{"id":348840,"date":"2011-03-29T23:00:00","date_gmt":"2011-03-29T23:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/2011\/03\/29\/battle-of-the-titans-akunyili-ngige-andy-uba-test-strengths-in-anambra-senate-contest\/"},"modified":"2011-03-29T23:00:00","modified_gmt":"2011-03-29T23:00:00","slug":"battle-of-the-titans-akunyili-ngige-andy-uba-test-strengths-in-anambra-senate-contest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/03\/29\/battle-of-the-titans-akunyili-ngige-andy-uba-test-strengths-in-anambra-senate-contest\/","title":{"rendered":"Battle of the titans: Akunyili, Ngige, Andy Uba test strengths in Anambra Senate contest"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

For Saturday\u2019s National Assembly elections in Anambra State, the boys have been separated from the men in terms of those who have the means to bankroll their campaigns. Investigations have revealed that most of the candidates may have overshot their spending limit, making Nigeria\u2019s democratic experiment one of the most expensive.<\/p>\n

The political parties that have presented candidates for the polls in the state are the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), People\u2019s Democratic Party (PDP), All Nigeria People\u2019s Party (ANPP), Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Congress for\u00a0 Democratic Change (CDC)), Accord Party (AP), Progressive People\u2019s Alliance (PPA), Labour Party (LP), African Democratic Change (ADC) and Congress for Progressive Change (CPC).<\/p>\n

Most of the primaries conducted by the parties to select their flag-bearers witnessed controversies forcing some candidates to dump their parties. The PDP is the worst hit in this respect. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) caused some uproar when it said it recognized the primaries held by the Benjamin Udeozor-led PDP which is loyal to Chief Chris Uba as against that held by the faction led by Emma Nweze who is endorsed by the national leadership of the party.<\/p>\n

While some of the aspirants dumped PDP for other parties, many remained in the party claiming that they won. The situation has thrown up multiple candidates contesting for same seats on the platform of the PDP with rival factions endorsing a line up of their candidates while INEC recognized some, with the courts giving a nod to the candidacy of others.<\/p>\n

The parties in the senatorial race for Anambra Central senatorial seat are: former information minister Professor Dora Akunyili (APGA), former governor of Anambra State Dr. Chris Ngige (ACN), Chukwunweike Maduekwe (ANPP), Emmanuel Okoye (LP) and Engineer Mickie Oguguo Okoye (PDP). The incumbent, Senator Annie Okonkwo dumped the PDP to run on the platform of the Accord Party to stave off the controversy as to whether it was he or Oguguo Okoye or Hon. Chudi Ofodile that is the PDP candidate of the party.<\/p>\n

In the Anambra North senatorial race, the same controversy engulfed PDP, with the leadership of the party recognizing the wife of the former Senate President Dr. Chuba Okadigbo, Margery Chuba-Okadigbo, while INEC recognises the candidature of the former minister of transport John Emeka Jnr, even as the Federal High Court in Abuja has come lately to uphold the candidature of the incumbent senator, Alphonsus Uba\u00a0 Igbeke, for the April 2 election. Senator Joy Emordi, who lost her seat in the middle of last year to Alphonsus Igbeke of the ANPP before he defected to the PDP, is the flag-bearer of APGA, while Chief Dennis Odife, a retired banker, is the candidate of the Labour Party. Former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Jessy Balonwu, is running on the platform of the ACN while John Nwiogbu is the candidate of the ANPP.<\/p>\n

The PDP and APGA are the top parties in the race for the Anambra North senatorial district and APGA may be the favourite as the PDP crisis has chased away some of its members to other parties.<\/p>\n

In Anambra South senatorial district, that crisis in the PDP has pitched former senior special assistant to president Olusegun Obasanjo, Chief Andy Uba as the candidate of the PDP recognized by the INEC against former member of the House of Representatives Nicholas Ukachukwu who is endorsed by the national leadership of the party. The incumbent senator, Ikechukwu Obiora, who was forced to decamp to ACN, finally picked the ticket of the Accord Party, leaving Sir Chris Atuegwu to pick ACN\u2019s. Former Bakassi outfit chieftain and member of the Federal House of Representatives Chuma Nzeribe is APGA\u2019s flag-bearer while former national secretary of ANPP Chief George Moghalu is said to be running on his party\u2019s platform, though it was Maurice Nnamdi Anolue\u2019s name that INEC officially released last month as the ANPP candidate. Chief (Mrs) Ume-Ohanaike, who is alleged to be fronting for Andy Uba, is contesting on the platform of the Labour Party.<\/p>\n

As the stage is set for the election this week, its outcome is unpredictable. The battle for the central senatorial district may be the toughest, with Akunyili, Ngige and Okonkwo tipped to slug it out, though pundits are of the view that the PDP could use its spread and presence on the ground to cause an upset. Though Ngige is popular and tipped to checkmate Akunyili\u2019s rising profile and acceptance locally and internationally, the emergence of Okonkwo on the ticket of Accord Party appears to reduce Ngige\u2019s chances as both Ngige and Okonkwo are expected to share Idemili North and Idemili South local government areas, their base, while Akunyili is expected to win majority of the votes in Anaocha local government area.<\/p>\n

The winner of the central seat would be determined by votes from Awka North, Awka South, Njikoka and Dunukofia. This explains why these areas are hot. The disturbances at Eke Awka involving Okonkwo and some thugs where one person was reported killed after he was allegedly shot by a policeman for attempting to attack Okonkwo testifies to this. Director General of Oguguo Okoye Campaign Organization BON Ofama has said that his principal was the most credible candidate and a new face that is expected to win the election. He said that other parties are in minority, arguing that APGA\u2019s endorsement of President Goodluck Jonathan for presidential polls would work in favour of Oguguo.<\/p>\n

Romeo Anysia, an aide to Senator Okonkwo, pointed out that his principal still has the control of his supporters, irrespective of party affiliation, adding that personality rather than party would determine the winner of the election. Though Okonkwo\u2019s chances may be affected to a large extent by the size of his new party, he has the financial muscle to get a large chunk of the votes.<\/p>\n

However, the race may be won by Akunyili who has the governor of the state, Peter Obi, leading her campaign. Ngige\u2019s chances may be reduced on account of his inability to match Akunyili\u2019s money which volunteers and the governor would mobilise for her.<\/p>\n

Dr. Anthony Nworah has tipped Akunyili to win, saying that she operates at the international level where a senator is expected to be as well as has respect and courage to carry out her legislative engineering for the Anambra Central senatorial district. He said that Akunyili, having helped to actualize the Jonathan Presidency following the hide-and-seek game that trailed his predecessor, late Umaru Yar\u2019Adua, President Jonathan has moral obligation to ensure that Akunyili wins the senatorial seat. It is unclear whether the president would heed their call at the detriment of his own party\u2019s candidate.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

.\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n

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For Saturday\u2019s National Assembly elections in Anambra State, the boys have been separated from the men in terms of those who have the means to bankroll their campaigns. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-348840","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-business"},"yoast_head":"\nBattle of the titans: Akunyili, Ngige, Andy Uba test strengths in Anambra Senate contest - Ghanamma.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/03\/29\/battle-of-the-titans-akunyili-ngige-andy-uba-test-strengths-in-anambra-senate-contest\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Battle of the titans: Akunyili, Ngige, Andy Uba test strengths in Anambra Senate contest - 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