Obi of Onitsha Snubs APGA Guber Candidate, Obiano

Reports reaching us said the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe snubbed the governorship candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA for the November 16, 2013, Chief Willie Obiano confirming speculations that the royal father has not given his blessing to Obiano as the candidate of Anambra North where APGA zoned its governorship candidate to.
The APGA candidate who had a scheduled appointment with the highly revered Onitsha monarch could not hide his disappointment as the royal father diplomatically refused to see him, but sent a palace official to receive him.
The sour relationship between Igwe Achebe and Governor Peter Obi who personally handpicked Obiano came to light last month when the royal father threw in the towel as the Chairman of Anambra State Council of Traditional Rulers, explaining that he had other assignments to attend to.
It was gathered that Igwe Achebe like other traditional rulers in Anambra North Senatorial District felt slighted that after undergoing a rigorous search to pick Chief Chike Obidigbo as the consensus candidate of Anambra North, Gov. Obi somersaulted on his earlier promise and personally handpicked Obiano who he foisted on the party barely two weeks to the close of entries of governorship candidates by the parties.
It would be recalled that Gov. Obi promised the people of Anambra North that he would be succeded by a candidate from the zone. The zone through a group the Olu Na Adagbe chaired by Chief Shedrack Anakwue and an 18-man committee set up by Gov. Obi with Prof. Sylvester Anika and Felix Ekulide respectively as chairman and secretary worked together to select and screen 14 aspirants across party lines and Chief Obidigbo was chosen as the consensus candidate.
After the Committee’s recommendation, another committee of Igwes from Anambra North, including Igwe Achebe ands Presidents-General of Town Unions in Anambra North, equally confirmed Chief Obidigbo.
A source close to the monarch revealed that the Onitsha monarchs and other royal fathers are disturbed that after such a rigorous search for a credible, Gov. Obi betrayed them and rubbished the entire process by foisting his business partner on the party.