It was like tsunami for some politicians in Anambra state following what analysts call the unprecedented crash in last week NASS election. OKEY CHRIS chronicles the circumstances that led to the triumph and downfall of some political lords in the state.
The much-anticipated 2019 National Assembly election has come and gone, leaving some to wail and others to jubilate.
In Anambra state specifically, the outcome of the election seemed to have spewed ghost pimples on supporters of the two most popular political parties, namely, All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
PDP had been in power in the state until recently and when it comes to the National Assembly poll, it has been since the coming of democracy in 1999.
How the permutation went
In the 2015 general election alone, the party secured 10 out of 11 House of Representatives seats and the whole of 3 senatorial positions in the state. But APGA which got only a House of Representative seat (Oyi/Ayamelum constituency) at the election later snatched one, Anaocha/Njikoka/Dunukofia federal constituency away from the PDP through the election petition tribunal and court of appeal, respectively.
APGA further ‘stole’ Anambra Central Senatorial seat from the PDP in 2018 following the nullification of the 2015 poll and a bye-election held without PDP, the major contender and APC, whose candidate, Chris Ngige, opted out. The party, earlier in November 2017 governorship election defeated its opponents in the whole of 21 council areas of the state.
The APGA 21/21 governorship election victory directly and indirectly created fear in the state political terrain, prompting most political bigwigs to dump their political parties including PDP to the party. The fear to some is that APGA would always have its way or win other political parties in a free and fair poll.
Consequently, APGA recorded at least 10 aspirants in each national and states assembly constituency seats during the party’s primary elections. That was followed by controversies that trailed the primary election, resulting into factionalisation or break-away of the aggrieved members of APGA. Dr Ifeanyi Patrick Ubah, the current winner of the Anambra South Senatorial poll under the platform of Young Progressive Party (YPP) was one of those that left APGA to another political party.
Ubah abandoned APGA following his disqualification from APGA senatorial primary for Anambra-south, which was later won by Chief Nicholas Ukachukwu. But according to the results released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Ubah polled 87,081 votes to defeat PDP’s candidate, Chris Uba and his elder brother and incumbent senator for the district, Andy Uba, and Nicholas Ukachukwu of APGA who respectively scored 62,462, 13,235 and 51,269 votes.
At Anambra Central Senatorial zone, APGA lost out its first and only senatorial seat in state and National Assembly seat. The INEC returning officer for the zone, Prof Can Nwankwo announced that Chief Victor Umeh, the incumbent senator representing the zone who scored 81,429 votes, was defeated by Uche Ekwunife of PDP with her 118,484 votes. The APC flag bearer, Chief Sylvester Okonkwo got 10,999 votes as well.
Interestingly, Stella Oduah of PDP retained her seat for Anambra South Senatorial district, having secured 113,989 votes to defeat Mr Emmanuel Chinedu Emeka of APGA who came second with 59,937 votes while Mr Nelson Onubogu of the APC garnered 11,995 votes, according to result announced by the returning officer, Prof Hugh Maduka.
In the House of Representatives, PDP secured six as against APGA 4 seats. The PDP clinched victory at Oyi/Ayamelum where Barr Vincent Ekene Ofumelu won with14402. At Awka North/South, Engr Chinedu Onwuaso used 32,579 votes to defeat a serving House of Representatives member and candidate of APGA, Anayo Nnebe who gathered 16,317. Incidentally, Nnebe who defected from PDP to APGA in 2017, was flag bearer of the party in 2015 poll when Onwuaso was a House of Assembly candidate of PDP for Awka South I State Constituency.
Likewise, a-two term House of Assembly member for Njikoka I Constituency, Val Ayika of PDP defeated the serving House of Representative member and candidate of APGA for Anaocha/Njikoka/Dunukofia, Hon Ferdinand Dozie Nwankwo; even as Chris Azubuogu, Lynda Ikpeazu and Chukwuma Onyema retained their seats in Idemili North/South; Ekwusigo/Nnewi North/Nnewi south; Onitsha North/Onitsha south, and Ogbaru Federal Constituencies, respectively. Result of Obinna Chidoka, member representing Idemili North/Idemili South and PDP candidate on the election is still inconclusive due to burning of result sheets at Obosi.
The four seats secured by APGA were Anambra East/Anambra West where Chinedu Obidigwe emerged winner with 28,657 votes, beating Mr Ernest Nwoye of PDP (9,574) and Chief Paul Chukwuma, a former gubernatorial aspirant of APC with 4,926. The party also emerged victorious in Orumba North/Orumba South with its candidate and market leader, Okwudili Ezenwankwo; in Ihiala where Ifeanyi Muoma, who had contested for the seat two times defeated a serving House of Representatives member and candidate of PDP, Emeka Anohu; just as Chukwuma Umeorji defeated Eucharia Anazodo, two-term incumbent rep member and candidate of PDP for Aguata Federal Constituency.
Reactions trail outcomes
Meanwhile, reactions have continued to trail the outcome of the election. Speaking to Blueprint, Barr Jezie Ekejiuba, the president of Voters Rights International (VRI), described it as will of people and a sign that all was not well with APGA after securing 21/21 at governorship election.
Ekejiuba, who attributed the PDP and YPP success at the poll to controversial APGA National Assembly primaries, argued that those who won the election were the people’s choice.
“Someone like Ifeanyi Ubah who left APGA to join a newly- registered YPP won. This shows that he was truly the APGA candidate. APGA should learn to conduct transparent primaries. They may fail again if they fail to present popular candidates,” he added.
Also speaking, the head of political science department, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Professor Frank-Colins Okafor, described last Saturday’s presidential and NASS polls as the most keenly contested in the recent history of Nigerian polity.
Okafor, however, alleged that the polls could not be adjudged as free and credible but was marred by irregularities and violence in some parts of the country, adding that the only way of enjoying a free, fair and credible poll is by ensuring that the appointment of INEC chairman is not the prerogative of the president.
On his part, another lecturer in the institution, Professor Uche Nwaogwugwu, suggested that the issue of card reader shutting down during election could be addressed by making a provision where somebody after accreditation will thumb print on the party he is voting for to arrest the ugly trend and also win the confidence of the electorate.
