The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has omitted the name of the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) from the list of cleared candidates for the November 6 Anambra governorship election.
According to a statement by INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, the reason for omitting PDP’s candidate is based on a Court Order for the exclusion of the party.
There seems to be even more drama as the name of Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, the factional candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) was also omitted.
Mr. Soludo is being staunchly supported by the current governor, Willie Obiano and he emerged winner of the APGA faction loyal to Governor Obiano.
However, the Commission cleared the candidate of the other APGA faction, Chukwuma Micheal Umeoji for the poll, leaving the fate of Soludo, a former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, hanging.
The Street Journal had earlier reported that the PDP factions in the state conducted two primary elections in different locations in Awka where Valentine Ozigbo and Ugochukwu Uba emerged as candidates respectively.
While Mr Ozigbo was the former President and Group CEO of Transcorp Group and currently serves as a Non-Executive Director of the organisation, Senator Ugochukwu Uba is a brother to Andy and Chris Uba.
Andy Uba is the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.