APC panel disqualifies “fair-weather” Ekwunife from contesting Senate rerun on party’s platform

Uche Ekwunife

A five-member screening committee set up by the All Progressive Congress has disqualified a former member of the House of Representatives, Uche Ekwunife, from contesting election into the vacant seat of the Anambra Central Senatorial District. The party selected Sharon Ikeazor, a former interim woman leader of the party, as its candidate in the election.

The Court of Appeal, sitting in Enugu, had in December declared the seat vacant and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct a fresh election within 90 days.
The court quashed the earlier ruling of the National Assembly Election Tribunal that Mrs. Ekwunife had won the seat in the March 28, 2015 senatorial election, which she contested as a member of the Peoples Democratic Party.
The appeal was filed by the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Victor Umeh.
Following her loss at the appeal court, Mrs. Ekwunife defected to the APC to contest the rerun since the party’s candidate in the March election, Chris Ngige, had been appointed the minister of labour.
In its report, the five member-committee chaired by Osita Okechukwu, said Mrs. Ekwunife and Mrs. Ikeazor, presented themselves for screening.
On Mrs. Ekwunife, the committee observed that she was barely two weeks old in the APC.
It noted further, “Most importantly, our deep concern is her record which showed that she dumps political parties at will, leaving the parties in its wake factionalized – from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), to Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA), back to PDP or vice versa and now to APC.

“She is more or less a fair-weather hen therefore her antecedent contravenes Section 4(3) of the 2014 Guideline for Nomination of Candidate for Public Office. Caution is valour.
“The score sheet in respect of the aspirants is also attached herewith for further necessary action. The committee found that Aspirant Senator Uche Lilian Ekwunife, is ineligible to seek the APC nomination for the Senatorial election.