BY ABUCHI IFESINACHI, AWKA
The coast appeared cleared for the national chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and aspirant for Anambra Central Senatorial district election Chief Victor Umeh when after his screening by the party’s three man screening panel in Awka yesterday, he emerged the sole candidate of the party for the senatorial district.
Umeh had at the time he bought his expression of interest forms and election forms asked interested aspirants from his district to be free and purchase their own form and afterwards all will go for primaries. But as at yesterday, no other person bought the forms except Umeh.
The party’s screening panel led by the National Vice Chairman South West, Alhaji Tayo Sowunmi literally quizzed Umeh for about 20 minutes asking him about his background, why he wanted to run and replace the incumbent Senator Chris Ngige, his assessment of Ngige and his chances of victory in the election.
Other members of the panel were Mr. Ifeanyi Mbaeri and Alhaji Abubakar Adamu, national vice chairman, South East.
In his answers, Umeh said he wants to replace Ngige because he has not represented his senatorial district well. He said for instance, that during Ngige’s last town hall meeting where he was asked what he did with the huge money allocated to him as his constituency allowance, he said he built VIP toilets with it. Umeh said that singular answer disqualifies Ngige from pursuing another term in the senate.
He also said he wanted to go to the senate to give APGA victory for once in the senatorial election. He lamented that for the eight years the party has been in power it has never won the senatorial seat.
“So, I consider it a challenge. APGA has been doing well in the past nine years. The party has a very bright future”, he added.
Asked how popular he is, Umeh responded: “I have been receiving endorsements from my people who asked me to go and run. We are doing everything possible with Governor Willie Obiano to win the three Senatorial seats”.
Asked how ready he is to tackle Ngige, Umeh again responded: “Ngige has been my customer. It was through my strenuous effort that I was able to remove him from office when he stole our mandate.
“I was PW1 and stood in the witness box for three months. And after he went to the Court of Appeal, we defeated him. He knows he cannot win against me. Ngige is not candidate that will boast if I am the one contesting with him”.
Umeh admitted having been dragged to THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) his party was in crisis and some people were desperate to remove him from office. But when he took the party’s financial book to the commission then headed by Mrs. Farida Waziri, the woman praised him for keep clean books of the party.
He also suggested that government should fund political parties so as to reduce recrimination in the party system.
He said: “I canvas that government appropriates money to political parties. Even representatives elected on the platform of parties should contribute to the running of political par. It is an aberration that government has not been funding parties.
“Poor funding is the root of party’s bad management. The saying that he who pays the piper dictates the tune is true. That is why the executive lords over parties”
