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The governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, is facing a rebellion from his former political allies. He has been expelled from his party by a group led by party heavy weight, Chekwas Okorie,

The troubles in the party, the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, however, are not the only issues that are likely to make the elections in Anambra extremely volatile.

The PDP, which is Nigeria’s ruling party, is determined to win back Anambra from the opposition. To do this however, they must first get their house in order and select a candidate to run for the seat of governor. As of the last count, more than 30 people had picked up nomination forms from the party secretariat in Abuja, indicating they will be contesting for the right to represent the party during the election.

At least one of these candidates, the former governor of the central bank, Chukwuma Soludo, is thought to have the blessing of the wife of the president.

The political manoeuvring that is going on in the state is not limited to the big players, those on the fringes are dipping into the mix and confusing things even further. Some of them include the former state governor, Chris Ngige and the current deputy governor, Virginia Etiaba.

[B]The beginning[/B]

The genesis of Anambra’s very complicated, and potentially violent politics can be traced to the 1999, elections that restored democracy in the country after 16 years of military rule. Anambra blazed the trail of what was to become known as political ‘godfatherism’ when Emeka Offor, to all intents and purposes, imposed Chinwoke Mbadinuju on the state.

Having spent a lot of money to get Mr. Mbadinuju into the Awka State House, Mr. Offor, being the businessman that he is, expected returns. He wanted direct access to the state’s treasury, a request that, to his credit, Mr.Mbadinuju refused. That was the beginning of the end for him. In 2003, he failed to get the PDP’s nomination for a second term in office.

While Emeka Offor was dissipating energy fighting the man he had put in the state house, another ‘godfather’ was preparing the ground for his ‘godson’ to get there. Chris Uba, brother to a close confidant of the then President Olusegun Obasanjo, Andy Uba, had set the wheels in motion for his protégée, Chris Ngige, to become the governor. His thugs made sure that the 2003 gubernatorial elections were heavily rigged in Mr. Ngige’s favour, while the APGA candidate, Peter Obi, could only watch more or less helplessly as his own vigorous campaign efforts were wasted.

That lasted until Chris Ngige fell out with his godfather. In typical Nigerian style, Mr. Uba, in an effort to forestall any kind of ‘betrayal’ had prior to the elections , hauled Mr.Ngige before a shrine in the now infamous Okija incident, to swear an oath of loyalty; not to the people of Anambra State, but to him. Apparently, Mr. Ngige had agreed and sworn to the oath, so Mr. Uba was confident that unlike Mr. Offor before him, he would have unfettered access to the state’s treasury.

But there is no honour among thieves, and Mr. Ngige reneged on his oath, claiming to be an upstanding Christian. An enraged Mr. Uba had the recalcitrant Mr. Ngige kidnapped. Unfortunately for Mr. Uba, and fortunately for the people of the state, the Federal Government intervened in the crisis on the order of the then vice president, Atiku Abubakar ( President Obasanjo was away at the time).

Mr. Ngige was released and his removal declared illegal. Mr. Ngige’s tenure was cut short, however, when the courts decided that his election had been a farce, and that Peter Obi was in fact the lawfully elected governor of the state. That opened a new chapter in the drama that is Anambra State.

[B]Enter Peter Obi[/B]

Peter Obi came into office without any known godfather and a section of the elite who believe they are the powers that decide the destiny of the state were not comfortable with having such a person in office. Within six months, he was impeached for daring to go back to court to seek his full four year tenure. (Mr, Ngige had occupied the seat illegally for thirty four months.) However, Mr. Obi once again triumphed in the courts. The courts ruled that Mr. Ngige’s three years in office were not part of Mr. Obi’s constitutional four-year term.

But the mess in Anambra was set to get even messier. More complications were added before the highest court in the country could rule on on Mr. Obi’s tenure of office. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) , which should have known election to the gubernatorial seat in Anambra was not due untill 2010, conducted the 2007 general elections in Anambra.

Andy Uba, the president’s man Friday won the poll. The elections was won at a canter by utilising all the connections available to the PDP rigging machinery. In the build up to the elections, the two Uba brothers: Andy and Chris fell apart. Chris felt that his elder brother was encroaching on his path. However, the real power lay with the elder, so Chris was promptly brought back to heel. In a landmark ruling delivered by the Supreme Court, shortly after he was sworn-in as governor, Andy Uba was asked to immediately vacate the office and Peter Obi returned to complete his stolen mandate.

[B]More twists[/B]

Thus was added another twist to the Anambra saga, as Andy Uba is asking the courts to allow him be sworn-in without an election as governor in 2010. Mr. Uba Snr claims that since he won the 2007 gubernatorial election conducted by the national electoral body, he should replace Mr. Obi when the governor’s tenure ends next year. His is a case of, “I have booked the flight and should get on board when it is due.” Andy Uba is not having a smooth wait for the courts to pronounce him governor next year. He is being challenged by many others who think an election in 2010 should and will happen. Among these is ex-governor Chris Ngige.

The growing list of potential PDP candidates for the seat includes, Emma Anosike, Kodilichukwu Okelekwe, Emeka Nwandu, Nicholas Ukachukwu, Annie Okonkwo, Odemezue Chukwura, Damian Okolo, Kenneth Osita Odidika, Chuma Nzeribe, Benard Okeke, Alex Obigolu, Ikechukwu Obiora, Austin Okafor, Nwoye Tony Okechukwu, Ekwenze Solomon, Emmanuel Mbamalu, Eucharia Azodo, Mike Nkwocha, Chinyere Ogualili, Ugokwe Jerry Sunny, Caro Nwosu, and of course, Chukwuma Soludo, who until a few months ago was the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Mr. Soludo’s candidacy is contentious and has not been bolstered much by the negative press he has been receiving in the last few weeks as a result of the current banking crisis. Despite all of this, Mr. Soludo has gone ahead and picked a nomination form. Given his background, not a few people believe Mr. Soludo is not capable of surviving in the clearly thuggish and dirty politics of Anambra. But given the antecedents of Anambra’s very educated people in this area, it is likely that Mr. Soludo will do just fine.

