Mr. Andy Uba, PDP Chieftain in Anambra

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said the raging “war” over who are its National and State Assembly candidates for the April polls in Anambra South Senatorial district has ended as it knows the candidates it accepted, screened and cleared in the zone.

The party’s South East Zonal Secretary, Mr. Vincent Okpaleke stated this at the Ekwulobia Township stadium in the Aguata Local Government Area of the State’s Southern Zone during the campaign flag-off of Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu for Anambra South Senatorial district.

According to Okpaleke who handed the party flag over to Ukachukwu and other House of Representatives and State Assembly Candidates, the national leadership of the party he said authorized him to recognize Ukachukwu as its accepted and cleared candidate whose name along with others had been forwarded to the INEC to stand for the April polls.

He also announced Hon. Chief Anyaonu, (Aguata Federal Constituency) Barr. Azubike Okeke (Orumba North/South), Oscar Gabriel Onuigbo (Aguata I), Chief (Mrs.) Uju B Osude, (Aguata II) Hon. Uche Ogbonna (Orumba North), Dr. Maduka Nwofor (Orumba South) Ikenna Mbazulike-Amechi (Nnewi South I), Mrs. Anulika Anekwe (Nnewi South II) and Theo Egbe (Ekwusigo) as the other candidates cleared by the party for the House of Representatives and State Assembly elections.

The Zonal Secretary said: “I want to emphasize that the war has ended.  The party has finally settled it.  Ukachukwu is the candidate approved by PDP. I want to hand over this flag to the party candidate”,  he said.

Ukachukwu in his speech enjoined all those that contested in the primaries to come and join hands with him, adding that a vote for the PDP in the election is a vote for Nigeria.

He also enjoined the people of the zone to vote for him and President Goodluck Jonathan even as he pledged to squarely tackle the erosion menace in the zone, as well as alleviate poverty among the indigent, adding that he had been doing so privately before seeking for elective office through massive job and employment creation opportunities.

But another claimant to the PDP senatorial ticket for the zone, Dr. Andy Uba told THIS DAY that he remained the candidate of the party who emerged from the Primaries conducted by its recognized state executives led by Benji Udeozor.

According to him, going by the PDP constitution, it is only the recognized State executives of the party that has the authority to conduct its primaries hence the INEC and the Security agencies monitored what he called “primaries by the legitimate state executive”

So I don’t know of any other primaries that took place except this. You can notice that some of them who were not successful at the primary had since defected to the other parties to try and see if they can actualize their ambition”, he said.