National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Congress, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, on Monday shattered the hopes of Mr. Andy Uba, winner of a factional primaries conducted for the November 16 governorship election in Anambra State.
Tukur, instead declared Tony Nwoye, winner of the primaries conducted by the other faction as the authentic candidate of the party.
Uba, a Senator and former aide of ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, was declared winner of the primaries conducted days ago in Awka, Anambra State for a total of 15 contestants, after polling 645 votes against Emma Anosike’s 110 votes. The other contestants for the primary election were Patrick Ugboma who polled 88 votes, Jerry Ugokwe who polled 86 votes, and Mike Okoye who had 22 votes in the election conducted by the Ejike Oguebeo faction of the party.
An excited Uba had expressed satisfaction about the peaceful conduct of the election and commended the delegates for their peaceful conduct. While the exercise was going on, the primary election conducted by John Emeakayi at the Dr Alex Ekwueme Square produced Nwoye.
Though the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recognises the Oguebeo faction, the PDP recognises the Emeakayi faction. Oguebeo is, however, recognised by INEC as the Anambra PDP chairman.
Political watchers had thought that Uba would be declared authentic candidate of the party, judging by his closeness to former President Obasanjo and the role he has played for the party.
Tukur, who received the report of the party’s electoral panel headed by Governor Ibrahim Shema of Katsina on Monday, disowned Uba as the party’s flag bearer, but it is yet to be known how Uba would react to this development.
It can be recalled that Uba contested successfully in the PDP primaries for the Anambra State governorship election in 2007, and was elected in the 14th April 2007 elections as governor.
However, Governor Peter Obi challenged the election, saying that because the courts had only accepted that Obi had won the April 2003 elections on 15th March 2006, he still had three more years or his four-year term to serve. The courts accepted this argument and on 14th June 2007 nullified Andy Uba’s election. In November 2009, it was reported that Uba was planning to run for the delayed Anambra State gubernatorial elections in February 2010 on the Labour Party platform after the Labour party had invited him to make the move.
The party’s leadership said they “believed that he will deliver on the ideals and objectives of the party.” Speaking about his decision to switch parties, on 31st December 2009, Uba said, “Labour is my natural political home.”