NWOYE IS ANAMBRA STATE PDP CANDIDATE-TUKUR

The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, said in Abuja on Monday that Tony Nwoye is the party’s candidate for the forthcoming Anambra State governorship election.
Tukur said this when he received the report of the party’s primaries from the Chairman of the five-man panel for the Anambra State electoral congress, Governor Ibrahim Shema of Kastina State.
The committee had organised and supervised the party`s Anambra primaries held on August 24.
“Nwoye is our candidate for the Anambra governorship election, go and tell the whole world,” Tukur said.
He said that the committee did the party proud in the Anambra primaries, adding that they demonstrated that PDP could deliver on its promise to ensure free and fair election.
He re-emphasised that the party had no “anointed candidate” for any election, adding that “all we are saying is come out and present yourself for election”.
Tukur maintained that the party was for all Nigerians and that the power to decide who rules the people was on the people.
Earlier, Shema said that it was a privilege to serve as chairman of the committee, adding that it gave him an opportunity to show that the PDP was a party for all.
He told the party’s leadership that the committee met with the party’s stakeholders and 14 out of the cleared party aspirants in the state, except Dr. Alex Obegoro, before the primaries.
This, Shema said, was to give the aspirants the opportunity to express themselves, reconcile and work together for the party’s benefit.
He further said that security agents were also present at the meeting, while an invitation was sent to the state Independent National Electoral Commission Resident Commissioner, informing him of the primaries and the venue.
“We informed him the night before that we are holding the congress and we gave him the venue and the national headquarters had earlier written to INEC headquarters in Abuja,” Shema said.
According to him, the committee worked in accordance with the party’s constitution, electoral law and the country’s constitution.
He said that 902 delegates were accredited with 14 statutory delegates for the exercise, adding that voting was peaceful and done in accordance with the party’s constitution.
Shema added: “At the end of the exercise, C. N. Ukachukwu, scored 357 votes; Dr. Alex scored 13 votes; Walta Okeke, 10 votes; Josephine Anenih scored six votes; and Emma Anosike scored one vote.
“Tony Nwoye scored 498 votes and became the winner of that primary election and was according to our party’s constitution declared the winner.”
He subsequently submitted to the party’s national chairman ballot papers used and unused by delegates at the primaries for safe keep.
Nwoye was a former President of the National Association of Nigerian Students.
The report added that the Anambra State chapter of the PDP had been under two factional leaderships.
While one faction was led by INEC-recognised state Chairman, Chief Ejike Oguebego, the other was led by the Ken Emeakayi, which was recognised by the PDP leadership.
The two factions had on August 24 organised primaries in different venues, which resulted to the emergence of Nwoye and Senator Andy Uba as the party’s governorship candidate.
The Anambra governorship election has been slated for November 16