Defeated PDP Guber Aspirants in Anambra Activate ‘Plan B’

The governorship selection process of the Peoples Democratic Party for the November 6 election in Anambra State may have been won and lost, but David-Chyddy Eleke explains why some defeated aspirants are charting a new course to realise their ambition

The recent governorship selection process of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the November 6 gubernatorial election in Anambra State produced two candidates, from two factions of the party. While the main stream PDP supported by the national leadership produced Mr. Valentine Ozigbo, another faction loyal to self-styled godfather of politics in the state, Chief Chris Uba produced Senator Ugochukwu Uba, his older brother.

A total of 16 aspirants went into the race, but with the emergence of Ozigbo as the candidate of the party from the faction supported by the national leadership, majority of his co-aspirants have congratulated him and moved on. Among those who instantly congratulated Ozigbo right inside the primary election venue are; Senator Uche Ekwunife, Dr. Obiora Okonkwo, who would later withdraw the courtesy, Hon. Chris Azubogu, Barr. Chidi Onyemelukwe, Dr. Godwin Maduka, Hon. Chuma Nzeribe. A few aspirants did not only congratulate Ozigbo verbally, but gave him hugs that suggested genuine happiness for him. Others issued statements in the media to concede to him.

In another primary election of the party, at a different location; Senator Ugochukwu Uba, Mr. Godwin Ezeemo, Mr. Johnny Maduaforkwa and a few others participated. They did not congratulate Ozigbo as they are convinced that the faction that produced him had no powers to hold the primary election. Senator Uba emerged the winner in that faction

THISDAY observed that the emergence of the two candidates has sparked off legal fireworks in various courts over who the authentic PDP candidate for the November 6 election is. While many aspirants that participated in the election have moved on, others are making fresh plots on how to achieve their dreams of becoming governor of the state. For some of these aspirants, despite the expiration of time alloted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to primary election, it may be said that they anticipated a rancorous primary election in the PDP and, therefore, made alternative plans, which have since been activated.
Long before the PDP held its primary election, some of these guber candidates positioned surrogates to clinch the governorship ticket in other political parties, waiting for the right time to move their supporters over to the new political platform to contest the governorship position.

Prior to the PDP governorship primary, many stakeholders were worried that the party may not remain united after selecting its candidate. There was fear of return to the perennial disagreement that breaks the PDP in Anambra into factions. Though controlled by the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), the state has a large number of PDP supporters, including grassroots and bigwig politicians, who can be described as money bags. Indeed, the moneybag politicians in the party have remained its problem as they are quick to instigate crisis.

Before the primary election, the then chairman of the party, Mr Ndubuisi Nwobu, together with the national and zonal leadership of the party assured everyone of a transparent process. On the other hand, the aspirants continuously harped on the transparency of the process, hinging their support for whoever emerges, on the credibility of the process. With last month’s primary election, the controversy that trailed the list of delegates used for the election and the tussle over which of the factions of the party is authentic, it is however evident that some of the aspirants are not satisfied, and have started making alternative plans.

Dr. Godwin Maduka is one of the 16 aspirants, who also participated in the contest and lost. His supporters believe that if the party had not opted for the super delegates list, he would have carried the day because of his grassroot appeal. One of his supporters, Chief Ugonabor Omemba, who was to be a delegate, but was disenfranchised because of the laat minute insistence on a super delegates list was furious. He said the PDP has “dug its political grave by the grievous way it elected its governorship standard bearer.”

His words: “The PDP in Anambra state has goofed. They have begun the process of losing the governorship election on November 6 by not choosing Dr Maduka. He (Maduka) is the only aspirant with the political muscle and financial stamina to match Obiano, Soludo and APGA and the APC. He is acceptable across the state and very popular. We needed such a candidate who would have given APGA and APC a run for their money in the governorship election.”

Omemba ended by advising Dr. Maduka to leave the PDP for another political party to further his guber ambition. “I call on Dr. Maduka to leave the PDP and choose another political party. I and other disenfranchised delegates and many of our members in the PDP, who are unhappy with this undemocratic practice, are willing to go with him to any party of his choice.

