RAYMOND OZOJI reports
Though the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has not officially fixed a date yet for the conduct of the Anambra-South Bye-Election, many aspirants seeking candidacy on the platform of political parties have already embarked on open campaigns which the nation's electoral guidelines abhores and considers very illegal and unlawful.
Hence, the state chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Anambra Chief Barr. Ifeatu Obi-Okoye has stated that despite the multitude of persons jostling to get the ticket of the party to contest in the bye-election, he said many factors will determine who eventually obtains APGA ticket for the south senatorial zone bye-election, stressing that there will be no sentiments or any form of nepotism because the party can not joke with the election.
On the issue of whether the ticket should be zoned to a particular zone, Obi-Okoye told HEADLINE NEWS that it is an acknowledged fact that the south senatorial zone consist of two micro zones namely the OAU zone comprising Aguata, Orumba-North and Orumba-South while the other zone is composed of Nnewi federal constituency zone and Ihiala federal constituency zone respectively.
Obi-Okoye pointed out that from the political equation, Nnewi and Ihiala federal constituencies are merged same as Aguata federal constituency and Orumba-North and South federal constituency.
He therefore added that Nnewi federal constituency consisting of Nnewi-North, Nnewi-South, Ekwusigo and Ihiala federal constituency is the traditional zoning known to him considering his old age in the politics of Anambra State. That there is no other micro zoning that will take the party's ticket to a particular local government area whether Ihiala, Nnewi-North or Nnewi-South as it were.
But beyond the foregoing analysis, the APGA state chairman maintained that the party will not encourage any candidate to come from the South comprising Aguata, Orumba-North and Orumba-South reason being that the governor already comes from the zone.
That to create a balance, it is expected that APGA senatorial candidate should come from the Northern part of the South senatorial zone comprising Ihiala and Nnewi federal constituencies. He emphasized that the contest is open for anybody from Ihiala, Ekwusigo, Nnewi-North or Nnewi-South to test their worth and political relevance amongst the people.
In spite of the foregoing, Obi-Okoye noted that the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) will take a lot of things into consideration going into the election because it is one election APGA can not afford to loose.
He stated that the forthcoming Anambra-South Bye-Election is an election that will not thrive on sentiments as the party must look at the demography, advantages and disadvantages arising from electoral strength of each area amongst the local governments.
Another factor Obi-Okoye said will be taken into consideration is the personality of the individual knowingfully well that the last senatorial candidate was a person of very high personality. He said it would be important that whoever is going to replace late Sen. Ifeanyi Ubah must be a high and sound personality.
He said they would also look at loyalty to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). That consistency with the party in times of troubles; commitment to the ideals of the party and a host of other factors will determine who eventually becomes APGA candidate for the Anambra-South senatorial bye-election.
He however maintained that what is important is the candidate that can win the Anambra-South Bye-Election for the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) clearly and convincingly because the election result must not just be a win, it must be a result that will send a message that come November 8th this year, APGA is prepared to clear the whole zones for Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo.
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