Enugu guber: Calm in Enugu as Chime, Ekweremmadu settle differences

OUR REPORTER ON NOVEMBER 10, 2014

…As coast clears for Ugwuanyi

BY WILLY EYA

Peace is gradually returning to the Enugu State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as the two major contenders in the power struggle for the party structure, Governor Sullivan Chime and Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremmadu, may have finally resolved their differences.

Daily Sun gathered at the weekend that Governor Chime and Senator Ekweremmadu resolved the deadlock, which almost tore the Enugu PDP apart in a highbrow meeting presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan.

A top member of the PDP in the state told Daily Sun that in the meeting, which was held at Abuja, the president told Governor Chime to allow Ekweremmadu to go back to the Senate while he controls the remaining party structure in the state.

Our source informed that with the trade off, Chime, who initially wanted to replace Ekweremmadu at the Senate, sacrificed his ambition but would now control the structure that would produce his successor, Senators of Enugu North and East and other elective officers of the state.

It was gathered that with the development, the coast is now clear for Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, who has been adopted as the popular governorship candidate of the PDP in the state.

Yesterday, it was gathered that in spite of news reports, suggesting that a faction of the party appeared to have had a better part of the fight, feelers on the outcome of the Abuja meeting doused the tension, as it was learnt that Chime and Ekweremadu have made up their differences.

Our source said: We gathered that whereas the close supporters of the two gladiators, who have been at daggers drawn over the Enugu West senatorial ticket of the party seemed to have carried on as if war was imminent, even at the weekend, the truth is that the two alongside some top leaders of the party in the state have reached a truce in Abuja and that they did that in liaison with Mr. President.

He said that perhaps, the agreement to work in harmony once again, was the reason the deputy chairman of the party, Elder David Aja, who has been claiming to be the acting chairman since the resignation of Chief Vita Abba, was reported to have signed the statement releasing the result of the special local government delegates billed to hold last Saturday.

Many of those who made the list in the Enugu North zone, it was gathered are said to be allies of Chime.

Aja has been fighting the factional war on the side of Ekweremadu, a reason those who would not know what has transpired between the leaders of the factions were wary of the name of Aja associated with the list published yesterday.

At the weekend the candidature of Hon. Ugwuanyi was further boosted as the Enugu State chapter of the Nigerian Councilors’ Forum joined several other groups in support of him.

According to the statement of the forum signed by Hon. Hyginus Makata, chairman of the Enugu chapter and its secretary, Barrister Francis Ani, the councilors expressed their support for the zoning of the governorship seat to Enugu North zone (Nsukka) by the party in the state even as they joined all the levels of authority of the party in the state in endorsing Ugwuanyi, who is the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Marine Transport.

“We express our support to the leadership of the party in the state on the zoning of the governorship seat to Enugu North senatorial zone in fairness and equity and thank Governor Sullivan Chime for all the programmes he has been midwifing to ensure a smooth political transition in the state.

“We are not just supporting the endorsement of Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi but are part of his endorsement by the state caucus of our party, PDP, and the entire stakeholders in the state”, said the group.

The leaders of the councilors said the choice of the consensus candidate “is one singular action that has saved the state from what onlookers thought was going to be a very knotty governorship race that would have torn the party very much apart in our dear state because he has remained a solid bridge builder whose main attribute is calmness in the face of all provocations”.

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Enugu Politics: Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi can end dichotomy of state

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The festering dichotomy in Enugu state politics is on the verge of coming to an end if the analysis of the situation developing in Enugu by Nigerian political watchers last weekend was anything to go by. The in-fighting between the juggernauts of Enugu politics – Governor Sullivan Iheanacho Chime and Deputy Senate President,  Ike Ekweremadu (both from Enugu West Senatorial District) was threatening to overspill into a major political crisis, but the announcement of the preferred candidacy of House of Representatives’ Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for the Governor of Enugu in 2015 by PDP stakeholders in the state might just spark off a peace initiative to calm the dangerously frayed nerves of the combatants.

Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi is simply the politicians’ politician. His toothy smile is another name for magic. He can end the dichotomy in Enugu by talking sense into the principal combatants and if Governor Chime means business in this endorsement, the whole state will rally around him as we are witnessing in Anambra State where Willie Obiano is taking the state to another level following the passing of the baton by former Governor Peter Obi in the APGA government. But one must sound a word of caution straight away, and that is that endorsement should not mean that the endorsed must be subservient to the endorser on the long run.