Meanwhile, THISDAY has gathered that the US trained pain specialist and owner of Las Vegas Pain Institute has concluded arrangements to run on the platform of an alternative party. A source said Maduka through his proxies has secured the ticket of two political parties. While Accord Party has given its ticket to a media aide of Maduka, Mr Alex Nwankwo, another political party Action Alliance (AA) has given its ticket to a sister of the pain specialist, all waiting for substitution for them to hand over the ticket to him. The source said the manner of humiliation Maduka got during the primary election of PDP was painful, and considering his financial strength, he is determined to make a statement during the election.

As expected, Dr Maduka has announced his re-entry into the Anambra governorship contest. A source told THISDAY that Dr MAduka has finally dumped the PDP and would be contesting the election on the platform of Accord Party.

Another aspirant, Mr Obiora Okonkwo is also said to be on his way to another political party. A source said Okonkwo who is chairman of United Nigeria Airline will run on the platform of Zenith Labour Party, where his name would be listed before the close of substitution.

This much was given credence last week, when a group, Anambra Rescue Committee (ARC) led by Barr. Azubike Anazor, addressed a press conference in Onitsha. Anazor said: “Any discerning observer of the recent and ongoing political developments in Anambra State would have noticed that the state governorship election slated for the 6th of November 2021 will not, from all indications, produce a Governor generally acceptable to our people. The recent gubernatorial primaries of the major political parties in the State – PDP, APGA and APC — have resulted in the imposition of candidates and manipulation of the electoral process by vested interests actuated, not by altruistic motives and intentions, but by the egregious desire to foist on our dear state a leadership that will serve interests not in tune with the wishes of our people for good governance.

“This state of affairs, if not arrested now, will compel our people to accept all manner of persons as governor and deputy governor, without their requisite critical support, endorsement and imprimatur. It is against the foregoing backdrop that we, the members of the Anambra Rescue Committee (ARC) comprising 22 patriots from the 21 Local Government Area of the state, and Barr. Azubike Anazor as the Chairman, decided to intervene with a view to salvaging our Anambra from an imminent, but inexorable slide and a return to the pre-2003 years of misgovernance, incompetence and lax administration.

“We in the ARC rationalized that if we do not decisively intervene now, if we do not move fast to squelch the present descent into anarchy, confusion and uncertainty, history will not exonerate us from a willful sin of omission. We are intervening to rescue our dear state from an imminent shipwreck which will, if allowed to occur, throw our state back to the years of holocaust and result in the reversal of all the goods we have witnessed since 2003.

“Our State needs a credible, competent and urbane leader with the capacity, reach, viable program of actions and policies, existing solid political/campaign structures, and who is generally acceptable to our people as the Governor. We find these qualities in Dr. Obiora Okonkwo (Dikeora) and we hereby publicly urge him to re-enter the race for the Governor of Anambra State under the banner of any of the registered political parties. We call on all Anambrarians, irrespective of their political persuasions or leanings and their membership of any of the existing political parties, to rally round Dr. Okonkwo if and when he accedes to our request to rejoin the race. Let us all in unison resolve and work towards sending Dr. Obiora Okonkwo to the Government House Awka,” the group said.

A source close to Okonkwo told THISDAY that the businessman has been receiving visitors from the party, who come to plead with him to support Mr. Valentine Ozigbo as the candidate of the party. He said: “He (Okonkwo) has given them condition, but I’m sure they are not ready to honour it. He supported the candidate (Valentine Ozigbo) to pick former state chairman of the party, Mr. Ndubuisi Nwobu as the running mate to Ozigbo, but a particular chieftain of the party insisted that he must pick Ozigbo’s running mate, and they have picked one Mrs. Azuka Enemo, a former Commissioner for Local Government under Mr. Peter Obi. What this means is that they have failed to placate Okonkwo, and he may join another party to run for the governorship, and once he leaves, he will be leaving with a sizeable number of PDP members to another party.

