Last Updated: Saturday, April 18, 2009 5:35 AM - ukpakareports.com
Going by the unfolding drama in and around the offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission [INEC], it appears the political maneuverings of the 2010/2011 season has began to take form again. This as the Chairman of the INEC was recently visited by three mega millionaires on behalf of All Grand Progressive Alliance [AGPA] Anambra State Governor by the name Mr. Peter Gregory Obi. The three mega millionaires comprising of Chikason of Nnewi, Emmanuel “Bishop” Okonkwo [owner of Eva wine] and Raymond Obieri - was led to the office of Maurice Iwu by Raymond Obieri who currently serves as a top manager of Intercontinental Bank.
While Ukpakareports.com is not certain the Governor was aware of the visit by the trio, but what is certain is that the trio visited the INEC Chairman with N50million in cash.
The trio as gathered had arrived at the office of the Chairman armed with recording devices with the intent to trap the Chairman into agreeing and/or holding to the deal should he succumb and take the money. But the INEC Chairman was not to be outdone. As the trio offered the INEC Chairman the money, the INEC Chairman, before taking the money asked the trio whether “this money was bribe” and the trio said no. With this, the INEC Chairman collected the money and thanked them. The trio then told the INEC Chairman why they had come – that they wanted INEC Chairman to recognize Chief Victor Umeh as the Chairman of APGA, and not Chief Chekwas Okorie. This, they explained would enable Governor Peter Obi to join the gubernatorial contest as an APGA candidate in 2010. To this, the INEC Chairman, having listened calmly, told the trio to go read APGA Constitution. He told them that INEC will stand by APGA Constitution – which means in a short-sense that Chekwas Okorie remains the recognized force in the party.
As Ukpakareports.com was made to understand, the trio who are close financial allies of the State Governor of Anambra, out of concern over the unraveling tiff within the APGA had upped to intercede on what appears an unwanted threat to the Governor’s chances of obtaining a return ticket for the gubernatorial ticket from APGA for the gubernatorial contest in early 2010. Their concern, as could be recalled via Ukpakareports.com previous report, was particularly piqued by the renewed stance by the federal government towards the two factions of APGA. As learnt through a source close to the INEC Chairman who spoke to Ukpakareports.com recently in Abuja, Maurice Iwu has sworn to use all that is within his power to ensure that the current Governor of Anambra State is not given a ticket to join the 2010 gubernatorial contest.
To this extend, the INEC Chairman moved to advise the Presidency and all relevant agencies that the APGA faction which Governor Peter Obi belonged was not the legal and/or recognized APGA, and thus the Chairman to be recognized was Chief Chekwas Okorie. It was against this backdrop that the office of the Presidency adopted the faction led by Chekwas Okorie as the recognized faction. And when it came time for the Office of the Presidency to invite the political parties in the country to attend the electoral reform meeting held in early 2008, the office of the Presidency only wrote to the Chekwas Okorie faction, and not to the Chief Victor Umeh faction.
As expected, the Governor of Anambra State was peeved. Thinking it must have been a mistake, the Governor upped and wrote to President Umaru Yar’dua in a letter personally signed by the Governor, dated January 15th 2008 and referenced ANGH/S/HE/INT/1/401 with subject heading “Invitation to the Electoral Reform Meeting”. In the letter which can viewed by clicking here, the Governor of Anambra State thanked the President for the invitation extended to his party - and then proceeded to alert him that his office had delivered the letter to the wrong party while noting that Chief Victor Umeh was the recognized Chairman of the party, and not the former Chairman Chekwas Okorie.
In response to Governor Peter Obi’s letter, President Umaru Yar’dua wrote in a letter dated January 18th 2008 referenced SH/COS/70/8/1P15 with heading “Re: Invitation to the Electoral Reform Meeting” that – “the opinion of the Chairman of the INEC was sought and obtained in order to clarify the confusion regarding the leadership of the party, INEC was unequivocal in its stand that following court orders, the commission recognizes and deals at present with Chief Chekwas Okorie as APGA National Chairman”. The letter was signed by the Senior Assistant to the President on Political Affair in the person of Dr. Gbolade Osinowo, OON and can be viewed by clicking here.
Interestingly, the reason for the INEC Chairman determination to see Governor Peter Obi’s return to the Governor’s Office aborted, as Ukpakaeports.com learnt, has to do with prior agreement reached between the Uba’s and Peter Obi during the tribunal years against Dr. Chris Ngige. As learnt, Mr. Peter Obi was approached by the Uba’s to discuss the common opponent they had at the time, Ngige. Peter Obi was battling with the then Governor Chris Ngige at the tribunals while the Uba’s were also battling with Ngige over issues related to godfatherism. It was at the peak of the squabble between the Uba and Ngige – that the Uba’s approached Peter Obi and offered to “help” him win the case. And in return, Mr. Peter Obi would only serve out what is remaining in his term [about 2years]. As Ukpakreports.com learnt, Bishop Mbaka of Enugu, Bishop Anikwenwa of Anambra, Dr. Alex Ekwueme and Maurice Iwu were present at the said meeting where the agreement was reached between the Uba’s and Peter Obi. But as the Uba’s supposedly delivered on their part of the agreement, Peter Obi was said to have reneged on his part of the deal. And thus, the INEC Chairman along with the others present at the meeting became furious at Peter Obi.
Meanwhile, the Chief Chekwas Okorie led APGA has gone ahead to place advertorials in Nigerian Newspapers indicating that APGA will not give Peter Obi the ticket/platform to join the 2010 Anambra gubernatorial contest – that they will not nominate Peter Obi. Information available to Ukpakareports.com indicates that while the Okorie led APGA has decided not to nominate Peter Obi, it has yet to select and/or pick her candidate for the gubernatorial contest. A candidate is expected to emerge at their upcoming convention pegged to hold in June 2009 – of which many members of APGA are expected to be expelled.
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