BY ABUCHI IFESINACHI, AWKA
As preparations for the 2015 general elections gather more momentum across the country and in particular Anambra State where political parties have continued to rake in money through sale of Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms
247ureports.com, spoke with some of the aspirants for the 2015 election on whether they subscribed to the political arrangement called consensus candidacy in a democratic dispensation.
According to an aspirant on the platform of the All Progressive Grand Alliance Hon.Chukwudi Uzoewulu whose ambition is to represent Dunukofia State Constituency in the Anambra State House of Assembly if elected in 2015 , the controversy of consensus candidacy could be approached from two perspectives. Hon.Uzoewulu was of the opinion that he would rather root for ‘ annointed candidacy ‘ in lieu of a concensus candidate because he believed that the contest should be thrown open while the contestants slug it out and put their popularity to test.
Hon.Uzoewulu who cited Enugu State as a typical example of where the principle of consensus candidacy had been successfully applied , gave further clarifications that currently nobody is buying Governorship Form on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party because the out-going State Governor Barr.Sullivan Iheanacho Chime has presented his successor Hon.Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and the party adopted him as the concensus candidate for Enugu State Governorship Elections next year .The State House of Assembly Aspirant also explained that as a result of the aforesaid development in Enugu State , other prospective aspirants on the platform of the PDP desirous of the Governorship seat were silenced and their aspirations truncated.
He therefore emphasized that annointed candidate is much better as people could still try their popularity amongst other contestants even though he clearly pointed out that the annointed candidate(s) still enjoyed the full backing of the ‘kingmakers’.But the beauty of the whole process is that it gives room for those without Abraham as father to contest .
Although the astute politician observed that the issue of consensus candidacy does not exist in Dunukofia Local Goverent Area where he wishes to represent in the State House of Assembly if elected , he maintained that elective positions were thrown open for contest by all interested. According to him , the concept of consensus candidacy is undemocratic as it is an infringement on democratic principles adding that it does not allow democracy and good governance to flourish.But on the issue of the National Chairman of APGA Chief Victor Umeh who was adopted as the APGA concensus candidate for the 2015 Anambra-Central Senatorial zone contest , Hon.Uzoewulu said the adoption was done in good faith because Chief Umeh stood by the party during its trying times and therefore deserved to be adopted unopposed on his choice of ambition on the platform of the party.
