Much Ado About Ifeanyi Ubah, Bianca Ojukwu's Senatorial Ambitions
David-Chyddy Eleke. writes that the race to win the All Progressives Grand Alliance ticket for Anambra South senatorial district betwen Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu and Mr Ifeanyi Ubah is becoming both interesting and messy
Before the widow of the late Igbo leader, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu announced her ambition to go to the Senate, feathers had already been ruffled. This may not be unconnected with the fact that she is vying for the ticket of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) where her late husband's name alone is capable of unlocking any door.
First to kick against rumours that Mrs Ojukwu was preparing to go to the senate was Anambra South Integrity Forum(ASIF), a pressure group in the party, led by Chief Olisaemeka Muoma. He was categorical in his condemnation. “It is sad and unfortunate that the internal democracy of our great party is being destroyed by the wife of our late leader, Dim Chukwuemeka Odimegwu Ojukwu. She has been going about threatening to deal with any person that opposes her ambition. Bianca Ojukwu has vowed to create confusion in our party and to ensure that her opponents are expelled from the party if she is not given the senatorial ticket on a platter of gold. Her supporters have also been boasting that not even Governor Willie Obiano can stop her from flying the flag of the party into National Assembly in 2019."
Muoma's whose group is largely made up of supporters of other senatorial aspirants, vowed that the Anambra South senatorial primary elections of the party must be conducted in line with the constitution of APGA. “Our party has a constitution which stipulates the guidelines for the conduct of primary election and it must be followed to the letter. We urge the National Chairman of our great party, Ozo Victor Oye not to allow himself to be used to destroy the party by handing over the Anambra South Senatorial ticket of our party to anyone on a platter gold, rather than holding a credible primary election." Their grouse related to insinuations that leaders of the party favoured the widow of their party's founder. Mrs Ojukwu has since made a formal declaration of her intention to run for a senatorial seat at a well attended ceremony, inside the home of one of the party's leaders, Chief Titus Anigbogu in Ekwulobia, Aguata local government area, thus drawing battle-line between her opponents and herself.
On the other side of the battle line are; Chief Nicholas Ukachukwu, a businessman and grassroot politician, Chief Anselm Enyimba, a retired banker and politician also gunning for the ticket of APGA, Barr Ikenna Amaechi, a former state lawmaker and the very ebullient Mr Ifeanyi Ubah, CEO of Capital Oil and Gas, and a grassroot politician, who is also favoured for the ticket of the party. The truth could be discerned during the declaration ceremony of the former beauty queen, when party leaders who should maintain their neutrality threw their weight behind her, insisting that no one was most qualified to represent the people of the area than Mrs Ojukwu. One after the other, the leaders of the party praised her, and stated that the party would not give its ticket to a politician who would jump ship after winning the election, apparently referring to Ubah.
One of the leaders of the party and governorship aspirant in Imo State, Chief Ikedi Ohakim who was also at the meeting with an American based medical doctor and owner of Las Vegas Pain Institute, Dr Godwin Maduka hinted that over 15 billionaires were behind Mrs Ojukwu, and were ready to finance her election.
As if prompted by such revelation, the children of the former warlord in what looked like a gang-up cast aspersion on the integrity of their step mother, with the trio of Debe, Emeka and Ike Odumegwu Ojukwu calling her out, and questioning the legality of her marriage to their father. Dr Ike, one of the Ojukwus said he would not support a woman who had been in court with them over their father's property. Emeka on his part, stated that he had no qualms with APGA handing its party ticket to Bianca, who he described as an "Ngwo woman in Enugu state, who can also remarry a man from any other state if she so wished." The brothers favoured Ifeanyi Ubah for the position of Senator for Anambra South.
What has become imminent however is that Ubah and Ojukwu remain the two most visible contenders for the ticket of APGA. The two are also said to have polarised the party's leadership as it is believed. While some members of the party are standing up for Ubah, others are with