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MARCH 19, 2007 VOL. 20. NO 23

Clash of Gladiators

**Andy Uba**

Gubernatoral cadidates of the various political parties in Anambra State rather than canvass their programmes for the people square up against Andy Uba, candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)
By Okechukwu Obenta, Awka
ven before Emmanuel Andy Uba, governorship flag-bearer of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Anambra State tendered his resignation letter to the Presidency about seven months ago where he had served as Senior Special Assistant on Domestic Affairs to President Olusegun Obasanjo, to seek the mandate of the people of his state, Anambra, in the forth coming general elections to serve them as governor, the fact that he nursed such ambition had been public knowledge several months before.
In fact, it was a common belief among many keen political watchers, that the reason why the ousted governor, Chris Nwabueze Ngige, the PDP gubernatorial candidate in the 2003 general election was fraudulently manipulated into office, against the popular winner of that election, Peter Obi of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), was to make it easier for Uba to become the state governor in the forthcoming general elections.
Also, it was believed that all the tribulations and turbulences that were later visited on the ill-fated Ngige administration and his eventual ouster from Government House, Awka on March 15, 2006 following the nullification of his election by the courts after spending about three years in office, was made possible because it became apparent that he was not going to honour the agreement that he would pave the way for Andy’s emergence as governor in 2007.
Instructively, however, while all these were going on, Andy never uttered any word indicating to the fact that he was interested in the governorship of Anambra State.
In fact, throughout the seven and half years he served in the Presidency, never was he ever sighted at any public function in the state, nor was any statement credited to him about any occurence in the state. All the events or actions associated with him were basically those that were linked to his younger brother, Chris Uba, who was at the time was the godfather of politics in the state.
Chuks Akunna, Media Assistant to the PDP gubernatorial candidate, told The Source that his boss is such a highly principled person that once he sets out on any assignment, he throws in both his soul and body into accomplishing it. And as such, he never listens, nor reacts to anything that will cause him any distraction.
It was this attribute of steadfastness and commitment to duty, according to Akunna, that saw Andy serve President Obasanjo as aide for about seven and half years without being sacked or redeployed–a record which no other political appointee who served in the presidency within the period achieved. But now engulfed in political fray, the Uba Campaign Organisation appears ready to return fire- for fire following barrage of mudslinging and campaign of calumny being allegedlly orchestrated by political opponents against its governorship candidate.
On Monday, March 5, at the Uba campaign headquarters located at the Udoka Housing Estate, Awka, the Director, Media and Publicity of the campaign organisation, Azubike Anoliefo, vehemently dismissed insinuations being made at Uba particularly to the effect that Uba was using federal agencies such as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to intimidate other front-line governorship candidates in the state so as to pave the way for his easy election as governor.
He particularly debunked the allegation that Andy was responsible for the disqualification of Ngige, Ukachukwu and APGA’s Governor, Peter Obi by the INEC from the race. He rather explained that Ngige did not fill the INEC forms for the governorship contest and so his name was not at INEC as governorship candidate of any party–the same position he held about Ukachukwu and Obi.
Anoliefo: “Therefore, these fabrications and tissu of lies about purported sponsored attacks, police harassment and false allegation against Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu by Dr. Andy Uba, at best is a figment only in the imagination of the Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu campaign organisation.
“On the alleged storming of Ukachukwu’s campaign organisation office by the men of the Nigeria Police Force, we unequivocally state that our gubernatorial front- runner, Dr. Andy Uba, is neither privy to, nor has knowledge of any storming of any campaign office whatsoever; neither has he any cause to report nor make any report to the police about illegal harbouring of some 50 mobile policemen at the Ukachukwu Campaign office.
“The PDP gubernatorial candidate, Dr. Andy Uba, and indeed any other gubernatorial candidate is entitled to police security and if and when deprived of this basic right knows where to seek redress. Definitely it is not on the pages of the newspapers. The hue about police harassment and the so-called unlawful use of the services of the police force is to say the least, spurious, frivolous and mischievous.
“It is, therefore, with all sense of responsibility, sincerity, decency and decorum that we most respectfully urge the Inspector General of Police to disregard and indeed ignore the call by the Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu campaign organisation to stop their so-called unlawful use of mobile policemen, undue attacks and false accusations by Dr. Andy Uba as the ranting of mischief and odd jobbers.
“Dr. Andy Uba has been reaching out to Anambrarians of various political persuasions and calling, perceiving their pulse, explaining his agenda to uplift them and they are most appreciative of his manifesto, philosophy, his chemistry and godly disposition. He is so pre-occupied with aggregating and synthesising their ideas and ideals vis-a-vis his, on how to restore Anambra State to its past glory to be drawn into public gossip, idle talks and politics of personalised antagonism; he has no time for unnecessary altercations, antics and machinations of pretenders to the throne.”
Meanwhile, a curious observation shows that about nine governorship contestants still exist in the state out of which there is only one female contestant, Njideka Ugochi Anyadike, gubernatorial candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC). Others include Uba, (Peoples Democratic Party PDP), former Governor, Chris Ngige (Action Congress, AC), Peter Obi (All Progressives Grand Alliance APGA), Ossy Ezenwa (Democratic Peoples Party, DPP), Mike Ogbalu (Republican Party, RP) and John Onyebuchi (Labour Party, LP).
