The heat is literally at its zenith in Enugu State as supporters of the former Deputy President of the Senate and Governorship Aspirant, Senator Ike Ekweremadu and loyalists of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi battle for the soul of the Coal City State ahead of the 2023 general elections.
Political checks reveal that tension began to build up in the state immediately Senator Ekweremadu, two years ago, publicly announced that he was not returning to the Senate after 2023, saying that only God will direct his political advancement.
It was learnt that since Ekweremadu’s proclamation, there has been shivering in government cycle in Enugu, prompting the former governor of the state, Dr Chimaroke Nnamani, presently representing Enugu-East Senatorial Zone at the Senate to hurriedly pay a solidarity visit to Governor Ugwuanyi at Government House, Enugu where the incumbent was asked to lead the “Ebeano political family” and direct where the pendulum will swing to in next political dispensation.
Governor Ugwuanyi willingly accepted the offer of Ebeano leadership and began to search for his successor which he has kept to his chest up to the time of going to press.
Although sources close to Governor Ugwuanyi said his body language suggest he may anoint either Chief Peter Mba or Hon. Chijioke Edeoga.
Indeed, Ekweremadu began to top political discourse in Enugu politics and beyond as the first move by Governor Ugwuanyi’s loyalists was to embark on zonal rallies held in the three senatorial zones. They were held in Nsukka (Enugu North) Enugu (Enugu-East) Awgu (Enugu West
During the rallies, rotation of governorship was played up with Senator Ekweremadu as their prime target. The sin of the Mpu born politician is that merit should be allowed to determine who succeeds Governor Ugwuanyi in 2023.
Following the discordant tones in Ebeano political dynasty over the zonal system, it became a fight for the strong which has consequently led to the current impasse in People’s Democratic Party (PDP) primaries beginning from the ward level.
Apparently to dislodge Ekweremadu ‘s camp, ahead of the primaries, a meeting of gubernatorial aspirants was held last Saturday at Nike Lake, Enugu excluding Ekweremadu.
It was learnt that in the gathering which was at the auspices of a traditional ruler, termed, “Peace Accord” fifteen gubernatorial aspirants signed a Memorandum of understanding (MoU) to allow Governor Ugwuanyi to anoint his successor among them.
But the flank of Ekweremadu seems to be growing as despite the power of incumbency, there were parallel primaries in the state last Sunday with both factions of Governor Ugwuanyi and Senator Ekweremadu claiming victorious.
Prior to the last Sunday primaries, reports had it both camps have pending cases before different courts seeking authentication of the parallel three-man delegates’ congresses which commenced the process of the party’s primary elections.
However, none of the cases before the courts has been decided, even though the governor’s group had claimed that it secured an interim injunction in support of their factional congresses.
Senator Ekweremadu “s faction is insisting that it adhered strictly to the party’s guidelines for the conduct of the ward congresses held in various wards in the state as scheduled.
The loyalists to the former deputy president of the senate alleged that the governor’s faction merely compiled the delegates’ list at a hotel near Government House, Enugu four days before the primary and handed it over to the congress panel without conducting the exercise in the wards.
But the Electoral Committees sent by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party to conduct State Assembly and Federal House of Representatives Primary Elections in Enugu State on Sunday had expressed satisfaction with the exercises, which they described as peaceful, transparent and
It was observed that the primaries held last Sunday were characterized by protest in most centres over the delegates’ list as the electorate was divided over which list of delegates to use for the conduct of the election.
There were also alleged manipulations, intimidation, and heavy presence of security operatives including police and soldiers, who in most polling centers did not allow the recording of the primary election, which resulted in the conduct of parallel primaries in most places.
The results from the Ekweremadu faction so far indicated that, for State House of Assembly, Hon. Chinedu Okwu was declared winner of the Aninri State Constituency PDP primary election while Hon. Sunday Okafor and Egwuonwu Obasi were declared winners of Awgu North and South State Constituencies, respectively. Sunday Umeha was returned for Udi/Ezeagu Federal Constituency.
In Uzo Uwani State Constituency, Dr. Bath Nwankwo was elected, while Engr. Jude Asogwa was elected the flag-bearer for Nsukka/Igboeze South Federal Constituency.
In Enugu East Urban State Constituency, Hon. Osita Okoh was also declared winner.
In Enugu West senatorial zone which Ekweremadu represents, the primary elections for Awgu North and Awgu South State constituencies as well as the Aninri/Awgu/Oji River Federal Constituency were characterized by heavy violence, including sporadic shootings, and tear gassing of delegates.
Further checks show that identification of delegates was marred by allegations of impersonation, while delegates were at a point driven out and tear-gassed out of the hall by policemen allegedly working for the governor’s camp.
Also, whereas, the PDP chairmen for Oji River and Aninri were allowed to identify their authentic delegates, the Chairman of the party in Awgu, Hon. Okey Udeh, was not allowed to do so for Awgu despite several protests.
There were allegations that unauthentic delegates were smuggled into the venue. For instance, it was alleged that a lady was smuggled in to stand in for Mrs. Sopulibe, wife of the Deputy Chairman Oji River Local Government Area.
Reacting to the violence experienced during the exercise, the Deputy Minority Leader of the House of Representatives and an aspirant for the PDP in Aninri/Awgu/Oji River Federal Constituency, Hon. Toby Okechukwu, described the exercise as “a comedy of errors”.
According to him, observing principles of democracy in the process was more important than the outcome, stressing that “when something as basic as delegates’ identification is flawed and skewed, and when an exercise as important as a primary election is marred by violence, then we cannot accept it.”
As at press time, both the governor and Ekweremadu camps have produced their respective lists of winners in the various state constituencies, for onward transmission to the PDP national headquarters.
If the claims by Ekweremadu’s camp that the state chapter of the PDP led by Augustine Nnamani forged party’s receipts ahead of the primaries hold water, invariably there may be huge trouble for Governor Ugwuanyi’s flank.
Be that as it may, whatever primaries PDP aimed to have done in Enugu is subject to the court judgment on the contentious PDP three-man adhoc delegates, which was fixed for 27th May as ordinarily, PDP ought not to have attempted to conduct primary election in Enugu State in the first instance.