• Committee Illegal, Says Okwu
• How Membership Card From Rival Chairman Disqualified Aspirants
• Ukwa Denies Allegation
SIGNS that the protracted leadership crisis in the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) would negatively affect the forthcoming governorship election in Anambra State emerged after the party’s screening exercise in Abuja, where six aspirants, including former Central Bank Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, were disqualified.
Dissatisfied with the process, the affected aspirants, some of whom are already in Abuja, have vowed to appeal the “verdict” of the committee.
Although the screening committee, headed by Alhaji Tayo Sowunmi, gave varied reasons ranging from pending investigations by anti-corruption agencies to the aspirants’ lack of capacity to prosecute their ambition, the disqualification of Dr. Chike Obidigbo, on grounds of filing a party membership card signed by the rival national chairman, Maxi Okwu, suggests that the so-called reconciliation between Governor Peter Obi and Victor Umeh was a façade.
There were allegations of underground plot by Umeh’s loyalists, who allegedly held a meeting to ensure that certain individuals, including the immediate past Secretary to the Anambra State Government (SSG), Oseloka Obaze, whose names were marked at the meeting, were not cleared to run the governorship election on the APGA platform.
A source within the National Headquarters of APGA told The Guardian that Umeh and his inner caucus members had sworn to deal with certain aspirants identified as core loyalists of Governor Obi. The source, who is conversant with the affairs of the party, stressed that the plot was to ensure that such people with known allegiance to the Governor neither fly the party’s flag nor succeed the incumbent governor.
“But, apart from (the issue of) loyalty to Obi, there were others like (Prof.) Soludo who ‘eternal influence from Legacy House’ do not want their names to appear on the APGA column of the ballot paper,” the source disclosed, adding that it was in a bid to execute that narrow mandate that the serious contenders from Anambra North Senatorial zone were disqualified.
But a member of the three-man screening panel, Ichie Onwuka Ukwa denied any mischievous plot, saying:
“We did not screen out anybody. First of all, we followed the guidelines, did interviews and then those that passed, passed; those that did not qualify were, of course, disqualified. So those that met the conditions of the guidelines were cleared.
“Let me tell you this, approach whoever you want to approach among those candidates; the reasons for their disqualification were clearly stated in the certificate of clearance or disqualification. It is not a question of speculation. Political speculation has no space in something of this nature; it is a serious business. There is nothing and it has nothing to do with anything playing out, we have passed that stage in APGA. (The issue about) Maxi Okwu is not something one should start talking about; we have passed that stage.”
On what impact the contentious disqualification, especially that of Soludo, could cause the party in its efforts to win the governorship election, Ukwa said the party was marching forward, maintaining that “he (Soludo) is not the only one disqualified neither is he the first to be disqualified.
“Exercise of this nature has never been the end of any political party when an individual is disqualified. Besides, this is a democratic process; the opening for appeal exists. If anyone feels sufficiently aggrieved, he should take advantage of that opportunity for redress through the appeal process,” he declared, adding that, since the appeal panel has not even started work, it would amount to speculation to say that some names were marked for disqualification.
“Dr. Chike Obidigbo, one of the disqualified aspirants said he has been inundated with phone calls from many people making inquiries on why he was disqualified.
“In my instance, they said I filed a membership card endorsed by Maxi Okwu. But the truth of the matter is that at the pronouncement of the Court of Appeal Judgment recognising Victor Umeh as National Chairman, I obtained a fresh membership card endorsed by him and sent to the party with a request that the former card should be replaced with the recent one signed by Umeh.
“Whether they effected that replacement is what I don’t know; but, as we speak, I am on my way to Abuja to face the Appeal committee. A lot of confusion is in the air such that you don’t know whom to trust. I hope they will spare the party these further distractions.”
Francis Emeka Idigo, another disqualified aspirant, also hinted that he would appeal to the committee.
“Being a law-abiding and loyal party man, I will go on Appeal and see to the logical conclusion of the whole thing. The reason they gave is laughable and not one of the conditions in the guidelines for the primaries. They said lack of capacity to conduct the election. I have been in an election before; this is not my first time. Financial statement was never asked for, even if they did, our Electoral Act stipulated the maximum a candidate can spend in the election, which is N200 million. And I don’t think there is anybody that started this race that does not have N200 million.”
Asked whether crisis of leadership led to the skewed screening, Idigbo, a lawyer, added: “I would not know; I have asked my supporters to remain calm as I fight it out. I know in the end justice will prevail. I will be back in the race and I will contest and win the primary.”
The governorship aspirant said the disqualification of Prof. Soludo erases the suspicion that the screening committee worked towards a predetermined outcome even as he said it was impossible that some people were working to soften the ground for an eventual governorship victory for Mr. Ifeanyi Ubah, who left APGA for the rival Labour Party.
On how the screening affects the reconciliation and reunification of APGA factions, factional National Chairman, Maxi Okwu, said he would not say whether Obi was stabbed in the back or a victim of mischief, saying: “Peter Obi remains my leader and I will speak to him privately.”
However, Okwu insisted that there was no true reconciliation in the party. According to him, Umeh and Obi came to a truce for the purpose of the elections. “How that will play out is what we are still watching. But take it from me; it is a short-gun marriage.
“As I told you, we have filed our suit and it would be processed on Monday. Jega has refused to answer my questions because he cannot answer them. He has been playing hide and seek with us. I have dragged them to the Court of law; he must answer the questions. And that case is going to change the face of APGA forever.
“Finally that screening committee is illegal. Article 16 of the APGA Constitution, which is here before me states clearly- this section deals with duties and functions of committees; (A) Working Committee, (B) Finance, (C) Publicity, (D) Screening/selection committee. This is the constitution of APGA filed with INEC, (Independent National Electoral Commission) which must be obeyed; but Umeh is lawless.
“Forget that he has been throwing documents around quoting the law. Subsection (D) says, screening and selection committee shall be headed by the national chairman of the party and six members to be appointed by the NWC, (National Working Committee) but Umeh put up a three-man committee to do the screening.
It is an illegal committee and what they did is a farce! But that is their headache; we will meet in the court of law.”
Prof. Soludo could not be reached for comments at the time of filing this report but a former State Chairman of the defunct All People’s Party (APP) Mr. Bonaventure Maduafokwa, said if, indeed, the former CBN Governor was disqualified for not being in the party for a long time or due to a pending investigation, APGA was not being fair to its own image.
Maduafokwa recalled that, in 2011, the party fielded Mr. Chuma Nzeribe 24 hours to the primaries, basically because he had the capacity to run for the election, recalling that it was based on his (Nzeribe’s) popularity that he gave Dr. Andy Uba, a good fight for the Senatorial seat
Source: Guardian
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