Peter Obi, The PDP National Delegates List And The Misinformation

KINGSLEY UBANI

A lot of misinformation has been on the media lately on the outcome of the PDP primary and decision of HE Mr Peter Obi to defect from the Peoples Democratic Party.

One of the myths is that the Anambra delegates list was doctored not to favour Obi – a clear misinformation!

The Anambra National delegates were 21 in number as elected in the various LGAs. To the much I know, their positions were never in contest. In my LGA, Njikoka, we elected Chief Cosmos Agagbo, Okpokaji Na Abba as our National Delegate.

What was in contest was the delegates that will elect the candidates for the National Assembly and State Assembly positions. Because of the challenges and battle for these delegates, stakeholders met and agreed that each Senatorial zone (Anambra North/Central/South) should adopt their process of selection of the delegates.

Consequently, a separate panel was set to supervise the delegates election for Anambra central, since the Senatorial Aspriant of the zone, Senator Uche Ekwunife was running unopposed. Anambra North and South had their peculiarities. The power play by the stakeholders saw their delegates election adopt a different method.

In Anambra Central where I witnessed some of the elections, the people were allowed to choose their delegates at the wards and candidates at the primaries, to the extent that an incumbent member of House of Representatives narrowly lost his return ticket.

Note that each ward elects 3-adhoc delegates – two men and one woman, in line with the PDP constitution. I doubt if any ward in Anambra Central will say they do not know how their delegates emerged. Kudos to the stakeholders of the Senatorial District who allowed democracy to carry the day!

Below are the Anambra national delegates at the just concluded presidential primaries. Save for Oseloka Obaze who resigned from PDP, a day before the primaries, the listed delegates are as produced by their LGAs.

I’m sure many of the names on the list are known to those who have been following Anambra politics.

Belief that any Anambra politician had control over these delegates is a fallacy.

Let this sink, State delegates are not National delgates and do not vote in Presidential primaries!

Please let’s stop the misinformation!