Historically, political endorsement or ‘god-fatherism’ does not work in Nigerian politics. Starting with the immediate example in Enugu, former Governor Chimaroke Nnamani who endorsed Chime for governor lived to regret that endorsement as both of them hardly talk to each other these days, let alone does Chime appreciate the gift. Jim Nwobodo endorsed Chimaroke Nnamani who charmed him with his Americanese on the return of the ‘foetal’ surgeon to take a shot at the Government House, Enugu. We all knew that the great Zik blessed Governor Jim Nwobodo and never expected anything in return, which is as it should be and Jim had all the free hand to run the old Anambra (Ebonyi, Enugu and the present Anambra states). It will be noted that as soon as Jim endorsed Chimaroke, campaigned for him and installed him as Governor, their relationship ended dramatically on a very sour note. At the federal level, Obasanjo endorsed Yar’Adua who but for his death was going to probe the Otta general. Examples abound everywhere.

But why this endorsement should be supported by all is that gubernatorial candidate Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi is a good candidate that can be sold easily to the other two senatorial districts of Enugu – that is Enugu West and East. Those who know Rt. Hon. Ugwuanyi say that he is humble and works really hard which has reflected positively in his brief at the House Committee on Marine Transport. His leadership in his constituency is revered and the rest of Enugu state will benefit from his dogged approach to legislative governance.

We ran into each at the PDP Presidential Campaign Office once and he disarmed me instantly with his friendly smile before we could even say hello. I told him that his billboards on the Enugu – Nsukka road was a constant reminder of the love he has for his people. Never have I seen a politician who after winning an election, bothered to thank the people that voted for him. I cannot remember exactly what the billboards read but it was to the effect that Representative Ifeanyi, alias Gburugburu thanks all for voting for him. Those bill boards remain in place as you pass through his constituency of Igboeze North and Uduenu Federal Constituency in the neighbourhood of Oboloafor and Enugu Ezike in Enugu North senatorial district.

God has a way of looking after the people of Enugu state. When Chimaroke Nnamani concluded his tenure in Enugu, the Almighty gave us Chime who used his four point programme of roads and infrastructure development to wipe out our tears during his first term as Governor. Today Enugu can be said to be a developed state, though there were sour tastes here and there as the Udi-born Chime conclude his eight year term of office. Although it should be left for historians to assess the merits and demerits of the Chime government, many contemporary writers have tried to make their quick assessment. Writing in last Sunday’s ThisDay newspaper, Okwudili Edeh painted an uncharitable picture of Sullivan Chime which to a large extend was over the board. Yes, Chime may look ‘Hitlerian’ by adopting the Furher like moustache and looking like a dangerous dictator, but it has not made the state “slide into dangerous anarchy and impunity” as Edeh’s piece suggested. By his reference to the incident concerning the governor’s marital situation it was totally unnecessary because there is evidence of rapprochement within the family following two newspaper advertisements placed by the estranged Enuigu First Lady who has not only apologised for the unsavoury incident but placed adverts in Daily Sun congratulating the husband ahead of his conferment of the national honour by President Goodluck Jonathan last week with the Commander of Nigeria honour (CON).

Among other charges by writer, Okwudili Edeh, he points out that “Chime’s dislike for the media was perhaps most pronounced by the ban on media from covering the chicken impeachment trial. Despite protests by Onyebuchi’s counsels, the media, and the civil society pointing out that the Nasarrawa impeachment trial was broadcast live, Chime’s kangaroo panel went ahead to sit in camera”.

Okwudili continued his diatribe against Chime: “Currently, the government decides what the people read. Its agents cart away from distributors every edition of newspapers and magazines meant for Enugu and environs that carries items government considers offensive. The press muzzling is directly connected with Chime’s obnoxious game plan for 2015. Besides wanting to singlehandedly anoint his successor, he has decreed that Enugu NASS members doing second term and above must retire in 2015. The media and political analysts have lampooned it as a dangerous expropriation of franchise. It is also seen as self-serving since Chime himself wants to move to the Senate after doing two terms as governor”.

