PDP Crisis: Clashes Between Jonathan And Obasanjo Escalate Over Andy Uba’s Rejection

The recent confrontation between the former and the current presidents, Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, seems to be escalating after the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rejected the Anambra State governorship primary that produced a former aide to Obasanjo, Senator Andy Uba, as the party’s candidate for the November 16 governorship election in the state.

Not long ago, the former president had sought Jonathan’s support for Senator Uba in the run-up to the PDP nomination date, after what Obasanjo joined the crisis between the President and some governors elected on the platform of the PDP two weeks ago.

But, the PDP national Chairman Bamanga Tukur confirmed Mr. Tony Nwoye as the party's candidate. The party's leadership also condemned the parallel primary and rejected Uba's candidacy.

However, it has been revealed, that Obasanjo is angry as he was said to have questioned what Nwoye possessed that was lacking in Uba.

“We are watching where the action of the PDP leadership would lead us. We begin to wonder why they would have a preference for a youth leader and why they would reject the man who had won the same governorship poll for our party before the court terminated his mandate, and who is now a serving senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria."
“From all indications, if the party fails to reverse itself, then the outcome of that November 16, 2013 election in Anambra has been decided by them,” a political follower of Obasanjo told Leadership's correspondent."

The source recalled the efforts made by Senator Uba in the ongoing reconciliation between Jonathan and the ex-president and called on the chairman of the Board of Trustees of the party, Chief Tony Anenih, to intervene quickly before it is too late for the party:

“It is our hope that Chief Anenih would stop this drift before it would be too late; we wonder why these people would never see anything good in Baba Obasanjo and yet they run to him in the cover of the night asking him to help them to come out of their self-inflicted crises. “Mark my words, PDP would never win that poll with that boy as PDP’s candidate.”

Meanwhile, both the presidency and the former president have denied that they were on a collision course over the choice of PDP candidate for the Anambra election.

It will be reminded, that the parallel primaries took place on 24 August 2013. The PDP disapproved the primary held by the faction chaired by Ejike Oguebeogu and recognized by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), where Mr. Uba was elected as its governorship candidate. After that, PDP summoned Uba to appear before a disciplinary panel to "show cause why disciplinary action should not be taken against them.” Senator will be joined by his brother Chris and three other party leaders in Anambra, Ejike Oguebego, Benji Udeozor, and Tonia Nwankwu. They are to appear before the National Working Committee (NWC) for a preliminary hearing at the PDP National Secretariat at Wuse Zone 5, Abuja on Wednesday, August 28, at 10 am.