Confusion yesterday trailed the alleged withdrawal of the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige from the race for the Anambra Central in favour of Mrs. Uche Ekwunife.
Ngige had told reporters penultimate week that he was being wooed by the people of Anambra Central and other parts of South East to return to the senate in 2019 and that he was seriously considering the matter.
Also at the Anambra State stakeholders meeting of All Progressives Congress, APC, in Awka, which was also attended by Senator Ngige, the Minister was named as the only person that had purchased the expression of interest form for Anambra Central.
But at an event at her campaign office in Awka at the weekend, Ekwunife, who was removed from the present senate by the court, stunned everybody when she said that Ngige had surrendered his form for her.
“I want to thank in a special way, Dr Chris Ngige, who bought a senatorial nomination form for me,” Ekwunife had said, boasting that with the development, she was poised to reclaim the seat she lost through the court.
She said further: “Senator Uche Ekwunife stands for every party. It is more about the personality I represent and not the political party. You can see Governor Ugwuanyi (of PDP) here, so it is not about APC. We will reclaim our mandate.
“Ngige is the leader of the party, he needed to direct the party aright, that was why he bought and gave me the form to fill. I am the right person for that seat.
It was gathered yesterday that the APC leadership in the state was divided over the latest development, particularly when some of them confided in Vanguard that it would be difficult to Ekwunife to sustain Ngige’s structure.
A chieftain of APC said: “Agreed that Ekwunife is popular, but she cannot match Ngige’s popularity. As far as we are concerned, Ngige would have given Senator Victor Umeh of APGA a stiffer fight. As it is, Umeh may have it easy in the 2019 senatorial election.”
