PDP screens Ozigbo, Okwenna, Okonkwo, others for Anambra guber

ADC pegs nomination forms at N12m as IPAC okays 17 parties for poll

ANAMBRA State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP), yesterday, continued the screening of aspirants for the November 6, 2021 governorship election.

Immediate past President and Group Chief Executive Officer ( CEO) of Transcorp Plc, Valentine Ozigbo, Uche Ekwunife, Obiora Okonkwo, Chris Azubogu, Okeke Walter Ubaka, Mrs. Chidi Onyemelikwe, Tony Nwoye, Dr. Winston Udeh and Dr. Ifedi Okwenna were screened on Monday.

Those screened yesterday are Chief Godwin Ezeemo, Dr. Godwin Maduka, Ugochukwu Uba, Emeka Etiaba ( SAN), Chukwumaeze Nzeribe, Genevieve Ekwochi and Olisakwe Maduafokwa Eisenhower.

The party’s National Working Committee ( NWC), had last week, announced a five- man committee led by the immediate past governor of Kogi State, Captain Idris Wada ( rtd) to screen the aspirants.

Other members of the committee are former representative of Edo South Senatirial District, Ehigie Uzamere, former members of the House of Representatives, Mrs. Martha Bodunrin and Jones Onyereri, as well as South East Zonal Secretary of PDP, James Ugwu, who also serves as secretary of the committee.

The governorship hopefuls were screened at the party’s national secretariat Wadata Plaza, Abuja for primary election scheduled for Saturday, June 26, 2021.

The screening exercise will fetch PDP N356m, as it fixed nomination fee at N20m amounting to N260 million and N6 million amounting N78 million for each of the 13 male aspirants amounting to N338m. The three female aspirants were exempted from paying the Nomination Fee, but allowed to pay N6m covering Expression of Interest Fee and Party Support donation amounting to N18m.

SIMILARLY, the African Democratic Congress ( ADC) has pegged its nomination fee and Expression of Interest Fee at N10m and N2m respectively.

State Chairman of ADC, Patrick Ikechukwu Obianyo, who disclosed this in Awka, yesterday, confirmed that of the several many aspirants, who had indicated interest to run for the gubernatorial election, only Afam Ume- Ezeoke had officially declared interest

Mto contest. EANWHILE, Anambra State chapter of the Interparty Advisory Council ( IPAC) has backed the Independent National Electoral Commission’s ( INEC) position on exclusion of de- registered 74 political parties from contesting the November 6, 2021 gubernatorial election for not winning any slot in the 2019 general elections, pending the Supreme Court judgment on its power to deregister parties.

IPAC’S Chairman in the state, Uche Ugwoji, told The Guardian in an interview that only 17 of the 18 parties recognised by INEC would participate in the forthcoming poll, as the electoral body also authorized in Ondo and Edo governorship and other byelections.