election shows that the party's ticket may be for sale to the highest
bidder.
PENULTIMATE week, the ruling People's Democratic Party, PDP, rolled
out its guidelines for the Anambra State primary election in
preparation for the state gubernatorial poll fixed for November 16.
The party also threw open its Wadata Plaza, National Secretariat for
interested aspirants to pick Expression of Interest and Nomination
Formsahead of the August 24 primary election where the party's
flag-bearer would emerge to wrestle with Senator Chris Ngige of the
Action Congress of Nigeria, CAN, now All Progressive Congress, APC,
and the candidates of All Progressive Grand Alliance and other parties
in the gubernatorial election.
Wadaza Plaza thus became a beehive of activities, heightening the
political atmosphere, and, as against the solemn nature of the
Secretariat,praise singers were on ground to hail aspirants who came
with their supporters in different kinds of cars. It was also time to
raise money for the party, a period some PDP officials described as
'Ojanta', meaning, ''Market is booming."
For the Anambra election, the PDP set aside its 2010 guidelines for
primary elections which stipulate that an aspirant shall obtain the
Expression of Interest Form-Code PD002/G for N500, 000, and the
Nomination Form- Code PD003/G, for N5,000,000; save for female
aspirants who shall be exempted.
Each male aspirant from Anambra State rushed to the Secretariat,
collected the Expression of Interest Form for N1million, not N500, 000
as well as the Nomination Form for N10 million, not N5 million, making
ita total of N11 million, while each female aspirant picked the
Expression of Interest Form for N1 million and N5, 000, 000 for the
Nomination Form, totally N6million as against the former arrangement
of N500, 000for Expression of Interest Form and free Nomination Form
for women. There is now a new dispensation in the party where women no
longer enjoy the privilege, just as the PDP is also using the Anambra
election as a case study for the increase in Nomination fee.
During the period of collection of forms ahead of the Anambra primary
election, twenty- six aspirants picked the Expression of Interest
Forms to vie for the PDP gubernatorial ticket, but, at the close of
submission of both the Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms on
Monday midnight, only17 aspirants returned the forms and thus met the
12 midnight deadline.
The implication is that nine aspirants have backed out of the race.
In terms of Naira and Kobo, the PDP raked N12 million from the two
female aspirants in the race and N165 million from the 15 male
aspirants who submitted the forms at N11 million each.
On Tuesday, the 17 'successful' aspirants appeared before the
Ambassador Aminu Wali- led Screening Committee at the National Working
Committee, NWC, meeting hall of the PDP National Secretariat.
Other members of the Screening Committee are former Deputy Governor of
Ekiti State, Mrs Biodun Olujimi; Mohammed Umaru Kumalia; former Deputy
Speaker, House of Representatives, Austin Okpara and Casmir Ugwu.
The 17 aspirants, who appeared before the screening Committee, are
Senators Andy Uba and Emmanuel Anosike Obi; former Minister of Women
Affairs and past National Woman leader of PDP, Chief Iyom Josephine
Anenih; Dr. Obinna Uzoh; Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu; Barrister Mike
Okoye; Nze Akachukwu Nwankpo; Chief Ugochukwu Okeke; Amb. Jerry
Ugokwe; Sylvester Okonkwo; Tony Nwoye; Patrick Nduka Ugbomo; Agape
Ifunanyachukwu Dike- Kramer; Dr. Alex Obiogbolu; Charles Odunukwe;
Onwuanyi Afamefuna Damian and WalterUbaka Okeke.
Those who picked forms and did not return for reason which may not be
unconnected with the hike to N10 million the fee for the Nomination
FormfromN5,000, 000 are Eucharia Azodo; Donatus Okonkwo; Chukwuka
Onyema; Adimachukwu Calista; Chinyere Udemba; Ikeobasi Mokelu;
andLinda Chuba Ikepeazu.
Besides the raising of the fee for the Nomination Form from N5 million
toN10 million,Sunday Vanguardgathered that the PDP has pegged N10,000
each for the three delegates per ward as against the N100 that
washitherto paid by each of the three ad-hoc delegates during the past
governorship primary elections, just as over N300, 000 will enter the
purse of the party at the end of the exercise.
According to the PDP guidelines, ''for the purpose of nominating the
party's candidates for the offices of Governor of a State, member of
the National Assembly(Senate and House of Representatives), member of
theState House of Assembly and election of National Delegate, each
Ward Chapter of the Party shall elect three(3) Ward Ad-hoc Delegates
at a Special Ward Congress, at least one of whom shall be a woman…the
three (3) aspirants with the highest votes shall be returned elected."
