga Tukur-led PDP is not kidding on
enthroning internal democracy and
discipline.
Anambra is among the few states to have
about four citizens in the party's Board of
Trustees(BOT)-Dr Alex Ekwueme, Senator
Onyeabor Obi, Chief Maxwell Okudoh and
Mrs Iyom Josephine Anenih. They cannot
be indifferent about who runs their state
as governor, hence must be interested in
this contest.
GRASSROOTS SUPPORT
Any serious contender for the Anambra
governorship ought to go round the state
to express his/her interest to run in the
November 16 election. Investigations
show that only Walter Okeke, Obiogbolu
and Tony Nwoye have done so.
Analysts believe than when all the factors
are considered, the PDP may end up with
a dark horse like Walter Okeke, said to be
surefooted and firmly etched in business
and politics of the state. He is said to be
miles ahead of the Ubas, the Ukachukwus
and the Soludos as he has in the course
of his 326 ward tours displayed an
unusual mastery of the state geography
and political idiosyncrasies of the various
zones. And going by the pronouncements
of the party's national chairman during
the inauguration of Gov Seriake Dickson-
led PDP Reconciliation Committee, they
are very prepared to reclaim Anambra
among other states the party lost.
INSIDE APGA
Gov Obi is believed to have President
Jonathan's ears. Yet he is said to be
rooting for Prof Charles Soludo, a former
CBN Governor, who apparently left the
PDP because he failed to get the nod of
Mr President, as the APGA candidate. This
is clearly an ambush for whoever Mr
President's PDP nominates.
As he counts days to his departure and
after working so hard to dismember his
APGA, Obi is said to be playing church
politics card. He wants his Catholic faith
to dominate others with mind-boggling
ratio in virtually everything in the state.
To achieve his aim this time, he is said to
be reconciling with his embattled national
chairman, Chief Victor Umeh, a fellow
Catholic, using Soludo, also a Catholic, as
the bargaining chip.
Soludo too is said to be ready to
reconcile with his sister in-law, Prof Dora
Akunyili, also a Catholic, to upstage the
looming political volcano APGA being
foisted by the elements in PDP. It was for
this reason the former Central Bank chief
recently dumped the PDP for APGA, just
like Akunyili. They are Catholics, and are
all very qualified, no doubt. They fit
properly into the out-going governor's
'all-Catholic' profile agenda.
Close watchers of events in Anambra
contend that the lack of geo-balance and
respect for the sensibilities of the
electorate by the key players in the
newly formed All Progressives Congress
(APC) is the greatest headache its most
visible aspirant, Dr Chris Ngige, would
have. In addition, many of those who
were close to him have vowed to oppose
him,this time. Their reasons are similar
and personal- they allege he underrates
loyalty. His upcoming APC is equally
accused of lacking sense of fair
distribution of anything, not even the
party positions.
MANY WARS
Ifeanyi Ubah is an energetic young man
with visible burning zeal to better the lot
of the masses, but the Nigerian factor is
alleged to have become his greatest
undoing. He may have issues of security
clearance ahead of the election. He has
too many wars on his hands with federal
agencies.
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