PDP clears 15 aspirants for Anambra governorship election

The Peoples Democratic Party Appeal Committee on the Anambra State Governorship election has cleared 15 aspirants out of the 17 that returned their nomination forms to contest the state governorship election on its platform.
Alhaji Mahmud Shinkafe, a former governor of Zamfara State and Chairman of the committee, said this to newsmen on Wednesday in Abuja at the party’s national headquarters.
Shinkafe said that two out of the 17 aspirants were, however, disqualified for failing to produce an up-to-date tax clearance certificate during screening.
According to him, the aspirants were Sylvester Okonkwo and Owuanyin Afamefuna.
Shinkafe said that the committee had to ensure proper screening of the aspirants to forestall a situation where the opposition would sue the party or its aspirants in future.
Ugochukwu Okeke and Tony Nwoye, who were cleared by the committee on Wednesday, brought the total number of aspirants to 15.
The Anambra State governorship election has been slated for November 26, while the state primaries are expected to hold on August 24.
The screening panel, headed by Aminu Wali, had on August 6 screened 17 aspirants and cleared 13 while four were disqualified.
The list of aspirants cleared to contest the party’s primaries include Obinna Uzoh, Mike Okoye, Akachukwu Nwankpo, Ugochukwu Okeke, Josephine Anenih, Emmanuel Anosike, Andy Ubah, Jerry Ugokwe.
Others are: Nicholas Ukachukwu, Tony Nwoye, Patrick Ogbomo, Kramer Ifunanyachukwu, Alex Obiogbolu, Charles Odunukwe and Walter Okeke.
Meanwhile, the Wards Congresses Committee of the Anambra State chapter of the party has submitted its report to the party’s National Working Committee.
Ude Okochukwu, chairman of the committee, who presented the report to Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, the National Chairman, said the committee was able to carry out its assignment successfully in spite of the challenges it faced.
This, Okochukwu said, was due to the cooperation it enjoyed from party leaders in the South-East, governors and other stakeholders.
Receiving the report, Tukur said the jinx for the non conduct of congresses in the state had been broken.
He said: “I am happy with the successful conduct of the Wards Congresses of our party in Anambra.
“This is the first time we are having such an exercise in the state.
“It shows that the PDP is practicing what it preaches by ensuring that the people are given the opportunity to choose their representatives based on equity and fair play.”