As the dust over the controversy of which Senatorial Districts in Enugu State will produce Governor Chime’s successor in 2015, seem to have been settled among the political stakeholders in Enugu State PDP, another form of political disagreement is set to befall the ruling party in the State.
The PDP boasts of producing the governor of the state consistently since the coming of the Fourth Republic politics in 1999, all the Eight members of the State serving at the National Assembly, all the Seventeen local government council chairmen of the State and all the 260 ward councilors in the various council areas of the State.
It is this feat they are hoping to repeat in the 2015 general elections.
The first bickering over which zone should produce the successor to Chime was finally settled about four weeks ago after a caucus of the PDP stakeholders from the state, including those serving at the National Assembly gathered at Lion Building, the popular name for the Enugu State Government House.
There upon it was resolved that the Nsukka cultural zone of the State which comprises of all the seven local Governments of Enugu North Senatorial District should be allowed to produce a successor to governor Chime in 2015, so as to maintain the peaceful political harmonisation of interests and positions that has endeared unity in the state since the beginning of the 1999 political dispensation.
This harmonisation was further premised on the fact that Governor Chime who hails from Enugu West senatorial zone will be completing his second uninterrupted terms in 2015, while Senator Chimaroke Nnamani who hails from Enugu East Senatorial District of the State, had earlier held sway for two terms from 1999 to 2007. Therefore, even though zoning of electoral positions is unconstitutional, the state PDP has to abide to that system and give the Enugu North Senatorial District that opportunity in order not to cause disharmony that may inject intra party crisis within the State PDP, ahead of 2015 general elections in the state.
Sunday Pilot gathered that even the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, who had earlier reacted through a press conference at the National Assembly Abuja, when Chime initially blew the lid open during May 29,2011 town hall meeting at Nike Lake Hotel, Enugu, at this point accepted. Though for purposes of records, the issue was still put to vote based on motion moved by Chief Dubem Onyia, a former Minister of foreign Affairs from the State, and seconded by Senator Ben Collins Ndu, who served as Enugu West Senator at the National Assembly partially from 1999 to 2003.
With that settled, the Sunday Pilot reliably gathered that another matter which Governor Chime raised at the Enugu PDP caucus meeting which did not go well with the benefactors especially those of them presently serving at the National assembly is the fact that all serving legislators from the state, who has being elected for two terms, should give way for others to have an opportunity to serve the state. Equally it is a form of financial empowerment in alleviating poverty among citizens of the state.
Pilot checks revealed that some of the serving politicians who have done creditably in their services at the National assembly, committed to their duties to the state especially at the realm of party affairs and equally made serious impacts in their constituencies through grassroot empowerment and their constituency projects are not keen in taking to the idea of governor Chime, to step aside. So much as the constitution permits an elected legislator to go for as much tenure as he can, if his constituents are satisfied with his representation. The Deputy senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who is also the current Speaker of the ECOWAS parliament, and the current senator representing Enugu West Senatorial district is first among the National legislators from Enugu state who fits into this category of serving politicians from the state, whose further political exploits will be trapped by Governor Chime’s declaration.
From every indication, the Deputy Senate President has not shown any will that he is tired of representing his people. Instead he has continued to show his desire to continue offering quality representation, as much as his constituents permit him. Meanwhile, most of the king makers from his senatorial district have demonstrated their wish for a continuous rising profile and exploits of the Ani Nri born lawyer cum politician. A manifestation of this symbiotic relation between Ekweremadu and his constituents manifested a fortnight ago, when the Enugu West senator visited his senatorial district to commission some of his constituency projects and inspect those ongoing. At Enugu Ngwo, the traditional ruler of Ngwo clan, His Royal Highness Igwe Ayalogu extolled the deputy senate President for his humane nature and kind gesture to the constituency through the attraction of constituency projects and several youth empowerment programmes for the unemployed youth in the zone.
Some of them include the annual Ikeoha scholarship foundation, in which an estimated fifteen thousand undergraduates from the district have benefited The National Youth development centers which are being cited in each of the five local government areas that make up Enugu West senatorial zone. The solar energy electric light which is even spread across some local communities in the state, the various rural road projects and water schemes, especially the Umuabi Udi water scheme and the annual Ikeoha unity cup competition to expose talented football Youths in the district,among others.
Igwe Ayalogu commended that there has never been a grass root politician like Senator Ike Ekweremadu and wished that he will continue in his political career since it is evidently clear that he is carrying his constituents along. The deputy senate President who accepted all the accolades and prayer of Ayalogu, simply said most of the efforts are meant to assist the state government in socio infrastructural development of the rural communities in the state and in helping to curb massive Youth unemployment in the state.
He expressed his willingness to continue serving the people once they continue to give him their mandate at any level. The same accolades and prayers were offered for the deputy senate President at all the crannies of his constituency he went, as much as he never demonstrated any will to retire from active politics, at the end of the present tenure.
