Abbas Yushau Yusuf, Political Editor
Since 2010, Anambra states the most politically volatile in the southeastern part of Nigeria never had an electoral uniform calendar with the rest of Nigerian states.
This was as a result of a court judgment in 2006 that gave victory to Peter Obi of the All progressives grand alliance.
When Nigeria disengage from military rule in 1999, the whole country has a uniform political calendar, but that of Anambra state was disrupted due to many reasons.
It’s one of the states of Nigeria where political godfatherism forms the basis of its political retrogression.
The Governor of Anambra state who was elected under the banner of the people’s Democratic party in 1999 Mr. Chunwuke Mbadiniju did not get the ticket of his party when he sought for re-election in 2003.
One of Mr. Chunwuke Mbadiniju’s political miscalculations was serving his political godfather, not the state, which contributed a lot in costing him his seat in the 2003 general elections.
In 2003 he contested under the Alliance for Democracy and lost to Senator Chris Ngige, winning the election by Senator Chris Ngige was not all for Anambra as another political crisis was set on July 10th, 2003.
Soludo wins Anambra Governorship Election
This made Nigerians remember the abduction saga led by Late AIG Raphael Ige, AIG Raphel Ige led combat police officers and abducted a serving governor, it did not stop at that Chris Ngige’s signature was forged, taken to the state chief Judge claiming that Dr. Ngige has resigned and the Chief Judge was asked to swear in his Deputy Dr. Uke Udeh.
They said all the rest is now history Anambra ever know peace after the abduction of Dr Chris Ngige, one of his offence was after he was sworn in he fell out with his political godfather Mr Chris Uba.
When the abduction did not work well thugs were mobilised unleashed serious mayhem with the full aid of police officers, where the whole state secretariat was burnt down, it was done in anticipation of the declaration of a state of emergency.
When Chris Nigige was removed through the court process after spending almost three years in office, the APGA governor Mr Peter Obi face another crisis, some members of the state assembly impeached him, his Deputy Mrs. Virgy Etiaba became the first female Governor, Obi went to court his impeachment was declared illegal and bounced back to his seat.
When Nigeria was conducting general elections in 2007 INEC conducted an election in Anambra, Mr Andy Uba was the candidate of the PDP, he was declared the winner and was sworn in on May 29 2007.
Instead of participating in the election, the outgoing governor Mr. Peter Obi and his political party APGA turn away from the 2007 election, Mr Obi went to court of appeal asking it to interpret a section of the 1999 constitution which says ‘’ A governor begins his tenure of office from the day he took the Oath of office’’
Peter Obi took the oath of office on March 10 2010 instead of May 29 2003, he asked the court of appeal to grant his prayers,the court of appeal refused to grant obi’s prayers.
Before the handover on May 29, 2007, Mr. Obi went to the supreme court, he asked for the interpretation, before May 29, 2007, the supreme court did not deliver judgment.
But on June 14, 2007, when Andy Uba spend 16 days as the Governor of Anambra state the supreme court in landmark judgment faulted the Independent national electoral commission for conducting an election in Anambra state.
The supreme court declared and interpreted the section on taking the oath of office, it said peter obi’s tenure starts from the day he was sworn in in 2006 and his first tenure ends in 2010.
The landmark judgment was implemented by the federal government under Mr rule of law, the late President Umaru Musa Yar’adua , after 16 days Andy Uba vacated the government house and Mr. Peter Obi re-occupied it and spent 8 years.
This was how Anambra electoral calendar was disrupted, other states followed suit with judgments by electoral tribunals reversing the electoral fraud perpetrated in the year 2007 by INEC led by Professor Maurice Iwu.
