The gubernatorial primary, held at All Progressive Conferences (APCs) in Anambra, was damaged by chaos and delays, and despite efforts to pay orders for the process, certification began at 7 p.m. Saturday.
The exercise was originally scheduled to begin at the Dora Akunyili Women’s Development Centre in AWKA at 9 a.m. and faces many challenges throughout the day, leading to widespread frustration among party members and aspiring people.
As the day progressed, three outstanding aspirants – Paul Chukwuma, Chukwuma Umeoji Chief Obiora Okonkwo announced that they had withdrawn from the main evacuation, citing fears of a lack of transparency in the process.
Chukwuma, who also resigned from APC’s membership resignation, expressed dissatisfaction with the way the primary election was, accusing the party of being infiltrated by “unestablished elements.”
Okonkwo also mentioned the atmosphere of violence surrounding the process in his exit letter, which was a major factor in his decision. He pointed out that he cannot take risks in taking on the safety of his supporters.
Okonkwo said that in the letter to party officials, After careful assessment and careful evaluation and reflection on the current status of the initial election process of all the Progressive Assembly (APC) in the Anambra country, I decided to withdraw my desire for the party’s governor’s vote. This decision to withdraw from the competition was a difficult but essential one, as some developments were not consistent with my principles and values.
The certification process is still underway as of 6:30 pm, and deputies are reportedly kept in an undisclosed hotel at AWKA. The delay has raised concerns about the authenticity of the list of representatives, as many of them remain uncertain about their identities.
Sources close to the event that spoke to Vanguard showed that some delegates were allegedly held at multiple hotels in AWKA, with no clear information on who was eligible to vote. This has led to growing tensions between party members and aspiring people.
Violence and destruction
Earlier in the day, there were reports of violence at the site, with the mob allegedly hiring by an aspiring person assaulting a deputy in an attempt to hijack the process. This happened despite the presence of safety operators on the site.
In response to these developments, Chukwuma believes that the “undevelopment element” within the party is the reason for his decision to step down.
Okonkwo also mentioned the violence and pointed out that he knew his supporters could be hurt.
Despite the cancellation of the withdrawal, the rest of the aspirants continued to play, all from the Senate Anambranan district, the same area as current Governor Professor Chukwuma Soludo. Aspirants still in the game include Nicholas Ukachukwu, Valentine Ozigbo, Johnbosco Onunkwo and Edozie Madu.
