No fewer than eleven persons are currently jostling for the position of deputy governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the forthcoming election.
The seeming mad rush for the running mate slot to Akachukwu Sullivan Nwankpo, Daily Sun learnt was as a result of the acclaimed flawless process through which he emerged ADC’s candidate in the party’s primary election on June 29, 2021.
Tipped to go for the party’s number two position in the state include the 2011 Forbes’ 20 Youngest Powerful Woman in Africa and Harvard Business School African-American Alumni, Mrs Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli.
Others include former ADC governorship aspirant, Afam Ezenwafor, Pastor Frank Ughamadu of the Dominion City Church, among others.
An insider source said, “ADC that has just organised about the best party primary election ahead of the Anambra guber, is yet to agree on a consensus candidate for their deputy governorship slot. No fewer than 11 persons have been nominated by stakeholders within the party for that position.”
The source said further that the governorship candidate and former aide to President Goodluck Jonathan, Nze Akachukwu Nwankpo, could not agree with the position of some of the stakeholders. It was gathered, however that both Nwankpo, being of the Roman Catholic denomination, and the national chairman of the party, Ralph Okey Nwosu, favoured either an Anglican or a Pentecostal faithful, with high profile entrepreneurial background.
When contacted at his Awka residence, yesterday, national chairman of the party, Ralph Nwosu, told Daily Sun that the party would likely settle for a youth as Nwamkpo’s deputy, in keeping with the pasty’s constitution that provides for 35 per cent youths and 35 percent women inclusion in government.
Nwosu, it was learnt, is keeping his disposition to his chest, as investigation has shown that a committee is already working on the issue of the deputy governorship slot.
The national chairman, according to our investigation, has dismissed any insinuation that he was not on the same page with the candidate, maintaining that there was no disagreement between them or anyone for that matter.
Daily Sun further observed that one name that kept popping up was that of a leadership development mentor, and member of Rockefeller Foundation Board of Trustees, Mrs Nwuneli.
Meanwhile, Nwosu said that the party has marshaled out political strategies to achieve victory at the election. He called on party faithful and good people of the state to rally round the party in order to experience good governance that would salvage the state and its people.
He expressed optimism that a transformational ADC governor in the mould of Nze Nwankpo would emerge to take charge and create prosperity for the people of Anambra State.