AS the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) holds its senatorial primaries tomorrow, next week is a decisive one for the hordes of senatorial aspirants in the 109 senatorial districts of the country especially in Anambra Central of Anambra State. The candidates of the leading political parties will emerge this week.
Unarguably, the contest for the Anambra Central senatorial stool is one of the fiercest if not the hottest in the country on account of many factors.
Most of the aspirants are well-read and vastly experienced. Anambra Central is the only zone in the South-East where the All Progressives Congress (APC) has a senator in the person of Senator Chris Ngige. The National Chairman of the state ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Victor Umeh, is from the area and is also running for the seat.
In this zone are Idemili North and Idemili South local councils, which are very populous and account for about 40 per cent of the voting population of the entire state. The three leading parties in the country – APGA, APC and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are very strong in the zone. Immediate past governor of Anambra, Mr Peter Obi, who recently defected to the PDP is from the district.
A host of those gunning for the senatorial seat are political giants, who have the financial wherewithal, contacts and network to aspire for any office in the land.
Indeed, some observers consider Anambra Central as the heartbeat of Anambra State, the gateway to the South-East geo-political zone. Going further, some have figuratively referred to Anambra Central as the “zone of death” in the countdown to the 2015 senatorial polls.
The aspirants currently scrambling for the seat and bought the nomination forms of their various political parties are Ngige (APC), Umeh (APGA), Hon Uche Ekwunife (PDP), Senator Annie Okonkwo (PDP), Dr. Obiora Okonkwo (PDP), Dr. Kodilichukwu Okelekwe (PDP) and Mr Sylvester Okonkwo (PDP).
From the list of aspirants, there will be no contests for the tickets of APC and APGA unless unforeseen events occur. Ngige is arguably, the consensus candidate of the APC. So also is Umeh for APGA unless the Supreme Court rules next week that Chief Maxi Okwu is the authentic national chairman of APGA.
Scramble for PDP ticket
With no contests expected in the APC and APGA, the focus now shifts to the PDP primaries where the various aspirants are locked in a battle of wits to outwit one another for the ticket.
Who the PDP decides to field may go a long way in shaping the outcome of the entire 2015 general elections in the state. In the South-East, Anambra cannot be safely referred to as PDP state like Abia, Ebonyi and Enugu. It shares certain similarities with Imo State, whose governor, Rochas Okorocha, belongs to APC following his defection from APGA.
Given the voters strength of the zone, President Goodluck Jonathan needs to win in the area if he hopes to win majority of votes in Anambra next year. This might be a pipe dream if the PDP makes the wrong choice of a candidate.
Besides, the party needs to field a candidate who can give Ngige and Umeh a run for their money and win the seat for the PDP. The last time the party occupied the post was between 2007 and 2011. throough Annie Okonkwo lost the position to Ngige in 2011.
Currently, Ngige and Umeh are said to be waiting and hoping that the PDP will falter and field a lightweight, a mistake that will pave the way for them for a seamless journey to the Senate.
Already, events in the PDP indicate that the party might approach the elections without a united a front. Factions of the party in Anambra, last weekend, released different lists of candidates for the State House of Assembly election. While those expected to vote at the primaries trooped to the earlier designated venues for the exercise in all the local councils as early as 8am, factional leaders stayed in hotels in Awka where they later released names.
At about 6pm on Saturday when it became obvious that there was not going to be any voting, those who assembled at the venues went home and yet names of winners still emerged.
A team from the national secretariat conducted its own primaries at Doris Hotels in a remote area of Awka. And another group led by Chief Kenneth Emeakayi held its primaries in another location in Awka.
In essence, three different groups conducted parallel primaries. However, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said it recognised the primaries conducted by the Ejike Oguebego group, which is led by Chief Chris Uba. Anambra INEC Spokesman, Mr. Frank Egbo, said the electoral umpire recognized and supervized the Oguebego-led PDP primaries.
As it is, the PDP is on the verge of approaching the polls with a disunited front. A reason, some stakeholders have urged the national hierarchy of the party to intervene and ensure that PDP fields a popular candidate, who can win the election proper.
Such a candidate, they suggested should be someone who is intellectually and academically sound, loyal to the PDP, acceptable to the people of the zone, and has the capacity to ensure effective representation for Anambra central in the Senate. And also, he should someone, who can get the support of the church –Catholics and Anglicans, who play major roles in the leadership recruitment process and election in the state.
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