… as APC fixes guber primaries for March 29
By Chuks Eke
Just as the All Progressives Congress, APC slated March 29, this year for its gubernatorial primaries, aimed at producing a candidate for November 8 governorship election in Anambra state, a pressure group within the APC in the State known as Ikemba Front has denied endorsing any particular aspirant among the Party’s contestants warming up to become the Party’s flag bearer during the election proper, insisting that the expulsion of two executive members of the group remained sacrosanct.
Some key officers of the Ikemba Front which advocates for the realization of the late Ifeanyi Uba’s governorship ambition had recently announced the endorsement of one of the frobtline APC gubernatorial aspirants, Chief Paul Chukwuma as its own candidate but the endorsement did not go down well with majority members of Ikemba Front officials as they instantly announced the expulsion of the key officers for endorsing Chukwuma.
The key officers affected by the expulsion gale, according to a statement signed by the National Secretary of Ikemba Front, Ike-Obiegbu Ijeobi, after their meeting in Awka, the state capital, presided over by the National Coordinator, Sir Arinzechukwu Awogu, included Dr. Chiedu Okoye (Ogazi Umunri) and Dr. Charles Ebolue, the former National Youth Leader, who is said to have relocated to Finland.
The group stated that the existing status quo on the zoning arrangement for the governorship slot in Anambra State remains unchanged, emphasizing that it is still the turn of the Anambra South Senatorial Zone to produce the next governor of the state and complete two tenures of eight years.
The group said: “We are obligated to stand by the existing zoning arrangement that has seen power moved from Central to North and now to South. Consequently, we hereby state categorically that it is still the turn of Anambra South Senatorial District to complete their term based on the aforementioned zoning arrangement.”
Ikemba Front rejected the purported endorsement of Sir Paul Chukwuma by some members of the front, whom they referred to as “imposters” not known to the group, describing their action as a “jamboree.”
They announced the appointment of Prince Nonso Obi as the National Youth Leader, Comrade Ike-Obiegbu Ijeobi as National Secretary, and Comrade Obi Ibegbunam as National Assistant Secretary to replace the sacked national officers.
The group also approved the formation of a 20-man “Elders Council” as the apex decision-making body, with Prof. Melie Onyejegbu as Chairman and Hon. Obidi Nwabueze as Secretary.
They unanimously agreed to remain loyal to the party and follow its directives, stating: “Ikemba Front will continue to stand as one formidable family, ready to add value to national and state political activities towards giving the masses hope and good governance”.
In its schedule for its off-cycle Anambra guber election released on Friday, APC had fixed March 29 for its primaries, according to a resolution taken after a marathon meeting of the APC National Working Committee, NWC.
According to the approved schedule of activities, the national leadership equally resolved that the aspirants will pay N50 million each to purchase the expression of interest and nomination forms, while the female aspirants and Persons Living with Disabilities, PWD, are to purchase the nomination forms free of charge.
On the other hand, youths under the ages between 25 to 40 are to purchase the forms with 50 per cent discount. All the nomination forms will be available for purchase at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja,” the schedule noted.
The national leadership disclosed that delegates to elect the candidate will purchase the form with N5,000, adding that they must be financially up-to-date and must have been with the party for at least three months before the delegate congress at the rate of N200 per month.
Sale of the nomination forms, the statement continued, will resume on Monday, February 10 and end on Tuesday, February 25.
