Anambra State PDP Parades 3 Chairman As IPAC Holds Controversial Poll
The internal strife rocking the Anambra State chapter of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was recently brought to the public as three individuals claimed State Chairman of the party during the state election of the Inter-Party Adversary Council (IPAC) held at the secretariat of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Awka.
The trio, Prince Ken Emeakayi, Chief Ejike Oguebego and Hon. Emeka Small Nzekwe during accreditation, lay claim to PDP Chairmanship position; thereby created a rowdy session for almost one hour, as well as prompted the IPAC electoral committee to send a delegation to Anambra State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Barr. Lawrence Azubuike to verify from INEC register, the authentic chairman of PDP in the state.
Presumably sensing danger in the already tensed exercise, REC Azubuike told the delegation that the authentic chairman of the party could not be determined at the moment, because according to him, INEC National got information that PDP held three separate party congress in Anambra State and was yet to brief them of the authentic executive it has accepted.
However, to avoid disenfranchising the party in the election, Emeakayi pleaded with the committee to allow Chief Oguebego to vote on behalf of them, and he was allowed to vote boasting that Emeakayi’s action has shown that indeed he (Emeakayi) knew that he was never PDP State chairman he was claiming to be.
News48hour.com reports that an atmosphere of uncertainty nearly foiled the IPAC poll at initial stage as the INEC REC, Barr. Lawrence Azubuike, dismissed the chairmen of political parties who gathered at the INEC office for the IPAC election, charging them to move outside the premises as he was yet receive official correspondence from the headquarters concerning the election.
It took the intervention of the IPAC electoral committee from Abuja to have the election held at the venue, after the committee led by Major Agbo, the National Chairman of NNPP, told the REC that INEC office is government property, and it would be unfair to disgrace chairmen of political parties out of the premises and barred them from conducting their election.
Meanwhile, the IPAC election produced Sir Norbert Obi, the Anambra State Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) as Chairman; Mrs Oby Okafor of the ACD emerged as the Deputy Chairman; while Hon. Peter Okala of the NCP emerged as the state Publicity Secretary of IPAC.
Others include, Chief Barr. Emeka Ibe (APC), Secretary; Comrade Chief Mathias Ameke (PPA), Financial Secretary; Dr. Dim Patrick (DPC), Treasurer and Hon. Moses Afum (AA), Deputy Secretary.
While inaugurating the newly elected exco, the leader of IPAC electoral committee, Major Agbo, commended the chairmen of political parties in Anambra for successfully electing a new leadership. He called on them to work as one family in order to foster good political atmosphere in the state.
Fielding questions from newsmen after the election, Sir Norbert Obi, who defeated the chairman of Labour party, Chief Luke Ezeanokwasi, with 3 votes to emerge chairman of IPAC, thanked his colleagues and promised to get everyone back to one fold, and to make Anambra IPAC a family to emulate.
Also speaking to newsmen, the Special Adviser to Governor Willie Obiano on Political Matters, Hon. Chinedu Obidigwe, who monitored the election, describe the exercise as reflection of true democracy; adding, “I foresee a situation where INEC will emulate this kind of exercise in conducting future elections in Nigeria; an election characterized by openness and transparency. I must commend IPAC team from Abuja for a job well done”.
However, one of the chairmanship nominees for the IPAC election in the state, Dr. Sir Sylvester Igwilo, who is the chairman of the UPP in Anambra, has vowed to drag IPAC and, by extension, Norbert Obi, to court. According to him, “the exercise was a fraud. I was disenfranchised, so, I will seek redress at the court of law”.
Dr. Igwilo, who is also the Medical Director of Evans Hospital, Ozubulu, Anambra State, was disqualified from participating in the chairmanship election by the electoral committee on the ground that his nomination was not seconded.
Igwilo’s disqualification came because of an observation made by Prince Ken Emeakayi, who contended that since Igwilo was dully nominated but his nomination was not seconded by anyone, his nomination remained void.
He therefore insisted that IPAC would tell him in the court of law where it is written that, “seconding must be a criterion for one to be a valid candidate for election”.