AWKA/Nigeria: The dispute over the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) ticket for Anaocha Constituency I in the 2027 Anambra State House of Assembly election may ultimately be settled by the list of candidates to be published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The development followed competing positions by the incumbent lawmaker representing the constituency, Nkechi Ogbuefi, and another aspirant, Azubuike Okoye, over who was submitted by the NDC to contest the seat.
Ogbuefi, who is also the Deputy Minority Leader of the Anambra State House of Assembly, told journalists in Awka that she emerged from the NDC primary and was duly nominated as the party’s candidate.
She said the party had resolved that serving lawmakers who moved with its leadership would receive automatic tickets, adding that she was issued a nomination form and participated in the primary election.
Ogbuefi alleged that Okoye did not obtain the NDC nomination form, undergo screening or participate in the party’s primary, but had nevertheless been presenting himself as the candidate for the constituency.
She further claimed that Okoye had earlier obtained a nomination form from the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and participated in its House of Representatives primary before subsequently laying claim to the NDC’s House of Assembly ticket.
According to Ogbuefi, the dispute had also featured in a Federal High Court case in Abuja, where, she said, the NDC affirmed her as its candidate.
She maintained that the court ultimately affirmed her victory in the party’s primary and that the NDC informed the court that Okoye’s name had not been submitted as its candidate.
Ogbuefi also said the NDC chairman in Anambra State, Ikem Uzoezie, had advised her to disregard Okoye’s claim, alleging that Peter Obi personally forwarded her name to the party chairman.
Attempts to obtain Uzoezie’s reaction to the allegations were unsuccessful, as calls to his phone went unanswered, while text and WhatsApp messages were not acknowledged.
Okoye, however, has chosen not to contest the claims publicly, saying the matter should be left to INEC to resolve through its official publication.
He said the commission was expected to publish the list of candidates submitted by political parties within the following week.
Okoye said he would not describe himself as the NDC candidate until INEC publishes the list, arguing that it would be premature for him or anyone else to make a definitive claim before the commission’s disclosure.
The dispute has attracted attention because Anaocha Constituency I is the constituency associated with Peter Obi, who represented the area in the Anambra State House of Assembly before becoming governor and later contesting the 2023 presidential election.
For now, the competing claims remain unresolved, with both the party’s submission and INEC’s eventual publication expected to provide greater clarity on who will fly the NDC flag in Anaocha Constituency I.
