Anambra APC primary: Ngige, ward leaders, others kicks against process

Confusion is currently trailing the emergence of Senator Andy Uba as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Anambra State November 6, 2021 governorship election, as declared by Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that Governor Abiodun who served as the chairman of APC primary election panel, announced the outcome of the poll at Golden Tulip Hotel, Agulu Lake, Awka, early on Sunday.

Abiodun said Uba emerged the winner with 230,201 votes while his closest rival, Johnbosco Onunkwo polled a total of 28,746 votes.

He said 348,490 votes were cast in the primary election.

He said the election committee adopted the open ballot mode also known as Option A4 to conduct the primary election.

Reacting to the development, the Minister of Labour and Employment who spoke to the Nigerian Tribune via telephone said the primary election did not hold anywhere in Anambra State.

He proposed June 29 for a fresh electoral process.

Also, the 11 aspirants out of the 14 governorship aspirants of the party have maintained their stance that the governorship primary did not take place anywhere in the state.

The spokesperson for the aspirants, Chief George Moghalu, in a press conference, held at BON Hotel in Awka, on Sunday, restated that the exercise should be cancelled and fresh polls are conducted, if APC must win the November 6, 2021 guber election.

According to him, in all the 326 electoral wards of the state, delegates came out to vote, but that none of the APC team in charge of the conduct the primary and the Independent National Electoral Commission officials was seen.

He said, “Anybody who claimed that there was primary is fraudulent and does not wish APC well in the November 6 election.

He appealed to the party’s leadership to come up with a fresh date for the primary to ensure that the party beat the deadline set by the Electoral Act.

Other aspirants who kicked against the conduct of the APC primary election were Johnbosco Onunkwo, Ben Etiaba, Amobi Nwaokafor, Chidozie Nwankwo, Geoffo Onyjegbu, Azuka Okwuosa, among others.

A statement by the  Publicity Secretary of APC in Anambra State, Okelo Madukaife dissociated itself from the primary election.

The statement read, “Our attention has been drawn to a set of figures circulating on the Internet without signature or attribution and purported to be  Anambra APC  primaries results.

“The figures do not owe to Anambra State APC primaries which did not hold and for which we look forward to the Caretaker National Executive of our great party to choose a new date within INEC timetable.

“The leader of our great party in Anambra State and Minister of Labour & Employment, Sen (Dr.) Chris Nwabueze Ngige has proposed Tuesday, June 29, 2021, for the primaries to hold, and we recommend that it should be considered. 

“In the time being, the figures should be discarded and discountenanced as they are figments of fertile imagination, with a potential of being fatal.”

In his reaction, in a press conference held in his office in Awka, on Sunday, at about 8:20 pm, Senator Andy Uba, told journalists that the primary election conducted by INEC and announce by Governor Dapo Abiodun led Electoral Committee was a free and fair contest.

He appealed to his co-contesters to join hands with him, in order to deliver Anambra for APC.

“I wish to use this opportunity to thank INEC officers, my family, my campaign DG, Paul Chukwuma, the media and my campaign team for the rule they play towards making the election a successful one.”