Loading ...The intrigues within the Peoples Democratic Party stemming out of the gubernatorial primary conducted under the cloud of alleged irregularities appears to linger weeks after the primary. Information available to 247ureports.com indicates that a new crisis within the PDP appears to raise the stakes on the troubles bedeviling the party in Anambra State.
According to available information, the former governor of Anambra State who governed under the All Progressive Grand Alliance [APGA] banner until the end of his tenure when he switched parties to the PDP, has decided to select the person of Stella Okunna to deputize Oseloka Obaze, the PDP gubernatorial candidate of the party. Peter Obi is expected to make the announcement tomorrow, this is according to information obtained from an aggrieved aspirant who allegedly had been rigged out by the Peter Obi produced delegate list.
Stella Okunna who is currently the head of school of communication department at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University in Awka had served under the then Peter Obi administration as the Commissioner for Information, then as the Commissioner for Economic Planning in combination as the Chief of Staff. She was considered the closest cabinet member to the then Governor Peter Obi.
She hails from Uga and married to a man from Ukpo. Peter Obi’s calculation is her presence in the ticket would help destabilize Arthur Eze’s base [Arthur Eze hails from Ukpo] and also draw from Andy Uba’s base [Andy Uba hails from Uga].
In conforming the decision by Peter Obi to announce Prof Stella Okunna as the deputy, Chief Ben Obi aka Igwe APGA told our correspondent that he “was told by a source close to Peter Obi that Peter Obi will make it public tomorrow”. Chief Ben Obi who was also a former aide to the then Governor Obi and a kinsman, explained that Peter Obi “has played the PDP members like a chess game”.
Chief Ben Obi explained that Peter Obi took a leaf out of Chief Arthur Nzeribe’s playbook. He recalls narrating the exploits of Chief Nzeribe to the then Governor Peter Obi during the political era of the SDP when Chief Nzeribe held sway of the affairs of the SDP. Chief Ben Obi told Peter Obi of how Chief Nzeribe would go around to all the chieftains of the party telling them that they will be his choice for the candidateship – only if they should just agree to the peace process and align with him.
Each aspiring candidate was told this by Nzeribe. Each of the candidate thought they were the only one promised the candidate-ship, only for Nzeribe to turn around and pick his choice candidate at the last minute after he has already gotten the support he needed from the aspiring candidate.
Chief Ben Obi recalls Peter Obi’s reaction to the Nzeribe narrative – “…that’s a slick move” said Peter Obi according to Ben Obi who explained that Peter Obi drew a lesson from the Nzeribe move, and has applied it to the current unfolding PDP fiasco.
According to Chief Ben Obi, Peter Obi had promised each aggrieved aspirant the slot of the deputy, and/or to select the persons to bring to fill the slot. He had approached the oil mogul billionaire Chief Ifeanyi Uba and the political maestro, Chief Chris Uba privately and separately offering them the opportunity to provide the deputy to deputize Oseloka Obaze – this is in return for the two men agreeing to the peace talks currently underway. Particularly, Peter Obi had promised Chris Uba he would select his elder brother, Senator Ugochukwu Uba to fill the slot.
Meanwhile, the hometown of Peter Obi, Agulu, yesterday overwhelmingly endorsed the candidate-ship of the incumbent governor, Chief Willie Obiano for a second term. The endorsement came as the Governor arrived in Agulu to commission a road constructed by a private citizen by the name Ugochukwu R. Orji popularly known as Ikeoha Agulu.
The commissioning was festive. The former national chairman of APGA and chairman of Governor Willie Obiano Reelection Campaign Committee, Chief Sir Victor Umeh OFR (Ohamadike Ndigbo), the wife of late Dim Chukwuemeka Odimegwu Ojukwu (Ikemba Nnewi), Chief (Amb) Mrs Bianca Odimegwu Ojukwu, and the Commissioner for Road Construction, Road Furniture and Road Maintenance, Hon Law Chinwuba were in the Governor’s entourage.
They were received by the traditional ruler of Agulu, HRH Igwe Innocent Obodoakor, Member of Board of Trustees of APGA, Chief Dr (Mrs) Ifeyinwa Obegolu (Adaigbo), Member Representing Anaocha 1 Constituency in the Anambra State House of Assembly, Hon Chief Charles Okoye (Odenigbo Agulu), TC chairman of Anaocha LGA, Hon Engr. Ikeobi Ejiofor (Ikeoha), the commissioner for Diaspora, Hon Barr. Mrs Stella Onuorah, the President General of Agulu People’s Union (APU), Chief Andy Oraekwelu, Ochendo Agulu, the SSA to the Governor on Inter-party Matters, Hon Chief Ben Obi (Mbuze Agulu), SSA to the Governor on Diaspora, Hon Cy Agupugo, Senior Special Assistants and Special Assistants from Agulu and nearby communities, numerous social and cultural groups, and others.
The Igwe of Agulu called on the people to support the incumbent government. “Agulu community will never support opposition. Peter Obi told us while he was in office to never support opposition government, and that is where we stand”.
The traditional ruler, Igwe Innocent Obodoakor, the President General of Agulu People’s Union (APU), Chief Andy Oraekwelu, Chief Charles Okoye and the traditional prime minister, Chief Ben Obi took turns to welcome the governor. They thanked him for the good works he has done for the community. They enumerated several projects left uncompleted by previous administration under Chief Peter Obi which had been completed by Chief Willie Obiano and some ongoing road constructions and other projects in progress at various locations in the town assuring him of their unanimous support for his re-election.
Igwe APGA further called on the people of Agulu to distance themselves from politics of opposition. He impressed on them that there are no Agulu natives on the ballot on November 18. “Governor Willie Obiano has done well to the people of Agulu. The furniture for the Tulip Hotel in Agulu which Peter Obi abandoned has just arrived. Work is continuing. Obiano is doing good things in Agulu“.
