Anambra: With 672 votes, Obaze emerges PDP governorship candidate as Ifeanyi Ubah, Stella Oduah kick

Former Secretary to the Anambra State Government, Mr Oseloka Obaze, on Monday, emerged the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for the November 18 election.
Obaze polled 672 votes to defeat Chief Alex Obiogbolu, who secured 190 votes to come second and Dr Ifeanyi Ubah with 94 votes, for third place.
Four aspirants participated in the primary election held at Prof. Dora Akunyili Women Development Centre, Awka, which began at 9 a.m.
Four other aspirants – Chief John Emeka, Afodike Akaolisa, Senator Stella Oduah and Ms Linda Ikpeazu – withdrew from the race over allegations of irregularities in the list of delegates.
Chief Dave Umahi, Chairman of the Anambra Governorship Primary Election Committee, who announced the result of the poll, said that 958 delegates participated in the election.
Umahi, who is the governor of Ebonyi State, said in the votes cast, 956 were valid while two votes were invalid.
He explained that the delegates list used in the conduct of the exercise was officially given to the committee by the national leadership of the party.
Reacting to the outcome of the election, Ubah said that he was not happy with the way it was conducted.
“Ordinarily, the list of the delegate ought to have been made available to aspirants four weeks before today (Monday) in line with PDP Constitution, but regrettably, we only saw the list about three days ago.
“It was because of these flaws that some of the aspirants approached a court against this primary and I am sure that the court served the panel that is conducting this exercise,’’ he said.
Some uproar followed Ubah’s speech, forcing the session to end abruptly about 7 p.m., without Obaze making his acceptance speech.
Obaze was Secretary to State Government (SSG) of Anambra State from June 12, 2012 to June 8, 2015, under former Governor Peter Obi, whose tenure ended on May 29, 2015, and briefly with incumbent governor, Willie Obiano.
Before his appointment as SSG, Obaze was in Nigeria’s diplomatic service and later, the United Nations, jobs that ran from 1982 to 2012.
In 2013, he was a governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA).
A native of Ochuche Umuodu in Ogbaru Local Government Area, the PDP candidate was born on April 9, 1955 in Ogidi area of the state.
He attended Christ the King College, Onitsha between 1967 and 1973 and Dennis Memorial Grammar School, Onitsha from 1973 to 1974.
He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science and a Master of Arts in the same course from Nebraska Wesley University, Lincoln, the United States (U.S.).
Senator Stella Oduah, representing Anambra North in the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly, also protested the outcome.
She said she withdrew from the race on Monday because candidates were imposed on the party.
She described the development as unacceptable, particularly for a party that was just trying to get its footing, after undergoing a major leadership crisis.
She said party members that were  not part of the struggle during the  crisis period were  suddenly  imposed on the party members.
“There must be incentive for loyalty. Party loyalists must have a say.
“When you deny their participation, you deny them that incentive they get from being the torchbearers of the party. So, I think it’s morally wrong for this to happen.
“Secondly, we are just coming out from `godfatherism’ that pervades the politics of Anambra PDP.
“Thank God for court judgement but with what is happening, they are bringing us back to that era where we will be subjected to one man imposing a candidate on us.
“The fundamental process that led to the three-man delegates was so chaotic and the default was so fundamental.
“My people were disenfranchised and I don’t want to be part of that process because it is injustice.
“When you have imposition, you have blocked that hope for them. You have made it difficult and impossible for them to aspire to be anything within the party because you are telling them that you can bring somebody from anywhere to impose on them.
“Also, bringing somebody from outside the party and who has not stayed for long, it means that you are saying that you lack capacity within party members.
“But I don’t think we lack capacity, I think PDP has enough capacity to run for that election,’’ she said.
The lawmaker said she was concerned that the development could lead to the party’s defeat in the November 18 election.