I do not hold brief for any governor and I know that every leader has his own style of governance as all leaders have the penchant for their use and abuse of power and Chime is certainly not an exception. I do not agree with the so called policy of disenfranchising current members of the National Assembly from re-contesting their seats and I made this clear in my comments on the issue published in the Daily Sun andSunday ThisDay some months ago. In fact for most Nigerian governors heading for the Senate at the end of their two terms obviously is a symptom of abuse of power.

They will eventually fail as I also pointed out because successful governors never make a good career in legislative affairs and I did not hesitate to say so about Chime. I gather that the Chief of Staff to Enugu governor, Mrs. Ifeoma Nwobodo is also going to the Senate just as the Governor is planning to do. The ‘Iron Lady’ as she is referred to in Enugu government circle, I gather, is the de facto Chief Executive in Enugu because of the tough way she has successfully managed the government in the long absence of the Governor during the period of his health challenge. Grape vine reports insisted that this was the genesis of the impeachment of the former Deputy Governor though I agree with former Senate President Ken Nnamani’s grim assessment of Onyebuchi’s chances in his Senate bid as a non starter. The Enugu East senator, Gilbert Nnaji is doing a good job in the senate and does not deserve to be changed, so is Enugu North’s Senator Ayogu Eze though he is targeting Enugu Government House. I can attest that Nnaji has empowered many graduates not just from Enugu East, but North and West and have always given a good account of himself in the House of Representatives before moving to his current senate seat. What makes the current Chief of Staff think that she will make a better senator than Gilbert Nnaji is another question of abuse of power that is certainly condemnable.

I also believe that former Information Minister and Nigerian Economic Summit group’s Frank Nweke is dreaming of a senate berth in the same Enugu East and his former boss, Chimaroke Nnamani can’t wait to return to his former hunting ground in the red chamber. That too could be a disaster because Frank’s performance in the Summit group as well as the World Economic Forum Africa seems more rewarding than wasting his hard earned resources, trying to get to the senate. Chimaroke is better off running his huge new hospital in Abuja’s Area 11 and save Nigeria the foreign exchange that would rather go into medical tourism as I know the hospital will be one of the best in the continent.

I urge Enugu state politicians to learn from its elder statesmen, Senator Jim Nwobodo and the amiable former President of the Senate, Senator Ken Nnamani who should both be getting ready for a 2019 shot at the Presidency and stop seeking irrelevance in the National Assembly where they will end up as misfits.

Tony Amadi is based in Abuja (tonyamadi2009@yahoo.com)

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Enugu guber: Nsukka zone picks Ugwuanyi as PDP zonal consensus candidate

R REPORTER ON SEPTEMBER 27, 2014 ·

POLITICS

Enugu Hon Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi yesterday night emerged the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) consensus candidate of the Enugu North Senatorial District for the 2015 governorship election in Enugu State . Ugwuanyi popularly known as Gburugburu is the Chairman House Committee on Maritime of the House of Representatives.

Governor Sullivan Chime had called a PDP caucus meeting of the Enugu North Senatorial zone (Nsukka zone) where the governorship slot has been zoned to in order to avoid ran- cour in the selection of a candidate. At the meeting, Amb. Fidel Ayogu moved a motion for the adoption of Ugwuanyi, which was seconded by a one-time deputy governor of the state, Chief Okechukwu Itanyi.

A source at the meeting told Satur- day Sun that the governor then asked the other 12 aspirants who were at the meeting if they had a contrary opinion and none said yes. It was said that the PDP chairman who was also an aspirant, Engr Vita Abba was the first to step down for Ugwuanyi and was followed by nine other aspirants. The source said that Ugwuanyi would now be presented to the PDP caucuses in the two other senatorial zones after which he would be presented to the state caucus for endorsement.

Rumour that Ugwuanyi may be the prefered candidate of the PDP in Enugu State emerged last week when Governor Chime and other PDP stake- holders returned from Abuja, where they met with top party officials. It was also gathered that Ugwuayi topped the list as he was said to be neu- tral in the  fight between Chime and the Deputy Senate President Chief Ike Ekweremadu, and would not to pose any problem in the two camps struggling for power in the state.

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BY OUR REP

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