The plot that unfixes Andy Uba

The purported directive by President Umaru Musa Yar’adua, ordering that the Chairman of the Anambra State Congress Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr Abba Sayyadi Ruma, be dropped has added another twist to the already cluttered contest for the coveted seat. Yar’adu’s directive was said to be made known to the committee through […]

The purported directive by President Umaru Musa Yar’adua, ordering that the Chairman of the Anambra State Congress Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr Abba Sayyadi Ruma, be dropped has added another twist to the already cluttered contest for the coveted seat.

Yar’adu’s directive was said to be made known to the committee through his Special Adviser on Political Matters, Senator Polycarp Nwite, when members of the Anambra State Good Governance Forum visited him on Thursday.

Observers are quick to speculate that the move was a calculated one to distance the Presidential Villa from the conduct of the primaries.  

Ruma, who is the Minister of Agriculture, is regarded by many as a strong member of Yarádua’s kitchen cabinet, and any action by him might be linked to the Villa. However, another view is that the Villa is just trying to play safe and avoid any move that may have any link to the political ambition of the former governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, who is contesting along with over 33 screened PDP aspirants.

While politicking is on, the hope of Andy Uba getting the PDP ticket again is becoming increasingly uncertain after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced the guidelines for the 2010 governorship election.  

Uba is the gubernatorial candidate of the PDP in April 2007 election in Anambra. Though he was declared winner by the electoral commission, his tenure was cut short by the Supreme Court’s judgement which affirmed that the election ought not to have been conducted because Governor Peter Obi’s tenure has not expired. He went to court but could not get anything out of it because the apex court’s decision on it was final.

Dissatisfied with the development, Uba who is believed to be a close ally of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, is now at the Court of Appeal (Enugu Division) asking the court to issue an order restraining INEC from conducting fresh election on the grounds that, although the Supreme Court asked him to vacate the office to enable Governor Obi completes his tenure, the apex court did not nullify his election as governor of Anambra State.   

To make matters worse for Uba, the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) candidate in April 2007 poll in Anambra State, Chief Nicholas Ukachukwu has also gone to the Supreme Court, asking for fresh elections in the state at the expiration of Governor Obi’s tenure next year. Now he has returned to the PDP and picked the nomination form for 2010 governorship election after the release of the guidelines for Anambra poll by INEC on September 8.   

The commission said that the decision to choose February 6 for the Anambra gubernatorial election was as a result of the 2007 Supreme Court judgement which decided that Governor Obi’s tenure would end on March 17, 2010.   

“In its resolve to ensure a credible election, the commission shall strictly apply the provisions of all relevant laws governing the election. Consequently, all parties, their candidates and supporters are required to adhere strictly to all laws, regulations and guidelines relating to the process,” said INEC Secretary Abdullahi Kaugama in a statement issued in Abuja.   

With this development, PDP released its own guidelines for the election and asked all candidates willing to contest under its platform to collect both forms for expression of interest and nomination.

A total of 51 candidates obtained the forms, including the former Central Bank governor who is being branded as the candidate to be adopted by the PDP.

Reports claimed that Andy Uba has not taken the nomination form. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has given clean bill to 33 governorship aspirant under its umbrella while 16 were disqualified.

 As this is going on, reports have it that the ruling PDP’s participation in the election was an attempt to dislodge Andy Uba, who is still pursuing his case as a PDP candidate at the Enugu appeals court.

But the party dismissed this theory yesterday in an interview with Weekly Trust. Special Assistant to PDP National Chairman Prince Vincent Ogbulafor on Media and Public Affairs, Chijioke Edmons Adindu, said the ongoing efforts towards Anambra governorship election have nothing against Andy Uba. Adindu said the party was only acting in line with the directives from the electoral body.   

He said: “The election in Anambra is being organised by INEC not PDP. INEC came up with their time-table and PDP being one of the political parties in Anambra, we must have a candidate that will run in the election. It is open for all and sundry.   

“They (INEC) also publish the notice of election. All registered political parties are entitled to participate and sponsor a candidate for the election. We have to follow INEC guidelines and that is why we start this process. It has nothing to do with Andy Uba or any other persons,” Ogbulafor’s aide added.   

As Uba’s case still lingers, the controversy over Soludo’s candidature in the election also rages on.

The minister of agriculture and water resources, who was originally appointed to head the congress to pick PDP candidate for the election, was dropped by the national leadership of the party reportedly on his own request. Speaker Dimeji Bankole of the Federal House of Representatives was asked to take up the position on Thursday.

Weekly Trust learnt that he might have rejected the appointment because he does not want to be linked with the Soludo’s governorship ambition in Anambra State.   

PDP National Publicity Secretary, Prof. Rufai Ahmed Alkali, however, offered the party’s official explanation. He said: “The National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP approved the appointment of Bankole as the Chairman of the Anambra State Congress Committee because of Ruma’s non-availability due to other pressing national issues in the agricultural sector”.

 Commenting on the development, Ogbulafor’s media aide repeated what Alkali brought out as excuse for Ruma’s departure.  

Whether the reports over the plan to adopt Soludo are correct or not whatever happens during October 2 State Congress will unveil the intrigues. As for Uba, only fresh judicial interpretation will determine his gloomy future in the PDP.