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Twenty three aspirants whose hopes were dashed last Friday following the selection of former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Charles Soludo as the standard bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in next year’s gubernatorial election in Anambra State have rejected the party’s choice outright.
Already, there are also moves by the aspirants to seek legal action to stop the PDP and Soludo from parading himself as the party’s standard bearer in the election.



Led by Chief Chuma Nwafor, the group said the former CBN governor was not even qualified to fly the party’s flag in the election since, according to them, he joined the party about 12 months ago, even as there had not been any special session of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party to endorse Soludo’s candidacy.
The group alleged that Soludo was the mastermind of the initial court action that stopped the conduct of the gubernatorial primaries “all because he has an agenda. But we will not accept that. We cannot accept any imposition of candidate.

“We feel dismayed and disgusted at the rumours making the rounds that somebody’s name was given to INEC. What we had was inconclusive primaries and nothing has been communicated to us. But when we were invited to Abuja last Friday we thought there was going to be election but what happened was different. And as far as we are concerned we are prepared for the primaries,” Nwafor stated at a news conference in Abuja on Monday.

According to him, the group has submitted a petition to the President, the party’s national working committee as well as other non-governmental organizations “who understand the need for due process to be followed, believing that this administration is anchored on the rule of law and we can’t be different.”
He confirmed that the original plan of 47 aspirants in consultation with other stakeholders was to put forward the name of former Vice President, Alex Ekwueme, pending when they would conduct the primaries.

Those behind the new initiative included Samuel Ikefuna, Solomon Ekwenze, Oyibo Obasi, Lovlyn Ebe, Victoria Nwankwo, Susan Ekwenefe, Bathram Dim,Tony Ezem, Felix Oby, Chinyere Udemba, Nkoli Imo, Nicholas Ukachukwu, Victor Ezenwa, Annie Okonkwo, Mike Nkwocha, Bernard Ohike, Valentine Ozigbo, Chuma Nwafor, Amechukwu Ezike, Catherine Egwu, Basil Iwuba and Carol Nwosu.
But in a dramatic move, Soludo appeared at the venue of the meeting of the aspirants. He came in the company of his supporters and was heralded into the meeting held behind closed doors.
After about 15 minutes of meeting, Soludo came out smiling as some as the aspirants struggled for the cameras.

Clad in a milk-colored attire, the former CBN governor refused to make elaborate comments but expressed his joy for being chosen to fly the party’s flag and called on other stakeholders to cooperate with him to move the state out of the woods.
Earlier in the day, a group of Anambra youths stormed the PDP secretariat in a peaceful protest over the emergence of Soludo as the party’s candidate.

In a paper made available to Daily Sun entitled, “Our Position on the move to subvert the constitutional process in the election of the Anambra State gubernatorial candidate for 2010 governorship election,” the group demanded the conduct of primaries as well as an open apology to the people of Anambra State.
When contacted for reaction, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Professor Rufai Alkali, urged the people to respect the position of the party in the choice of Soludo.
He also called on the Anambra PDP politicians to unite for the party to emerge victorious in the election.