Likewise, the crème of Enugu traditional institution from Enugu West senatorial district, had within the same period paid a courtesy visit to Enugu residence of the deputy senate President to thank him for fulfillment of his pledge to donate an official bus to the traditional institution in the state to enhance the operations of its executive members, collectively. They also extolled senator Ekweremadu for the several constituency projects he attracted to the district, his effective and qualitative representation, stating that he is a very good image of Enugu West constituency at the National assembly and beyond, and wished that he will continue. Precisely, the traditional rulers from Enugu West senatorial district said that they are in total support of his further political ambition, whichever way, come 2015.
Senator Ayogu Eze representing Enugu North senatorial district, also fall into the crème de la crème of serving Enugu politicians who are still keen in remaining in the field, in view of their hard work, experience, grass root acceptance and the zeal to continue to serve their people, even at a higher political echelon. This foresight and vision will be foreclosed, going by Chime’s alleged declaration to retire politicians that have served two terms, to pave way for other aspirants.
The case of Senator Ayogu Eze, seems a little bit tough due to fact that he is from Enugu North senatorial district, to which it has been settled will produce governor Chime’s successor .Going by the feel of the public, Senator Ayaogu Eze is among if not the first of the politicians from Enugu North senatorial district that fits to succeed Chime in 2015. But since the political atmosphere in the state isn’t yet clear, whom governor Chime will likely use his incumbent power to anoint as his successor, Senator Eze is caught in between the decision,to start flaunting for a return to the senate for a third term or skimming to take over from Chime. Definitely, it is not in the will of Senator Eze to retire from active politics at this point in time, so much as he is acceptable to his constituents in view of his grass root projects, self initiated poverty alleviation and empowerment projects, coupled with constituency projects,he has attracted to Enugu North senatorial district.
In addition to the fact that his constituents acknowledge his contributions on the floor of the senate,who usually speaks on several senate debates,right from his position as chairman on senate committee on information,to the present position of senate committee chairman on information. Most Enugu North constituents acclaim that their former three time senator,Senator Fidel Okolo was a dormant senator in the National assembly, but senator Eze has made a great difference.
The case of Senator Gilbert Nnaji,representing Enugu East senatorial district in the National assembly is quite peculiar and different. Even though, a first term senator,there are growing insinuations that the state PDP machinery ,of which Governor Chime, by his status is the current leader, will not give him a second term ticket,over alleged poor representation, while Senator Nnaji is nursing serious ambition to go to the senate for a second term.
There are strong political assertions that the present chief of staff to the Enugu state governor, chief Mrs Ifeoma Nwobodo,who has remained a solid rock behind governor Chime’s success story in the past seven years of administration will be favoured with the Enugu East PDP senatorial district. Mrs Ifeoma Nwobodo also hails from Enugu East senatorial district. There was once a serious allegation from Senator Nnaji camp that his town hall meeting during the constitution review committee,last year fixed at Nkanu East local government area head quarters, was abrupt ed and scattered to tarnish his political reputation in the area,because it is the local government of origin of chief Mrs Ifeoma Nwobodo,who allegedly is being positioned to replace him, as Enugu East senator in 2015.
At the state level, the state legislators that will be affected by Chime’s statement that those whoserved for two terms will not continue include the Speaker, Hon Eugene Odoh, who is also being rumoured to be nursing ambition to succeed Chime. Speaker Odoh represents Igbo Etiti constituency in Enugu North senatorial district, favoured by the state PDP to produce the successor to Chime. Also a former Speaker of the Enugu state house of assembly, Hon Abel Nwobodo, representing Ani Nri constituency will be booted out. Hon Nwobodo will be serving out his fourth term as a member of the state legislator.
Against this development, Sunday Pilot gathered from grape vine that some of the intending retiree legislators are already plotting an ‘option B’ for the state PDP machinery under the control of Governor Chime. Situations, where they will scatter the state party structure and rely on their senatorial weight establish structures to ensure that they emerge as the respective candidates and choice of their constituents.
Meanwhile, a cultural pressure group with common identity; the greater Awgu forum’ comprising of Ani Nri, Awgu and Oji River local governments in the present Enugu West senatorial district has raised argument that going by cultural affiliations that exist in the state, it will be their turn to produce the next civilian governor of Enugu state, in view of the fact that Nsukka cultural zone, produced the first civilian governor of the state in the person of Dr Okwy Nwodo, in 1991 when Enugu state was created out of the old Anambra state. But Political pundits hold the view that the deputy senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu is behind that struggle.
Invariably, the political climate and direction in the state ahead of 2015 is still a bit gloomy, in view of the fact that the ruling party is yet to sort out itself entirely from its internal quagmires, in the absence of a visible opposition party in the state. To a large extent that informs the reason why it is still a dull moment with political activities in the state.