APC and Anambra governorship election

Despite the widespread insinuation that Chief George Moghalu has dropped his suit against the All Progresses Congress, APC and its governorship candidate in the fast approaching Anambra State election, Senator Andy Uba, all indications show that the case is very much on course.

This was glaring from the last week’s court proceedings at the Abuja High Court presided over by Honourable Justice Inyang Eden Ekwo that the final judgment would be read within the next sixty days, the scheduled date of the election notwithstanding.

It would be recalled that the main opposition party had its numerous vices and somewhat indiscretions while they reigned, but had managed to maintain the balance in the conduct of its primary elections. Today, all the other political parties participating in the coming November 6, 2021 election have been holding their hearts in their palms, wishing that the APC missteps as it currently does along on this latest case for them to take immediate advantage of it.

Moghalu, a widely acknowledged dedicated, consistent and loyal party man was also a key foundation member of APC in the entire South East geopolitical zone. He was seen as an embodiment of energy, trust and belief in party discipline.

Someone observed that ‘irrespective of the seeming superficial gale of decamping into APC now, it is people like Moghalu that give people reason to be loyal and dedicated to the party. That no such rare breed anywhere deserve to be shabbily treated, because it will greatly demoralize others. Moghalu has never looked away from APC, from inception. So why won’t someone like him be listened to, especially on issue concerning a new comer into the party?

His prayers were not unexpected: delist the APC and Uba from the Nov 6 election in the state; refund all expenses of the rest 13 aspirants including the twenty-three million spent on the Nomination and Expression of Interest forms; and then pay him One hundred million Naira compensation for damages.

In the Zamfara State case, two opposing camps within the party led by the then incumbent governor and a serving Senator at the time were bitterly opposed to one another that it affected the smooth conduct of the primary election for the 2019 general elections. But in order to save face, they quickly concocted a list.

However, the severity of the acrimony apparently pushed the other camp to go to court and got the list, and the primary election that generated same nullified — as failing to follow stipulated process. So, though the party won the election, it lost it in all categories-the governorship, all National and State Assembly seats to the second placed participants. The losses were huge and costly. And no one had expected the party to box itself to a similar corner again. APC in that state is yet to recover from that self-inflicted harm.

Albeit, the judiciary — the last hope of the offended, has refused to chicken out too. It was therefore committed to confront history with its verdict one day soon. And whichever way it goes would be chronicled in the annals of the nation’s political development records and history.

• Chime writes from Abuja