From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday screened former Minister of Aviation, Senator Stella Oduah, Chairman of Capital Oil, Patrick Ifeanyi Uba and five other aspirants seeking to win the the party’s ticket in the forthcoming governorship election.
The other aspirants screened were member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Lynda Ikpeazu, Dr. Alex Obiogbolu, former Secretary to the Anambra State Government ( SSG), Oseloka Obaze, former Minister of State for Transport, Prince John Emeka and Akolisa Ufodike.
However, not a few were surprised to see Uba at the screening exercise, especially as there were reports that he had defected to the All Progressives Congress ( APC) after the 2015 general election.
The Capital Oil boss had surreptitiously obtained the PDP Expression of Interest/ Nomination form as “Patrick Ubah”.
Efforts to speak with the governorship hopeful, who was guarded by about 6 bodyguards, was unsuccessful as he was pushed into a waiting Range Rover Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) parked at the premises of the PDP National Secretariat in Abuja .
Speaking with journalists after his screening, Obaze said he would accept whatever decision the party arrives at regarding who will be the governorship candidate.
When asked if he would support the emergence of any of the aspirants as a consensus candidate, the former SSG said he would, “hoping that if I am the person that emerge, others will support me. “
Speaking earlier, the chairman of the Screening Committee and former Minister of Police Affairs, Adamu Maina urged all the aspirants to close ranks after the primary election.
He said: “Winning Anambra will be to the glory of all of us because the entire PDP will be losers if the party loses the Anambra governorship poll. Each one of us has everything to lose if we lose Anambra State”.