Apart from the conflicting court verdict on the delegate elections in the state, which will make the primary elections for various offices not a walk in the park for aspirants within the Peoples Democratic Party in the state, Governor Chime is also facing political dissension by disparate groups, bent on burying his agenda.
The latest dissent has emanated from the people of old Agwu Division now consisting of Awgu, Aninri and Oji River local government areas of Enugu state.
They have rejected Chime’s zoning of the governorship ticket to Enugu North senatorial district saying that it was a deliberate attempt to further subjugate the greater Agwu people. They insisted their zone must produce the next governor and have cast their lot with Anayo Onwuegu, an Engineer. Chime meanwhile wants the 50 year old Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, a member of the House of Representatives to succeed him.The Agwu people under the aegis of Greater Awgu People’s Protection Solidarity (GAPPS) have also adopted the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu as their sole consensus governorship and Enugu West senatorial candidate, leaving Chime in the cold.
Addressing journalists in Enugu, the National Coordinator of GAPPS, Anayo Sadiq Okoli, stated that it was wrong for Governor Chime to announce somebody Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi from Enugu North, otherwise known as Nsukka zone, to succeed him and at the same time wanting to displace Senator Ekweremadu, an indigene of Greater Awgu cultural zone, at the senate for Enugu West senatorial district.
He stressed that Enugu State is made up of four cultural zones including Nsukka, Agbaja (Udi/Ezeagu LGA in Enugu West senatorial zone) Nkanu (Enugu East senatorial zone) and Awgu (which he said was squeezed into Enugu West senatorial zone).
“Recent events in Enugu State have poignantly revealed these other groups seem to be either acting of ignorance the true situation or are playing politics with the destinies of thousands of innocent people.
“For instance, many people either do not know or do not want to know that Greater Awgu people are a totally distinct sub-cultural group from Greater Udi (Agbaja) peoplethe fact that the two groups were lumped together into the political contraption known as Enugu West does not make them the same sub-cultural group,” he said.
He said that the former Governor of the State, Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani from Enugu East senatorial district anointed Barr. Sullivan Chime an Agbaja person, from Enugu West senatorial district as his successor despite the protest from the Greater Awgu people who then complained that an Agbaja person, late Chief C.C. Onoh had been
governor before.
And that as if that was not enough, Governor Chime has now anointed Enugu North person (Hon. Ugwuanyi) as his successor and is also vying for the senatorial seat of Enugu West, presently occupied by Senator Ekweremadu, a Greater Awgu son, even when Ugwuanyi is allegedly scouting for a running mate from Enugu East senatorial zone (Nkanu zone).
“Now, the question is-in the top political scheming of things in Enugu State, where do the Greater Awgu people fit? … As far as GAPPS is concerned, there are only two persons from the Greater Awgu who are contesting external political elections i.e. Engr Onwuegbu for Governorship and Senator Ekweremadu foe Senate,” he declared.
And that literally means, Sullivan Chime can go and kiss the political dust!