Mr.Chris Ngige, a medical doctor, was a chief executive who saw nothing wrong with entering a marriage of convenience with the thuggish Chris Uba.

Then there is Chinwoke Mbadinuju, who, in spite of a doctorate degree still aligned himself with Emeka Offor to become governor. Anambra politicians, like their counterparts in other parts of the country appear to be able to move from being “technocrats” to “thugocrats”.

Mr. Soludo has been seen in all the politically correct places, and has been endorsed by PDP’s Mr. Fix – It, Tony Anenih. He is also rumoured to have the backing of powerful friends such as Alex Ekwueme and Mrs.Turai Yar’Adua. For him, the nomination seems to be already in the bag, with everything else merely a formality. With the PDP rigging machinery in place, he is likely to be the next governor (or at the very worst, the anointed candidate). The important “votes” are from PDP national figures like Mr. Anenih, not the people of Anambra State. That probably explains why Andy Uba is yet to pick up a nomination form, but would rather go through the judiciary to the government house.

The other political parties are not left out of the madness. The intrigues are such that they are rending apart family ties. The current deputy governor, Virginia Etiaba, and her second son, Emeka, have both expressed interest in running for governor. Mr. Etiaba has had to leave APGA, his mother’s party in order to pursue his ambition. He has declared his interest on the platform of the PPA.

The younger Etiaba’s defection has further highlighted the rift between the Chekwas Okorie and Victor Umeh led factions of APGA in the state, but may have just solidified Mr. Obi’s position within the party, an assurance which the incumbent needs in order to pursue his second term ambition. For now though, it looks like in Anambra State, things are likely to continue falling apart.

I'll rather have APGA than PDP.
I like Soludo but if he can't wait then to hell with him anyway. Why PDP? Why can't he even team up with Peter Obi? Be his 2nd in command then after Obi last tenure then run for governor. I think Anambra will do wonders with both intelligent men in the same camp not in different opposing camps.

Can Ndi Anambara talk some sense into these men. Soludo and Peter Obi.

I like Peter Obi for the fact that he never let the cesspit Nigeria corrupt him. He ran an honest election and for his honesty he deserves respect. That is what we need in Anambra. Soludo is my man for the fact that he did a damn good job as CBN governor. He is an educated man unlike many uneducated fools running that God forsaken nation. A technocrat for dat matter. He is bold in the way he dealt with the parasitic north. He speaks the hard truth. Something that these stupid Southern fools can't do in public. Toothless dogs. In the south they bite when the North comes their way they hide their tails and run. Obusonjo is good example.

Honesty and Intelligence is what we need.

udezue:

I like Peter Obi for the fact that he never let the cesspit Nigeria corrupt him.

Are you sure you are talking about the same Obi that is the governor? If you are, then I will say you are very wrong about him.

udezue:

I'll rather have APGA than PDP.
I like Soludo but if he can't wait then to hell with him anyway. Why PDP? Why can't he even team up with Peter Obi? Be his 2nd in command then after Obi last tenure then run for governor. I think Anambra will do wonders with both intelligent men in the same camp not in different opposing camps.

Can Ndi Anambara talk some sense into these men. Soludo and Peter Obi.

I like Peter Obi for the fact that he never let the cesspit Nigeria corrupt him. He ran an honest election and for his honesty he deserves respect. That is what we need in Anambra. Soludo is my man for the fact that he did a damn good job as CBN governor. He is an educated man unlike many uneducated fools running that God forsaken nation. A technocrat for dat matter. He is bold in the way he dealt with the parasitic north. He speaks the hard truth. Something that these stupid Southern fools can't do in public. Toothless dogs. In the south they bite when the North comes their way they hide their tails and run. Obusonjo is good example.

Honesty and Intelligence is what we need.

Rofl.
which Peter Obi are u talking of
rofl . . .this is hilarious.

biggjoe:

Are you sure you are talking about the same Obi that is the governor? If you are, then I will say you are very wrong about him.

haha,ask him oooh.

ifyalways:

Rofl.
which Peter Obi are u talking of
rofl . . .this is hilarious.haha,ask him oooh.

The same peter obi that gave us VIPit toilets

Kobojunkie:

The same peter obi that gave us VIPit toilets

VIP Toilets. . . .We must be shitting ourselves!

YES but if I'm wrong then educate me.

Kobojunkie:

The same peter obi that gave us VIPit toilets

. . .and ghost computers

udezue:

YES but if I'm wrong then educate me.

Please when was the last time u were at Anambra state
Obi has done nothing for the people.he is one of the worst things to have happened to that state,a bad dream.

Peter Obi is a toilet-building-ghost computer-installing lame duck. He reminds me of the absolutely do nothing Umaru Yara dullard of Katsina and Aso Rock. Not saying that he has not done anything but . . . caaaam oooon!!!! I sincerely hope he is not in any way entertaining the idea of a second term. I'd rather have a truck pusher from Eke Awka. . .

Ofcourse Yar adua claims he did something. I remember debating the man's achievements a while ago and was regaled of stories of how wonderful he made the Katsina Healthcare system. But when you did deep, you find that he didn't really do much to get the praise. He simply painted some buildings new and put up some small "shacks" labelled clinics. The press did most of the blowing up and boom, you have a man who was adored by many and believed to be a very HONEST man.