JOHN NWOKOCHA writes that controversies have characterised pre-election primaries that produced candidates for the November 18, 2017, Anambra state governorship election on the platforms of competing political parties, due to irregularities and wonders if the election proper will be malpractice and controversy free Th e emergence of candidates of the various political parties for the November 18 Anambra Government House race has been characterised by controversies.
As the date for the election draws closer the political space has remained stormy occasioned by pre-primary leadership confl icts as well as primary induced controversies generated by some desperate aspirants of the contesting political parties.
From the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Anambra State, to the All Progressives Congress (APC), from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the United Progressive Party (UPP), the primaries which produced their candidates are being trailed by disputes.
Prior to the primaries the parties were divided into factions with each factional leader speaking tough and maintaining that it would not bend over for its rival.
Rather, they stuck to their gun pursuing their diff erent goals.
And as they did so, the crises deepened.
And on account of this, protracted disputations within the parties have been elicited.
Observers Keen observers of the development can tell that almost all the parties conducted parallel primaries for the governorship poll, with the factional leaders justifying their actions, blaming the situation on what they called lack of internal democracy and a reign of impunity in their parties.
APGA In APGA for instance, the party went into its primaries enmeshed in disagreements between the faction led by Chief Martin Agbaso, on the one hand and the one led by Dr Victor Oye, on another.
Interventions by stakeholders to broker peace so that the party could go into the crucial governorship election as a united force were abortive.
It would be recalled that barely three months to the party’s national convention in Awka, Anambra State, the Oye-led faction dragged the rival camp to the Appeal Court in the state to determine who is the authentic national leader of the party.
As the issue was waiting the court’s determination, the Agbaso camp fi red back, claiming that Oye was a usurper who masterminded other alleged anti-party activities, such as usurping powers of national executive, among others.
He fi led a counter suit at the High Court in Enugu, in May this year.
Th e court had on May 22 given a ruling that sacked Oye’s leadership of APGA National Working Committee.
In the verdict, Justice A. R Ozoemena of the Enugu High Court had granted an Order of Mandamus directing the Independent National Electoral Commission and the Police to recognise Chief Martin Agbaso as the Chairman of APGA.
But Oye said the judgment of the court was not bidding on him, insisting: “I remain the bona-fi de, undisputed National Chairman of APGA, any other person is an impostor”.
As it turned out two High Courts in Awka and Nnewi, both in Anambra State gave Oye favourable judgements.
Both courts affi rmed Oye as APGA’s national chairman and stopped Agbaso from conducting primaries for the November 18 gubernatorial election.
Th e Enugu Division of Appeal Court verdict in favour of Oye came a day after his faction held its primary election which produced the incumbent Governor Obiano as APGA’s candidate.
Nevertheless, the Agbaso -led group went ahead and held its parallel
primary election on August 21, and Ifeanyi Igwebuike emerged as their candidate.
Not done, Agbaso has fi led an appeal at the Supreme Court.
Comedy Th e comedy of leadership tussle playing out is warranting the appellation of APGA as party of litigations.
Th e party has been through same path of endless leadership disputes and litigations before.
To allow itself to be engulfed by the same trouble may mean that it did not learn any useful lessons and for the internal crisis to linger till this moment may aff ect its quest to retain the governorship seat.
Leadership tussle Th e leadership tussle in APGA started in October 2016, when some members of the National Working Committee (NWC) announced the suspension of Oye for alleged gross misconduct.
Suspended along with him were Alhaji Abubakar Adamu, deputy national chairman (North) and Chief Uche Okogbuo, deputy national chairman (South).
Mr. Nwabueze Okafor (now late) was immediately appointed as interim national chairman.
Th e late Okafor was the Vice Chairman South East of APGA before he was chosen to replace Oye.
Two claimants APGA as a party has won elections and controls Anambra State because of massive protest votes against the PDP in 2006.
Th e popularity of APGA soared as well as its electoral net worth ascended beyond Anambra State.
It became the party to beat in the state and other states like Imo in the south east geo-political zone of the country.
At the time it boasted of a huge support base in addition to internal cohesion.
But with many pending cases at diff erent courts of law the November election is not likely a walk over for the party.
With two claimants to the offi ce of national chairman the chance of Governor Willie Obiano is being undermined.
Obiano who emerged governor in March2014 on the platform of APGA is seeking a second term in offi ce to retain the seat on the platform of APGA.
APC primary amid controversy Th e fate of Hon Tony Nwoye who emerged on the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC), a forth night ago hangs in the balance, because controversy has continued to trail the conduct of the primary.
Aspirants who contested the ticket against Nwoye are reportedly protesting against the process that produced him saying it is fraudulent and called for cancellation of the primary.
Last week, two political groups, namely; Buhari Support Group, (BSG) Anambra State chapter and Coalition of Civil Society Groups (CCSG) in Anambra State expressed dissatisfaction with the electoral process in which Nwoye emerged.
In diff erent petitions to APC national leadership, the groups said the process of the election was fraught with malpractices.
Th ey therefore demanded the poll be declared null and void.
In its separate petition to APC national chairman, Chief John Oyegun, and signed by its Anambra State Coordinator, Dr. Emeka Nwaofor and Secretary, Chief (Mrs) Stella Obiora, the BSG is calling for a fresh primary.
In the same vein, the CCSG’s petition to the Director-General of Department of State Security Service (DSS), Mamman Daura, is threating to challenge the primary at court of competent jurisdiction unless their petition is given adequate attention.
The petition Th e petition which was signed by the group’s president, Etuk Bassey Wiliams, and Secretary-General, Ibrahim Abubakar, warned that “with the emergence of Nwoye as the candidate, the chances of APC winning the Anambra State governorship election was slim”.
It reads: “As loyal members of the APC who participated in the last gubernatorial primaries of our dear state, we write to call for review of the process that produced Tony Nwoye as the candidate of the party in the forthcoming November election.
“Our reason for this call is borne out of sharp malpractices which contravene the electoral act perpetrated by him which include but not limited to fi nancial inducement and swapping of delegates.
“Another reason behind our call that the process should be reviewed is the calibre of his main sponsor.
His sponsor, Chief Arthur Eze, is a sworn enemy of Mr. President as we all know he was a major sponsor of the former President Jonathan.
“He once swore that he will never support our amiable party; we are thus taken aback when the same man is now sponsoring same candidate that he sponsored in 2013 with the aim of amassing wealth… “We thus urge the appeal panel to look critically into this; if this is not done, we might not have better option than mobilize our members to do anti-party by supporting another candidate.
” CCSG’s angst On its part, the CCSG declared: “We wish to conclude in expectation of justice that if no signifi cant step or action is taken we shall approach a court of competent jurisdiction to compel the party to do the needful.
“Th e party principles should not be undermined and swept under the carpet.
Elections are for people that have good pedigree and justify their capabilities; they must have track records of achievements and not self-seeking individuals who have maintained the role of spoilers in every election.
“We assure you of our readiness to provide all necessary evidences with respect to all the allegations contained in this petition as we attach overleaf copies of some evidences.
“A panel of inquiry should be set up to look into the elections.
Th ere should be total re-verifi cation of the delegates list as used in the primary elections for authentications through a confi rmation process by the known state structure of the party with national exco maintaining the observers status.
