Disputed N’Assembly Seats: Anambra PDP On A Familiar Turf

Since 1999, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has always won majority of the National Assembly seats in Anambra State even during the eight-year tenure of Governor Peter Obi of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

But the party’s victories both in its primaries and general elections have always been encumbered with legal hitches as party stakeholders always fight for the control of the party structure. This has been synonymous with the party in the State since 1999 till date.

Several efforts in the past by the party’s national leadership to unite the party in the State had failed woefully due to the irreconcilable differences among its members, a development many believe has been responsible for the party’s inability to win governorship elections in the State since 2003.

So the recent Supreme Court judgment that affirmed legality of the leadership of Chief Ejike Oguebego-led state executive of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Anambra State, which had thrown up controversy over who were the rightful National Assembly candidates of the party in the 2015 polls, is not new in the State politics

What seems new is that the development has pitched the Uba brothers namely Chris and his elder brother Senator Andy against each other. Both men have been the nemesis of Anambra politics and the PDP chapter in the State since 1999. Before 1999, not much was known about the Uba brothers in the politics of the State and the country. Although one of them, Ugochukwu, was once a commissioner in the State after which he returned to the University to continue his teaching job.

Ubas, Anambra PDP And 1999 Transition
DURING the 1999 elections in Anambra State, the political godfather that held sway in Anambra PDP was Sir Emeka Offor. He allegedly sponsored the emergence of Dr. Chinwoke Mbadinuju as the PDP governorship candidate and ensured his victory at the poll. He has a strong political platform called Anambra Peoples’ Forum (APF).

While Offor and Mbadinuju engaged each other in political battle for the soul of the party and the State ahead of the 2003 general elections, the Ubas, with the tactical support of Olusegun Obasanjo’s presidency, were gradually and secretly gaining political prominence.

While Andy who was the Senior Special Assistant to the former President, was the man behind the mask in Aso Rock Villa, his younger brother Chris was the footsoldier in the battlefield.

Before Offor and his camp could figure out the unfolding political dynamics in the party ahead of the 2003 general elections, they had been displaced by the Ubas.

Anambra PDP And 2003 General Elections

IT was disclosed that while Governor Mbadinuju and his estranged godfather, Offor, were fighting for the soul of the State and the party, Mbadinuju secretly co-opted Chris Uba for survival assistance.

Part of Mbadinuju’s deal with Chris was the alleged agreement for the Irrevocable Standing Payment Order (ISPO) on the contract for the construction of New Government House that was being handled by Chris’ company. The payment was tied to deductions from the State’s monthly allocation.

But to Mbadinuju’s disappointment, when the push came to shove, Chris abandoned Mbadinuju and his second term ambition and rooted for Dr. Chris Ngige. That was the beginning of Chris’ political ascendancy in the politics of the State to the surprise of many. Offor’s efforts to bounce back proved abortive because the Presidency and party national leadership have pitched tent with Chris as the new godfather of the State politics.

Chris was instrumental to the emergence of all the PDP candidates in Anambra State during the 2003 general elections. By fair, by foul, he ensured that the PDP won landslide victory at the polls.

It was alleged that after the poll, Chris in collaboration with some INEC staff substituted some of the party’s National Assembly candidates in the State.

Affected in the illegal substitution was Senator Ben Obi (Anambra Central zone). He was substituted by Chief Ikechukwu Abana. Mrs Joy Emordi (Anambra North) was substituted by Mr. Emma Anosike, while Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu (Anambra South) was substituted by Chris’ elder brother, Mr. Ugochukwu Uba.

The affected party candidates approached the court and got reprieve with the exception of Ukachukwu who lost to Uba’s brother in a controversial judgment.

Anambra PDP And 2010 Governorship Poll

AHEAD of the 2010 governorship election in the State, the Presidency under Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar Adua and the PDP national leadership led by its national chairman, Chief Vincent Ogbulafor, had penciled down the former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo as the PDP candidate.

A decision that other party aspirants numbering more than 50 and stakeholders opposed vehemently, but the presidency and the party leadership went ahead with the plan and ensured that Soludo emerged as the party candidate. Some aggrieved party stalwarts approached the court through their proxies to challenge Soludo’s emergence. Vehemently against Soludo’s choice were Chief Chris Uba and his brother, Andy, who were schemed out of things in the party. Andy also contested the election as candidate of the Labour Party (LP)

The legal tussle over the party ticket lingered in the court till three days to the election, when the Supreme Court affirmed Soludo’s candidature. Soludo and PDP lost the election to the incumbent governor Peter Obi.
2014 Anambra Governorship Poll

AHEAD of the PDP primaries, there was fierce battle for the control of the party structure in the State. Many party faithful namely Senator Andy Uba, Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu, Comrade Tony Nwoye, Chief Obinna Uzoh, Senator Annie Okonkwo and others jostled for the party ticket.

Unlike in 2010, the presidency and the national leadership of the party were indifferent to the crisis rocking the party in the State then over who becomes the party candidate. The crisis later took legal dimension as the Ukachukwu camp and Nwoye camp laid claim to the party governorship ticket. Just like 2010, the matter lingered to the Supreme Court and it was resolved in Nwoye’s favour. The party went into the election as a divided house as usual and lost to Chief Winnie Obiano of APGA.

2015 National Assembly Seats

TWO factions emerged in the Anambra State chapter of the PDP ahead of the party’s State and National Assembly primaries.

Ironically one faction was loyal to Andy while the other faction was loyal to his younger brother, Chris. During their factional primaries Andy emerged as the senatorial candidate for Anambra South, so also Chris. Both of them and their factional members campaigned vigorously for votes across the State PDP platform. PDP was declared winner of all the National Assembly seats.

Candidates that emerged from the Andy’s faction were sworn-into office following a court order in their favour. Chris’ faction remained resolute as they approached the Supreme Court challenging the legality of state executive loyal to Andy camp.

The Apex Court last week affirmed the legality of the Chief Ejike Oguebego-led PDP State executive loyal to Chris. While Chris and his contemporaries have insisted that with the judgment of the Apex Court, Andy and others should vacate their seats for them, Andy and others have insisted that the judgment does not affect their seats.

Andy said the Supreme Court judgment which re-affirmed Ejike Oguebego as the Anambra PDP Chairman does not affect their seats in the National Assembly.

“It is the national executive that conducts primaries, not the State. So the issue of him being the one that we came under does not exist,” Uba said.

While Chris and his co-travelers may approach the Apex Court for clear interpretation of judgment, the electoral umpire may toe the same line, while Andy and his loyalists will continue to occupy the seats pending the outcome the interpretation.

It Is Uba For Uba

ONE thing that is very clear is that whichever way the interpretation pendulum swings at the end, the Ubas will not lose politically, while others involved will lose.

If it goes in favour of Chris’ faction, it means that the three Ubas namely Ugochukwu, Andy, and Chris have represented Anambra South zone in the Senate in order of their ages from the oldest to the youngest. They would have also succeeded in creating an unprecedented political record in the country.