Ngige and Uba attended a caucus meeting Saturday night in Awka, where the State Working Committee adopted consensus for the forthcoming primaries.

Geoffrey Anyanwu, Awka

Eight aspirants, including the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige and the senator representing Anambra South in the Eighth Senate, Dr. Andy Uba, have picked forms for the All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries in Anambra State, ahead of the 2019 contest.

Ngige, who represented Anambra Central senatorial district, from 2011 to 2015, had, penultimate week told newsmen in Awka, the state capital, that he has been under pressure to contest for the Senate seat and that he is giving it a serious consideration.

Uba is eyeing a third term in the senate.

Disclosing the purchase of the party forms by the duo and six others he could not name, in Akwa, yesterday, the state APC chairman, Mr. Emeka Ibeh, simply said “three of the aspirants are from Anambra North, two from Anambra Central, including Ngige, and three from Anambra South, including Uba.”

Ibeh also confirmed that Ngige and Uba were among the major stakeholders who attended a caucus meeting of the party, held on Saturday night, in Awka, where the State Working Committee adopted consensus for the forthcoming primaries.

He also assured that the APC will also contest all the House of Representatives and House of Assembly seats in the state in the forthcoming election, as the chances of the party in the sate are very bright.

Ibe further said a seven-member committee, headed by Mr. Ifeanyi Osegbo, with Mr. Cyprian Udenwa as secretary, has been constituted to work out modalities for successful consensus primaries in Anambra.

“We were given a directive on August 30, to summon the state executive joint committee and principal stakeholders of our party.

“At the end of our meeting, we unanimously adopted consensus and that is what we are going to use in all our primaries, except for that of the presidential election which will be conducted through direct primary.

“All the stakeholders who attended the meeting agreed that the best mode of primary is consensus because it will help us achieve a reasonable and maximum level of triumph in the 2019 general elections.

“By tomorrow, the committee we set up to work out modalities for the consensus primary will come up with its recommendations and then, bring together all the stakeholders so we can harmonise and reach an understanding,” the party chairman said.