Despite being declared winners of last month’s primaries of the All Progressive Congress, APC for two zones in the Imo State Senatorial Districts, the tickets of Prince Alex Mbata and Hon Patrick Ndubueze are still shaky.
During the last primaries, while Mbata was declared winner for Owerri zone, Ndubueze emerged APC candidate for Okigwe zone.
Even as their names were included in the list APC submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, which was made public, Trumpeta scoped that it is not yet Uhuru for Mbata and Ndubueze to go home and celebrate.
Authoritative sources from the party secretariat in Abuja informed Trumpeta that the duo are at the verge of losing the tickets but for the yeoman’s job of the state governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma who has stood his ground to resist attempts aimed at swapping the two names.
This newspaper learnt that after the arrangement that led to the emergence of Mbata and Ndubueze in Owerri, an ambush was laid for them in Abuja during the final submission of names.
It was further gathered that while the issue of Mrs Betty Akeredolu- Anyanwu who had bought form for the Owerri senatorial position came up to be used as substitute for Mbata, names of two notable politicians of Okigwe zone extraction; Ifeanyi Araraume and former Minister, Emeka Nwajiuba were also tipped to take the place of Ndubueze.
According to Trumpeta findings but for the intervention of the State Governor who has been resisting any change to what he had from the party office in Owerri, Mbata and Ndubueze wouldn’t have lost out.
A party source informed this newspaper that intrigues of all sorts are characterizing the submission of the names. The information at the disposal of Trumpeta is that after expressing disapproval to the manner the primaries of the Owerri zone (Imo East) Senate ticket of APC was conducted, Akeredolu Anyanwu, wife of the Ondo State governor, Rotimi Akeredolu took the matter up at the National stage where plans are underway to substitute names.
In Okigwe zone (Imo North) Case, the names of Araraume and Nwajiuba were mentioned as would be candidate one of them to take over.
Having lost out in the Presidency, the senate ticket is said to be reserved for Nwajiuba for consolation, while strong forces in Abuja think Araraume will be a better material and force to carry the flag of APC than Ndubueze.
Confirming these developments, the source revealed that Araraume and Akeredolu were at the verge of filling INEC forms as candidates of the party for Okigwe and Owerri zones respectively before Uzodinma stepped in to resist the plot.
Trumpeta however learnt with window of substitution of party candidates is still open and the battle for the two to escape the new twist is not yet over. There are fears that Mbata and Ndubueze tickets may not finally sail through considering the plots to have their names changed in INEC. This matter is said to have made Uzodinma keep vigil in Abuja to avoid the planned substitution of names.
