SAN FRANCISCO, January 21, (THEWILL) – Senator Uche Ekwunife, who recently ditched the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the All Progressives Congress, APC, has failed to secure her new party’s ticket to run for the vacant seat of the Anambra Central Senatorial District, hitherto occupied by her until the Court of Appeal nullified her election.
This was as a five-member screening committee set up by the APC to decide between her and a former interim woman leader of the party, Mrs. Sharon Ikeazor, who should fly the APC flag in that election has settled for the latter.
The panel chaired by Osita Okechukwu, said Mrs. Ekwunife and Mrs. Ikeazor, presented themselves for screening, but explained that Mrs. Ikeazor was preferred to contest for the election having “fulfilled Section 4 of 2014 Guidelines for the Nomination of Candidates for Public Office and all relevant sections of the Electoral Act and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.
The panel recounted that Mrs. Ikeazor was a member of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party, woman leader of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change and woman leader, interim national executive committee of the All Progressives Congress, as well as a member of its board of trustees.
The committee continued that “Her trajectory shows loyalty, perseverance and consistency to the emergence of our progressive party.
“In conclusion, she is qualified and therefore we recommend her for nomination as the candidate of our great party for Anambra State Central Senatorial District.”
While noting that Ekwunife was barely two weeks old in the APC, the committee explained, “Most importantly, our deep concern is her record which showed that she dumps political parties at will, leaving the parties in its wake factionalized – from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, to Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA), back to PDP or vice versa and now to APC.
“She is more or less a fair-weather hen therefore her antecedent contravenes Section 4(3) of the 2014 Guideline for Nomination of Candidate for Public Office; Caution is valour.
“The score sheet in respect of the aspirants is also attached herewith for further necessary action. The committee found that Aspirant Senator Uche Lilian Ekwunife, is ineligible to seek the APC nomination for the Senatorial election.”
The committee, whose members include Abdullahi Aliyu, Bunmi Oririowo, Mary Aipoh and had Garba Umar as Secretary, said, in carrying out its assignment, it inquired into the profile of aspirants, integrity and fulfillment of all the relevant sections of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2010 Electoral Act and Guideline for Nomination of candidates of our great party, the APC.
It stated, “To aid the committee in its assignment, a score board analysis of the parameters set out above was made. Members scored all aspirants on the following basis viz: BioData/Education- 20 Points; Experience (Public/Private)-20 points; Integrity and Personal Character- 40 points and Party Loyalty and Support-20 Points. The guidelines set a pass mark of 51 Points for the aspirants.”
