By David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka
Stakeholders and aspirants of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Anambra State have rejected what it called purported primary elections, which threw up the trio of Senators Andy Uba, Uche Ekwunife and Margery Okadigbo as candidates for Anambra South, Central and Northern Senatorial zones of the state respectively.
The stakeholders in a joint press briefing with Senatorial and House of Representatives aspirants told journalists that the names touted as winners of the primary elections were false, saying that no primary election had been held in the state.
Chief Nelson Onubogu, an aspirant of the party for Anambra North Senatorial zone who addressed journalists on behalf of other aspirants said, “Our party scheduled its primary election for 4th October, and we mobilised our supporters for the election, but to our surprise, we could not find the committee for the conduct of the election.
“The exercise was deferred for 5th, yet we have not seen the committee. We have called all their phone lines, but none of them has picked our call.
“Why we are holding this press conference is to tell the world of this injustice in our party, and to call on the leadership of our party to quickly wade in an ensure conduct of the primary election, because none has held.”
The aggrieved aspirants and stakeholders of the party pointedly accused the trio of Andy Uba, Uche Ekwunife and Late Senator Chuba Okadigbo’s widow, Margery of being responsible for the problem in the party.
Another aspirant, Mr. Ebele Obi who is contesting for the ticket of the party for Anambra Central Senatorial zone described their opponents as fair weather politicians who joined the party because it won power, and were trying to foist themselves on the party using the same method they deployed in their previous party, PDP.
He said, “These people are not members of our party, they joined the party because we are in power. If we did not win election in 2015, would they have joined us?
“In the case of my opponent, Uche Ekwunife, she was barred from contesting election in PDP and also sent packing from the senate because of this singular attitude, and here she is in APC, trying to do the same thing.”
Speaking on behalf of the stakeholders of the party, Mr. Barth Nwibe said, “I am not an aspirant in this election, but we think the right thing should be done. Those who think they are popular should not be afraid of going into the field. Each of these men you see here spent N7million for the form and paid additional N500,000 for the running of the party.
“We are appealing to our party leaders to conduct election for us.”
