APGA ELECTS GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE TODAY

ANXIETY trails today's governorship primary of the All Progressives
Grand Alliance (APGA) to select who flies the party's banner in the
November 16, 2013 election in Anambra State.
While the anticipation of who emerges as candidate is high, there are...

fears that the trumpeted peace accord recently reached between the
State Governor, Peter Obi, and APGA's National Chairman, Chief Victor
Umeh, might unbundle in the process of picking the party's candidate.
Already, the battle lines have been drawn between Obi and Umeh after
the party's screening panel, disqualified six aspirants, five of who
are from Anambra North — the zone, which Obi insists must produce his
successor.
For example, Obi and Umeh cannot agree on who shouldbe the party's
governorship candidate. Obi opposed Umeh's support for the former
governor of the Central Bank and former governorship candidate of the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2010 polls, Prof. Charles
Soludo, as APGA's candidate.
According to sources close to Umeh, "the national chairman wanted
Soludo because he believes that he (Soludo) has the credentials,
stature and charisma to defeat anyone in the November election. He is
aware thatthe former central bank governor came second behind Obi in
the 2010 election and that, but for the division in the PDP, he would
have won that election considering the number of votes Obi got."
But Obi is rooting for a retired banker and former Executive Director
of Fidelity Bank, Chief Willy Obiano, who, it was learnt, was drafted
into the race only two weeks ago.
Obiano does not have the support of the Umeh group,which sees him, not
only as an outsider, but also worries that "he does not have the
political value to win an election in the state against any candidate.
He does not have a name that can win an election. He is also seen as a
man who could starve the party and its men of funds.
"Of course, there are more viable options in Anambra North, but we are
watching how the governor will pull it through on Monday," said a
source.
The signs of the present trouble and anxiety showed up shortly after
the Appeal Court ruling, which reinstated Umeh and ruled that there
should be a return to status quo. This was interpreted to mean that
all those elected with Umeh at all levels should return to their
positions. Most of the elected party officials had pitched their tents
with Umeh during the crisis and they returned determined to take their
pound of flesh from Obi.
They saw their first chance when they drew up the guidelines for the
council polls. It was gathered that theyensured that nobody from the
transition committee at the councils was eligible to contest the
October council election. This was a ploy to oust Obi's men, who had
heldsway and looked forward to the council elections as a chance to
continue their tenure.
Having seen his men lose grounds ahead of the council election, of
more worry for Obi is the fact that he is facing an uphill task trying
to push forward a proposal that will ensure that his commissioners are
selected as delegates for the governorship primary.
Umeh's group is insisting that the commissioners will not be allowed
as delegates.
The Guardian learnt that "core members of APGA are trying to ensure
that they hold the aces in the choice of who emerges on Monday and
they want to ensure that the delegates list doesn't not give the
governor any edge."
One of the disqualified aspirants from Anambra North said yesterday in
Awka: "It is becoming increasingly unlikely that Obi will be able to
push through his choice of anybody without full support from Umeh and
the party hierarchy. With Soludo out, he thought that the coast was
clear for him, but the point is that his man is not Umeh's choice and
he can't go it alone."
Already, there are speculations that Paul Odenigbo mightbe the
surprise choice if the plan to shut out Obi's commissioners as
delegates succeeds. Odenigbo was the Secretary to the State
Government, a former political adviser to Obi and a man considered as
very close to Umeh.
He stood by Umeh during the crisis and is seen as a core party man.
Another choice from the North before the delegates is John Emeka
Junior, a former junior minister of transportunder the late President,
Musa Yar'Adua. Emeka, who left PDP to join APGA, comes from a
political family and enjoys the popularity of his late father, John
Emeka Snr, an astute politician, industrialist, hotelier and
businessman.
His younger brother, Chinedu Emeka, was deputy governor under Chinwoke
Mbadinuju.
Sources close to the party in Anambra disclosed that there are deep
fears that APGA's failure to pick the rightcandidate might spell doom
for the party in November."
Meanwhile, it was gathered that Anambra North Senatorial zone has
moved against Obi's nominee, Obiano,saying that the Governor reneged
against his promise to the zone that he would support whoever they
collectively select for the governorship.
Sources said the opposition to Obiano followed a complaint letter by
one of the disqualified aspirants, Dr. Chike Obidigbo to the leaders
of Anambra North Senatorial zone chronicling how Obi took them through
the rigours of selecting a consensus candidate and recommending same
to him for support, but the governor jettisoned the zone's choice for
his own preferred candidate.
According to the sources: "It is against this background ofnew
disagreement in the party that Uche Ekwuenife, Emeka Nwogbo might
emerge as the candidate of APGA.
"It has been found that Obiano has not been in the party for more than
two weeks before his anointing when others were disqualified for such
rationale."