APC Gives Ekwunife Hope And Dismisses First Result

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has reversed itself on the Anambra south senatorial primary having earlier disqualified Senator Uche Ekwunife.

Uche Ekwunife defected from the PDP to the APC after she was sacked by the Court of Appeal in Enugu on December 7, 2015.

In a twist, the party has denied it concluded screening exercise.

Yesterday, January 20, a five-member screening committee led Osita Ikechuckuw had announced result of the screening exercise.

The committee disqualified  Ekwunife whose earlier victory was upturned, from contesting election into the vacant seat of the Anambra central senatorial district.

The committee selected Sharon Ikeazor, a former interim woman leader of the party, as its candidate in the election.
The Court of Appeal, sitting in Enugu, had in December declared the seat vacant and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a fresh election within 90 days.
The court quashed the earlier ruling of the election tribunal that Ekwunife had won the seat in the March 28, 2015 senatorial election, which she contested as a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
The appeal was filed by the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Victor Umeh.
Following her loss at the appeal court, Ekwunife defected to the APC to contest the rerun since the party’s candidate in the March election, Chris Ngige, had been appointed as the minister of Labour and Employment.
But in a statement, Thursday, January 21 in Abuja, APC national secretary, Bala Buni denied Okechukwu’s committee’s result.
The statement read: “The All Progressives Congress warns against the declaration of any result from the Anambra Central Senatorial primary election conducted by the party.
“Senator Domingo Obende who was duly appointed by the party to conduct the primaries is yet to declare a final result, hence any other result announced from any quarter is null and void.
“The media and general public is advised to await completion of the exercise.”

Meanwhile, a prominent politician and member of the APC in Idemili federal constituency, Anambra, Mrs Adaobi Kate Uchegbu has condemned the recent decampment of former Senator Uche Ekwunife representing Anambra Central Senatorial District from the PDP to the APC.