In the face of controversies witnessed in the recently concluded PDP Ad hoc congress in Imo state, to elect three-man ward delegates, the Senator representing Owerri Zone, Senator Samuel Nnaemeka Anyanwu, appear to have established a clear lead over the other gubernatorial aspirants. MIKE UBANI reports
The delegates Congress of the Imo state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) may have thrown up different claims from the two major camps in the party just as reports have filtered in that the exercise was marred in some areas.
While the camp of former Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, is claiming their principal has the edge in the delegates’ congress in most local government areas in the State and looks good to clinch the governorship ticket of the party, the camp of Senator Samuel Anyanwu, has effectively punctured the claim as a fallacy, citing significant irregularities.
The AUTHORITY checks revealed that there were cases of result sheet snatching and acts of brigandage. Reacting to claims in the media that Ihedioha’s loyalists swept the Congress, a source in Senator Anyanwu’s camp who spoke on condition of anonymity disproved the claims. He enjoined Imo people and party members to disregard the rumour.
In the preliminary result made available today, Divine Mandate Movement candidates across the state cruised to comfortable wins in 20 out of 27 LGAs. Checks showed that the Liberation Movement of Hon. Ihedioha, suffered a heavy setback over the weekend after they failed woefully to effectively implement the “hijack strategy” put forth by the Campaign Organisation.
All efforts allegedly made by the Liberation Movement to hijack result sheets and other sensitive election materials could not effectively pay off due to the combative power force of the Divine Mandate Movement adherents that rendered their plots abortive and ineffective in some cases.
Though in some LGAs like Aboh Mbaise, Ezinihitte, Ahiazu and one or two other LGAs in Orlu zone, result sheets were reportedly hijacked by sympathizers of Iherdioha’s Liberation Movement. An examle was in Aboh Mbaise where Sen. Chris Anyanwu, Hon. Mike Iheanatu (Akwaakwuru), and many other leaders were teargased by thugs believed to be under the payroll of the Liberation Movement.
According to the latest results available as at Tuesday, the Divine Mandate Movement of Sen. Sam Daddy Anyanwu cornered 20 LGAs and competed favorably in five others except in two LGAs located in Mbaise where results were suspected to have been written by thugs.
At press time yesterday, the Divine Mandate Movement had declined to celebrate the huge success recorded in the just concluded Ad Hoc congresses because of the experiences of the past.
It could be recalled that the congresses of 2014 that ushered in the 2015 general elections, Rt. Hon. Ihedioha, influenced the delegates that emerged in all the 305 wards and 27 LGAs of Imo state, leaving not even a single delegate for Sen. Ifeanyi Araraume, to the extent that the Senator even lost all the three delegates from his ward in Isiala Mbano to Ihedioha, who is from Aboh Mbaise. Many believed then that it was curious that Sen. Araraume was defeated by Rt. Hon Ihedioha with just 10 votes.
According to Chief Omu, a chieftain of PDP who spoke to The AUTHORITY, losers should be good sportsmen and quit lamenting Omu who knocked the Ihedioha camp said: “You’re not a gentleman and good sportsman.
Enough of all this lamentations over just election of ad hoc delegates which is only the starting point of a process that will stretch until 3rd of October, and beyond.
“The taste of the meat does not even suffice at this point since the game itself has graduated to outright vote buying by the games masters. I’ll advise that instead of this gnashing of teeth, you and your patrons prepare a mouth-watering financial war chest for the real game coming.”
Further according to him, “Vote buying even though illegal can only now be the risky option available for your camp since the Imo voters will always cry Sam daddy in a free and fair contest. I went through the nooks and crannies of Imo state in an independent assessment and all I hear from respondents are Samdaddy all the way. We await more interesting times ahead of 2019 elections.”
Meanwhile, in a show of total support, President of the Nigerian Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, described Sen. Samuel Anyanwu (Samdaddy) as a man of integrity.
Saraki made the remark last Friday, while addressing members of the Imo State chapter of the PDP, at the party’s state Secretariat, on 98 Okigwe Road, Owerri, in the state capital.
The Senate President and national leader of PDP, who was on a visit to consult party delegates and stakeholders over his presidential ambition, expressed his approval and support for his fellow senator (Anyanwu) and party man’s governorship ambition in the state.
His words: “Sen Anyanwu’s project is my project. With me as the President of Nigeria and him as the governor of Imo State, I can assure you that there will not be uncompleted projects littered around the state.
“He is a man of integrity, humility and capacity. As a Senator, he has been outstanding and I trust him to perform credibly as governor of Imo State. Let me tell you, and I want you to mark this day, that PDP of yesterday is no longer the same today.”
Senator Anyanwu, fondly called Samdaddy is currently a ranking Senator in the 8th Assembly, while representing Imo East Senatorial District as well as occupying a sensitive position as Chairman, Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges.
Sam Daddy has no known political enemies. But many believe the same cannot be said about Ihedioha. His political enemies are reportedly scattered around the state.
Not a few believe that in Samdaddy, Ihedioha is sure of a strong competitor in the race for the party’s ticket. Aside being a Senator who is sure to have access to the powers that be within the party both at the state and national levels, Samdaddy’s political bond with Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, a member of the PDP Board of Trustees (BOT) and one of the most influential persons in Imo politically, makes him a solid force.
“As things stand today,” says a one of the chieftains of the party, “Imo PDP will no longer be seen as one man’s project where Emeka Ihedioha alone represented the alpha and omega.”
Admittedly, it has been speculated in some quarters that the governorship interest nursed by Samdaddy is somewhat motivated by Emeka Ihedioha’s alleged preference of Hon. Ezenwa Francis Onyewuchi, for the Senatorial seat of Owerri zone.
But this remains debatable. Whatever the case may be, Samdaddy’s coming into the contest is widely seen to give room for a healthy competition in Imo PDP as it reassures the position of wielding an umbrella large enough to accommodate as many people as possible.
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