A fresh crisis is brewing in the Anambra-Central senatorial district following the declaration of the All Progressives Congress senatorial primary held on Wednesday as inconclusive.
The primary was contested by Uche Ekwunife and Mrs. Sharon Ikeazor.
It will be recalled that Ekwunife, who was inaugurated as a senator on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party in June, 2015 had her election nullified by a Court of Appeal in Enugu on December 6, 2015, on the grounds of irregularities.
The court subsequently ordered a fresh election in the senatorial district within 90 days. Ekwunife, however, defected from the PDP to the APC two weeks to the APC primary.
There were reports on Wednesday that Ekwunife had been disqualified from the primary.
But in an interview with our correspondent, Ekwunife said she had not received any letter or notification that she was disqualified.
After the Wednesday primary, Ekwunife polled 287 votes and Ikeazor polled 35 while 15 votes were voided.
Speaking in an interview on Channel’s TV on Wednesday, the secretary of the senatorial primary panel, Matthew Omegara, announced the results and declared that the primary had been declared inconclusive.
Omegara explained that the delegates of three other local government areas of the senatorial district would participate in the primary on Thursday. The primary, however, did not hold on Thursday.
Following the inability of the party to continue the primary for the three other local government areas of the senatorial district, our correspondent observed many of the supporters of the aspirants protested against the party’s decision.
A source who spoke with our correspondent on Thursday said Ekwunife was given the impression that she had been disqualified. The source said the strategy was initiated to discourage her supporters from voting for her.
Supporters of Ekwunife were surprised to find her name on the ballot papers.
But in an interview with our correspondent on Thursday, Ekwunife appealed to the party delegates to be calm and not violent.
She dismissed the rumour that she was also planning to defect to the Labour Party.
Ekwunife said, “I appeal to the delegates to be calm and not to be violent. I will abide by the decision of the APC because the party’s wish is supreme. I will support whoever the party eventually picks.”
