Policy Briefs

Post by Iheoma Hendy August 10, 2017

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Caretaker Committee has announced the names of seven aspirants vying for the November 28, Anambra governorship election. 

According to the PDP, the following aspirants have obtained the party’s nomination and expression of interest forms:

Ifeanyi Ubah (Managing Director, Capital Oil and Gas)

Sen. Stella Oduah (Senator representing Anambra North and former Minister of Aviation)

Lynda Ikpeazu (former Miss Nigeria and former member of House of Representatives)

Alex Obiogolu

Oseloka Obaze

Okechukwu Emeka

Akolisa Ufodike

During a news conference on Tuesday, August 8, in Abuja, the National Publicity Secretary, PDP National Caretaker Committee, Dayo Adeyeye recalled that the party had on July 27 dissolved all the parallel PDP executives in Anambra state.

The list apparently has two big titans (Ifeanyi Ubah and Stella Oduah) who are being probed for alleged sharp practices.

In May, the Department of State Services (DSS) arrested Ifeanyi Ubah over his alleged role in the theft of petrol kept in his tank farm in Lagos by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). The product, it said, was valued at over N11 billion.

The agency said Ubah’s action amounted to economic sabotage, with the “capacity to negatively impact on national economy.” However, the businessman denied any wrongdoing, saying he was also being owed billions by the NNPC.

On the other hand, Stella Oduah was in 2013 involved in a scandal over the purchase of two armoured BMW vehicles for N255 million by an agency under her supervision when she was aviation minister.

In a recent interview, the former minister spoke of the allegation saying she is unaware of any probe by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on the scandal. Oduah maintained that there was no basis upon which she could be probed.

In a related development, Sen. Oduah has expressed optimism that the PDP would reclaim the Anambra governorship seat in the forthcoming election.

Speaking during an interview with Newsmen in Abuja, she stressed that the power of incumbency would not stop the PDP from winning the election.

In her words:

“The PDP is a very dynamic party, so far they have not shown us who their candidate will be, but I am very sure that they are going to give to Anambra people a visionary candidate.”

According to her, the PDP will provide a visionary candidate who has clear and well thought out programme for the state.

“Yes the governor has done extremely well but it has to be a candidate that will do far better than what the governor has done so far.

“For Anambra people, education is very important, most importantly because Anambra is a commercial city, you must have a very dynamic leader to come and do that and it is only PDP that can produce such.

“Anambra is a PDP state any day any time; it is a state that believes in freedom, it believes in equality, it believes in zeal and tenacity of people. That is what PDP represents.

“PDP is a party that is fully republican; it is a party where aspirations and inspirations could be accomplished. If you have an election today, tomorrow or even in two weeks time, PDP will win.”

Oduah said she remained in the PDP during the party’s internal crisis because the party remains “the best in the country.” The senator said she believes in the cardinal principles of the PDP where people do not require godfathers to win elective positions.

Stressing that it is only a party like the PDP that could have gone through the challenges it went through and still survive, she said:

“It is because of the dynamics and strength of PDP that the party was able to go through what they went through and still survive. We have grown much stronger, after the congress, after the convention, you will see very strong PDP.”

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