ANAMBRADECIDES: PDP’s Obaze protests, as Kashamu blames Makarfi for loss

The governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the November 18 contest in Anambra State, Oseloka Obaze says he is not satisfied with the outcome of the poll results.
This is even as a chieftain of the party, Sen Buruji Kashamu has laid the blame for the party losing the governorship in Anambra solely at the feet of the national chairman of the caretaker committee of the party, Sen Ahmed Makarfi.
Obaze said after the announcement of the results, that it was pre-determined, and that it does not reflect the voting pattern, in the local government areas.
Obaze who lost in Ogbaru, his local government area to the All Progressive Grand Alliance’s candidate, Willie Obiano, came third in the polls with 70,293 votes.
He told Punch, that “This seems to be a pre-determined result because it is not consistent with the voters’ turnout and the pattern.
“It has never happened in Anambra politics that the winner wins 21 local governments. So, we need to look closely at what happened, why the incumbent governor is coming out top consistently.

“That questions whether the other candidates have no stronghold as individuals and their respective parties. There is a certain dubious consistency that, just on the face of it, is an aberration.”
Obaze said that the electoral commission had a case to answer in explaining how it arrived at the decision bordering on over-voting in some areas when accreditation and voting were done simultaneously.
In whether he would challenge the result at the tribunal, Obaze said, “Well, I am still consulting my people and I am still waiting.”
On his part, Kashamu, senator representing Ogun East Senatorial District said the tenure of Makarfi as Chairman of the National Caretaker Committee, is “a disaster and the worst nightmare for our party.”
The senator was reacting to the PDP’s dismal performance in the Anambra State governorship election held on Saturday,
In a statement issued on Sunday after announcement of the results, Kashamu said, “it is clear that Makarfi and his allies have brought ill-luck to the PDP.”
According to him, “Makarfi and his team came as if they were the saviour that the PDP was waiting for but they have turned out to be the ones who are killing the party with their illegality, impunity and self-centredness. They believe they can do anything and get away with it. They did it in Anambra where all the popular aspirants were disenfranchised and the ticket was sold against democratic norms. Today, the party is worse off for the dastardly act of these interim caretakers.
“It was bad enough that the interim National Secretary, Senator Ben Obi, lost his ward; that the constituents were rejoicing over his disgraceful loss is indicative of outright communal irrelevance. This calls for concern from our national leaders that specialise in unreasonable harmonisation and imposition of unpopular candidates over the popular ones.”
He said at the rate Makarfi and his people were going, “anyone who wants to become anything in the PDP would have to first go and pay obeisance to a demi-god in Rivers State and his orchestra special assistant from Afao-Ekiti, Ekiti State..”