Anambra State has 326 wards and, according to the 'Electoral
Guidelines for Primary Elections' of the party, ''three delegates per
Ward elected at Ward Congress at least one of whom shall be a woman,
all of whom shall cease to function at the conclusion of the
Congresses for which they were elected."
Sunday Vanguard also gathered that some of the aspirants have kicked
against the N10, 000 per the three ad-hoc members as delegates against
the backdrop that only the very rich will get the delegates to
theirsides as the villagers who are coming from the ward cannot afford
the money.
Some aspirants, a source said, were also, at the end of a meeting, on
Monday night, complained of moves to include, as delegates, all former
members of the State Working Committee on the grounds that Anambra has
had up to 13 Executive Committees till date, even as the source
saidthat the arrangement will be tailored to favour one of the
aspirants.
Special Congress
According to the guidelines of the PDP, those expected as delegates
to the Special State Congress to pick the Anambra candidate are the
StateChairman; gubernatorial candidates; members of the Board of
Trustees, BoT, from the state; members of the State Executive
Committee; members of the National and Zonal Executive Committees from
the State;members of the National and Zonal Executive Committees from
the State;members of the National Assembly from the State; members of
the State House of Assembly, who are members of the party; elected
Local Government Council Chairmen and Vice Chairmen who are members of
theparty; Local Government Party Secretaries and Treasurers; Local
Government Woman and Youth Leaders; former members of the State
Working Committee who are still members of the party; former Governors
and Deputy Governors produced by the party who are still members of
theparty; and former Speakers and Deputy Speakers of the State House
of Assembly produced by the party who are still members of the party.
A major hurdle that the PDP will have to cross as it prepares for the
primary and governorship elections in Anambra State is the issue of
the Chairman of the state chapter that will be recognized as the
Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and the Bamanga
Tukur- led National Working Committee, NWC, are poised for another war
on the matter.
The PDP leadership is recognizing Ken Emeakayi as the state PDP
Chairman, but INEC overruled the recognition. INEC says it will
continueto recognise Chief Ejike Ogbuebego as the Anambra PDP
Chairman.
The office of the National Chairman of PDP was served a letter from
INEC where it indicated its non- recognition of Emeakayi as the
Anambra Chairman of the PDP.
INEC Secretary, Abdullahi A. Kaugama, in the letter, said, "The
Commission was served with several letters on the leadership of the
People's Democratic Party in Anambra State. Several Exparte Orders and
consent Judgements in none of which INEC was a party were attached to
the letters.
"You may wish to be reminded that the Commission monitored a State
Congress of the People's Democratic Party in Anambra State at which
Chief Ejike Ogbuebego was elected as Chairman of the Party in the
State.
"The Commission accordingly recognised Chief Ejike Ogbuebego as the
State Chairman of the People's Democratic Party in Anambra State.
TheCommission has not been served with any order in which the Court
nullified the election of the said Chief Ejike Ogbubego as the State
Chairman of your party in Anambra State.
"This is to inform you that the Commission will continue to recognise
Chief Ejike Ogbuebego as the State Chairman of your party in
AnambraState until specifically ordered otherwise by a Court of law."
Now that the PDP has fixed N11 million for both the Expression of
Interest and Nomination Forms starting with Anambra State, will the
feesbe sustained as the party goes for the forthcoming gubernatorial
electionsin Ekiti and Osun states? There are other posers arising from
the hike inthe fees payable by the aspirants jostling for the Anambra
PDP gubernatorial ticket.
Is it a case of Anambra being a rich state? What happens to an
aspirantwho may be loved by the people and with unquestionable
character but cannot raise the N11 million to pick the forms? What
happens to that aspirant who may not have sponsors to invest in the
business of fielding him?
Will the party extend same to the House of Assembly, House of
Representatives' elections? Should that happen, what hope does a fresh
graduate have to vie for such public office? And if the person
eventually raises the N11 million, becomes the party's candidate, and
the campaigns begin, how does he manage that his budget will not hit
over N1billion.
And if the candidate wins the election, will he not first recoup his
'investment' before delivering democracy dividends to the people?
There are so many unanswered questions trailing the high fees the
aspirants forthe PDP gubernatorial ticket are paying such that many
analysts of the Anambra election say the ticket appears to be for sale
to the highest bidder.
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