DEVELOPING NEWS:
The Anambra APC primaries slated for Saturday, the 26th of June has come and gone but the controversy it generated is yet to settle down. Senator Andy, formerly of the PDP was declared winner by the APC panel in charge of the primary. The chairman of the APC primary election panel was Dapo Abiodun who is the governor of Ogun State. He announced the outcome of the poll at Golden Tulip Hotel, Agulu Lake, Awka, early on Sunday.
The full result from Governor Dapo Abiodun`s panel are as follows:
- Senator Andy Uba – 230, 201
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Dr. Chidozie Nwankwo – 21, 281
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George Moghalu – 18,596
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Paul Orajiaka – 4, 348
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Geoff Onyejeagbu – 3, 414
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Azuka Okwuosa – 17,189
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Nwokafor Daniel – 3,335
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Ikoobasi Mokelu – 3,727
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Kwebuike Ifeanyi – 1,466
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Godwin Okonkwo – 5, 907
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Ben Etiaba – 4,244
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Onuwkwo John Bosco – 28, 746
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Edozie Madu – 3,636
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Maxwell Okoye – 2,540
This victory of Senator Andy Uba has since been challenged by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, who is the most senior member of APC in Anambra state. By his position, Ngige is regarded as the leader of the party in Anambra State. He had on Saturday night called for the postponement of the primary “to enable party members across the state to participate as well as give enough room to the Committee Members to resolve contentious issues raised by aspirants.”
Ngige`s opposition to the outcome of the election has also been supported by most other contenders who lost out to Andy Uba. They insist that no election ever held in any of the pooling centers across the state. Moghalu who is their joint spokesperson said: “The opportunity to participate was not provided for us the aspirants and the party members to choose who they want as the flag bearer.”
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Anambra state is known for political skirmishes during primaries, but before this, it has been mostly a PDP phenomenon. Dr. Chris Ngige who is the acclaimed leader of APC in Anambra State is known, or perhaps was known to have good relationship with Asiwaju Bola Tinubu who is the acclaimed national leader of the APC.
In the recent time Ngige have granted media interviews where he took a position that is contrary to the presidential ambition of Tinubu. Ngige recently spoke during an interview on channels television in support of zooning the presidency to the South East. This runs contrary to Tinubus ambition of clinching the APC ticket. It is also an apparent reversal from what many have referred to as Ngige`s desperate clinging on Tinubu`s apron for political survival.
It is therefore not known what role Ahmed Tinubu played in the emergence of Andy Uba whose candidature was opposed by Chris Ngige. There are insinuations that the apparent defeat of Ngige`s political interest in the Anambra APC primary might be the handwork of Tinubu whose political protégée, Dapo Abiodun, the governor of Ogun State, was the chairman of the APC panel.
BASIC FACTS
- A total of 14 candidates vied for the APC governorship primaries on the 26th of June 2021.
- The APC panel chairman. Governor Abiodun said Mr Uba emerged winner with 230,201 votes while his closest rival, Johnbosco Onunkwo polled a total of 28,746 votes.
- The total votes cast were 348, 490 in Option A4 method adopted by the Abiodun APC electoral panel.
- Governor Abiodun, while announcing the winner said Uba met all the requirements by securing 25 per cent in two –thirds of the 21 local government areas of Anambra state.
- Chris Ngige has called for cancelation of the exercise and has recommended a new election to be held today the 29th of June but this apparently was not heeded by the party authorities.
- The current governor of Lagos state, Sanwo olu also emerged as APC flagbearer in a controversial primary which was initially canceled by Adams Oshiomhole, the then national chairman of APC, but Ahmed Tinubu insisted on the results, and he later had his way.
- Governor Abiodun who was the APC panel chairman that the declared Andy Uba the winner, was single handedly installed as the current governor of Ogun State by Ahmed Tinubu.
- Andy has once been elected and sworn into office as governor as PDP candidate in 2007, but was removed by the Supreme Court.
NOTABLE QUOTE
“We consider what happened on Saturday as embarrassing and scandalous. We find it unbelievable that election did not hold and a committee headed by a sitting governor would disapprovingly come out to announce the results that they wrote in whatever corner they were, either in a bedroom or even outside the state. We therefore reaffirm that election did not take place in any part of Anambra on 26th June as initially planned.”… says Chief George Moghalu
WHAT WE ARE WATCHING
We are watching to see where the show of power between Ngige, the acclaimed leader of APC in Anambra state and Andy Uba who from indications has the backing of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the acclaimed national leader of APC. We are also monitoring if there could be any open rift between the two known political allies, to see if they may have parted ways.
We are also following up to see if the national leadership of the APC or the caretaker committee could intervene to address the concerns of Ngige and others. We will also be monitoring the threatening allusions from the 13 aspirants who lost to Andy Uba, to see if they could take any step that could endanger the chances of the APC in the November 6th Anambra governorship election.
We shall keep our readers posted.
FOLLOW THE NEWS
This news is still developing and we are monitoring it for you. In the days and weeks to come, we shall continue to monitor the situation and we will continue to update our readers with the latest developments. Please let us know what part of this news that is of interest to you. Let us know what you wish to know as things develop. Also, avail us with any information that is available to you that may help us better inform our readers. You can sign up to The Intel palydom Newsletter to receive expert analysis on this news and things that matter to you.
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