…Ekwunife’s supporters went wild, violent
Barrister Sharon Ikeazor has emerged the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the forthcoming Anambra Central Senatorial rerun election.
Ikeazor emerged the party’s candidate following the disqualification of Senator Uche Ekwunife, a former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) member who recently defected to APC in a bid to contest for the election on the party’s platform.
Ekwunife was recently sacked as the senator representing Anambra Central by the National Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal.
Her ambition in the APC was abruptly brought to an end during the week when a five-member screening committee set up by the party disqualified her, described her as a fair-weather politician.
The five-member screening committee headed by Osita Okechukwu convened on Monday with a mandate to take into consideration full information of aspirants as relates to their educational qualification, political experience, working experience, team spirit and integrity.
The committee was also to enquire into the profile of aspirants, integrity and fulfillment of all the relevant sections of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2010 Electoral Act and Guideline for Nomination of candidates of our great party, the APC.
According to the report of the Screening Committee signed by Okechukwu and the Secretary of the committee, Alhaji Garba Umar, when the two aspirants were screened by the panel, Ikeazor’s trajectory shows loyalty, perseverance and consistency to the emergence of the APC.
Ikeazor was a member of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), woman leader of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), woman leader, Interim National Executive Committee of APC and also a member of its Board of Trustees (BOT).
“It is our considered view that she fulfilled Section 4 of 2014 Guidelines for the Nomination of Candidates for Public Office and all relevant sections of the Electoral Act and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” it quoted.
The report also added, “In conclusion, she is qualified and therefore we recommend her for nomination as the candidate of our great party for Anambra State Central Senatorial District.”
Senator Ekwunife also appeared before the committee and was also screened even though she is barely two weeks old in the party.
“The committee members each scoring independently scored the aspirant below the pass mark of 51 Points,” it noted.
It further stressed that “Most importantly, our deep concern is her record which showed that she dumps political parties at will, leaving the parties in its wake factionalized – from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), to Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA), back to PDP or vice versa and now to APC.
“She is more or less a fair-weather-hen, therefore her antecedent contravenes Section 4(3) of the 2014 Guideline for Nomination of Candidate for Public Office. Caution is valour,” it added.
The report added further, “The committee found that Aspirant Senator Uche Lilian Ekwunife is ineligible to seek the APC nomination for the Senatorial election.
“In conclusion, we recommend Ikeazor Sharon Olive. The chairman and members of the screening committee wish to graciously thank the leadership of the APC for finding us worthy to undertake this important national assignment.”
However, Ekwunife’s supporters went wild and violent when the chairman of the Primary committee, Senator Dagogo went to secure the ‘Yes Vote’ for Ikeazor.
According to eye’witnesses, Ekwunife’s supporters helf Dagogo hostage, insisting he should invalidate the report of the committee and declare their candidate winner.
But Dagogo stuck to his gun, a development that turned the atmosphere rowdy, even as Ikeazor was declared winner by consensus of panelists.
-Leadership