Anambra poll: Plots, counter plots in PDP

By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor

CONTROVERSY was, yesterday, dogging the PDP contest following reports of a plot by some party chieftains from within and outside the state to sabotage the party for the benefit of the incumbent APGA regime.

That plot may, however, have fallen apart following the Wednesday ward delegates election which saw those pushing the plot losing out. That, however, has not put the party on firm footing as it emerged that the ward delegates election which took place on Monday was itself characterised by many intrigues. One chieftain said that some party members were considering voting against the party should the scheme of those who rigged the ward delegates election sail through.

At the centre of the plot, Vanguard learnt yesterday, was the last minute decision of one of the aspirants to enter the race to act as an encumbrance to one of the heavyweight aspirants from Anambra North who some party chieftains say has the clout to match Governor Willie Obiano. At the centre of the plot are two senators from neighbouring states including one who served the immediate past Federal Government at a very, very high level.

The revelation of the plot, Vanguard gathered, was one of the reasons Governors Ifeanyi Okowa, Ayo Fayose, and Nyesom Wike stormed the state to ensure a level playing ground to frustrate the plot. Besides, party chieftain, Chief Chris Uba, was also said to have been provoked by the reports and had taken a position against the aspirant that was drafted.

Meanwhile, more controversies have continued to dog the ward delegates’ election which was supposed to have produced three delegates from each ward to participate in the governorship primaries due this weekend. However, several of the potential delegates who paid the N5,000 stipulated for the form were left helpless as they did not see the returning officers supposed to have conducted the primaries.

“We just don’t know what happened to the returning officers, and as I speak to you, several of the potential delegates are muttering that they were deceived into partaking in the delegates election knowing well that a pre-selected list of candidates had been earmarked.”

Sources say that a number of the returning officers earmarked for the ward congress in the 21 local government areas of the state were simply hijacked and taken away to secluded areas where it was feared that contrived lists of delegates favourable to some aspirants were being put together.

“You can imagine we have been calling the returning officer in Onitsha and we have been unable to reach him,” one party chieftain said late on Monday.

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