As expected, the former PDP governorship aspirant, Dr. Obiora Okonkwo has announced his resignation from the party. Okonkwo who resigned on Friday afternoon in a letter he submitted to his ward chairman in Ogidi ward 2, Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State cited among other reasons the unending litigation in the party as part of the reason he resigned.

In the letter titled: Notification of My Resignation From The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Okonkwo said his action was with a heavy heart, considering his investment in the party both in Nigeria and the state. “I am writing to formally notify you of my resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with immediate effect. My resignation letter has been long submitted to the PDP Ward Chairman Ogidi 2 in full compliance with the party constitution. My decision to resign has been occasioned by the many factors.

“The general lack of party discipline, fairness and due process in the conduct of party affairs, apparent manipulation in the conduct of the party’s last gubernatorial primaries in Anambra State, never ending plethora of court cases tearing the party apart which the national leadership apparently is incapable of addressing are part of the reason for my resignation.This is such that the party runs the risk of not presenting a candidate for the November 6, 2021 governorship election in Anambra State, and unlawful dissolution of the structures of the party in Anambra State from Wards, Local Governments to the State level by the National Working Committee in clear violation of the Party’s constitution and in disobedience to interlocutory Order of FCT court issued on 25th of June, 2021.”

Okonkwo stated further that: “Given my enormous contributions to the growth of the party in Nigeria in general and Anambra State in particular, it is with a heavy heart that I write this letter. However, it is a necessary move to afford me the chance to further contribute to the development of our dear Anambra State through public service.”

With some of its best politicians leaving for other parties, it is left to be seen how the party will perfrom in the forthcoming governorship election. Though it is still unclear who, between Uba and Ozigbo, will finally fly the flag of the PDP, Ozigbo remains confident that he will run for the governorship seat on the platform of the PDP.

As a way of uniting the party ahead of the election, Mr Valentine Ozigbo has been visiting chieftains of the party. He recently hosted members of the party in Awka, where he and the leader of the party in the state, Mr. Peter Obi pleaded with party members for support.

Last weekend, Court of Appeal, Abuja Division reinstated the sacked leadership of the party in the state, led by Mr Ndubuisi Nwobu. Nwobu’s faction of the party had conducted the primary election where Ozigbo emerged as a candidate. An elated Ozigbo in a press statement signed by Aziza Uko, the Media Advisor of the Valentine Chinaeto Ozigbo Campaign Organisation said the ruling is encouraging. Uko said: “This ruling gives us comfort that our party, the PDP is on the side of justice and that justice will prevail in the other matters before the courts with regards to the candidacy of Valentine Ozigbo and the primary conducted by the National Working Committee of our party.”

“Valentine Ozigbo is grateful for all the support and encouragement, and goodwill he has received since he won the primary, especially from people of Anambra State, PDP Governors, and the leadership of the party at ward, local government, state and national levels. We are resolute in our resolve to actualise our grand vision to rescue Ndi Anambra from the abysmal All Grand Progressives Alliance (APGA) government come November. PDP remains the only platform positioned to take power from APGA and we are confident that soon all litigations will be left in the past and we will march on in our quest to deliver positive transformation to the people of Anambra,” the statement ended.

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THISDAY has gathered that the US trained pain specialist and owner of Las Vegas Pain Institute has concluded arrangements to run on the platform of an alternative party. A source said Maduka through his proxies has secured the ticket of two political parties. While Accord Party has given its ticket to a media aide of Maduka, Mr Alex Nwankwo, another political party Action Alliance (AA) has given its ticket to a sister of the pain specialist, all waiting for substitution for them to hand over the ticket to him. The source said the manner of humiliation Maduka got during the primary election of PDP was painful, and considering his financial strength, he is determined to make a statement during the election. As expected, Dr Maduka has announced his re-entry into the Anambra governorship contest. A source told THISDAY that Dr MAduka has finally dumped the PDP and would be contesting the election on the platform of Accord Party