Anambra 2014: APC makes U- turn, decides to conduct primaries for Ngige, Ezemo

THE All Progressives Congress, APC, has reversed its earlier decision to adopt Senator Chris Ngige as its governorship candidate for Anambra State, saying the party’s primaries would now be held on September 2, 2014 to pick the party’s flag bearer for the November 16, 2013 election.

The decision came on the heels of the two leading contenders to the position – Ngige and Mr. Godwin Ezemo – organizing two parallel rallies in Awka yesterday.

While Ngige, led by the governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha and Senator Annie Okonkwo held their rally at the Ammaus House, Ezemo had his outing at the Marble Arch Hotel in the town. Both outings attracted large number of their supporters.

Okorocha, who spoke for nearly one hour, said the primaries was aimed at fulfilling all righteousness, expressing optimism that Ngige would emerge the APC flag bearer in the state.

According to him, Annie Okonkwo has agreed to collapse his structure into that of Ngige, adding that he (Okonkwo) has been chosen as the leader of Ngige’s campaign organization for the governorship election.

Okorocha said: “I am very proud of Senator Annie Okonkwo who I know, controls about 80 percent of the APC structure, but has agreed to step down for Ngige. Though he had prepared a wonderful blueprint for the development of Anambta State if he wins the race, he decided to step down for Senator Ngige because he knows that two of them cannot be governor at the same time.”

In his speech, Ngige said there is no more division in APC. His words: “There is no longer Annie Okonkwo group; there is no longer Ngige group and very soon, there won’t be Ezemo group.

He said that if he returns to the Government House after the November 16 election, there would be free education and free health services in the state.

Elsewhere at Marble Arch Hotel, Ezemo insisted that there must be primaries for the aspirants, adding that he was prepared to work with whoever wins if he loses.

According to him, what he frowned at was imposition of a candidate on the people of Anambra State at a time APC was accusing other political parties of committing such offence.