When penultimate week some of the major political parties stormed the state to showcase and test their popularity in a major campaign blitz ahead of the general elections, not a few political observers were of the view that most of the other frontline governorship contestants have Andy as their common opponent. This is apparently so because in their campaigns, they each devoted more time explaining why contestants should not be voted for the PDP candidate, rather than ‘sell’ their manifestoes. This is a common feature in the campaign strategy of incumbent Governor Obi of APGA, Ukachukwu of ANPP and Ngige of the AC.
In fact, at a recent ceremony organised in his hour by the state chapter of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), during which the Union conferred on him, “Man of the Year 2006”, award along with the state deputy governor, Dame Virgy Etiaba, who also bagged “Woman of the Year 2006”, award, Ukachukwu criticised his PDP governorship opponent for subsiding the pump-price of fuel at a time the commodity was sold at N130 per litre, arguing that he (Uba) was party of the arrangement that hiked the price of petroleum products in the first instance.
For Ukachukwu, therefore, the gesture was a ploy to deceive people of the state. Rather than dwell on his blueprint, the ANPP governorship hopeful devoted more time tongue-lashing the PDP government at the centre over the socio-political and economic misfortune that befell the state over the past eight years.
In a similar action, Governor Obi at an enlightenment campaign seminar organised by the Centre for Democracy, a non-governmental organisation in collaboration with the Onitsha branch of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), accused the PDP of already rigging the forthcoming general elections. Obi was of the view that what Nigerians should be preparing to do is to start exploring ways of restoring their mandates through the courts. In a veiled dismissal of the PDP candidates in the state as people who lack the qualities to be the people’s elected representatives, Obi queried, “How can Ngige be disqualified and Mbadinuju is there flying ticket for election?”
Also, during the South east zonal rally of the Action Congress (AC) on Friday, March 2, at Ekwueme Square, Awka, the Anambra State capital, Vice president Atiku Abubakar, Presidential candidate of the party, had urged the people of Anambra state and indeed the South east geo-political zone to reject the PDP. At the rally where the party formally presented former Governor Ngige as the party’s gubernatorial candidate in the state, the AC presidential hopeful "declared that the South east zone had no hope, no future, both politically and economically in the PDP.” Thus, he urged the people of the state to resist any attempt from any quarter to stop Ngige from contesting the governorship election. Any attempt to stop Ngige from contesting in the election would throw the nation into turmoil, Atiku warned.
Two days earlier, Wednesday, February 28, at the same venue, the PDP had held its presidential rally where President Olusegun Obasanjo devoted more time pleading with the people of the state to elect Uba governor, than he did soliciting votes for the party’s presidential candidate, Umar Shehu Yar’Adua and his running mate, Governor Jonathan Goodluck of Bayelsa State. Obasanjo, who described Andy as his closest confidant since his past eight years in Aso Rock pledged to the people of the state that he should be held responsible if Andy failed after been elected governor.
He said that he reposed so much confidence in Uba, such that he was the “last person that saw him before he went to bed every night and the first person to see him every morning”. Uba, Obasanjo further emphasised, knows every corner so well that there is nothing he would want from presidency for the state as governor that he would not know where to find it. And apparently not wanting to be distracted, Uba rather than respond to the barrage of criticism trailing him since he declared his ambition to run for the governorship appears to have chosen to embark on an aggressive campaign for his governorship bid.
As it is today, not a few political observers agree that among all the governorship contestants n the state, Uba runs the most effective campaign. He has so far completed a tour of the senatorial zones, some local government areas and wards, as well as held consultations with major stakeholders in the state.
Also in his mould is the ADC governorship candidate, Njideka Ugochi Anyadike. Anyadike is the only female governorship contestant in the state. and she does not appear to bother about her opponents, as according to her, the drive to join in the race is a divine commission and she is sure to win. She told The Source that her governorship ambition, which is predicated on “Operation Restore Anambra (body and soul)” would implement the following 10 point agenda: restoration of Anambra’s pride and peace/economic prosperity, social and family values, intellectual dynamism, fear of God, security, justice and rule of law, leadership confidence, industrial strength, self-sufficiency and restoration of the state land from erosion menace.
A committed member of the League of Anambra Professionals (LAP), Anyadike is the co-ordinator of a religious organisation known as “The Remnants Centre for Values in Leadership."
Meanwhile, the political indices in the state are indicative that the forthcoming governorship contest would be a daunting obstacle for all the front -runners – one which nobody can now say for sure this is the possible winner.’ But if at the end of the day, Ukachukwu, Ngige and Obi are stopped from the race, as is presently being speculated, the contest will be an easy ride to victory for Uba.
However, Ossy Ezenwa, gubernatorial candidate of the DPP and former Secretary to the State Government (SSG) under Governor Chinwoke Mbadinuju’s administration is one contestant who can spring surprises. He is greatly admired by many in the state and is cast in the mould of incumbent Governor, Obi, but one advantage he certainly has over Obi is that he is more of a politician than Obi, and is humble and charismatic.
Meanwhile, the recent court action by Governor Obi in seeking legal interpretation to section 180 (2) of the 1999 constitution as it affects his tenure in office has remained a major source of worry to the governorship contestants. The worry, The Source learnt, is hinged on the fear that in the event of the courts eventually interpreting the section in favour of Obi, it would mean that governorship election in Anambra State would not be conducted.