However, in the frenzy, one state that comes to mind is Enugu State. Many would say that the state has become a flashpoint in Nigeria ahead of 2015 general elections.
The last primaries of the PDP in Enugu confirmed that new status the state has assumed of late. Since last Monday’s exercise, one question that has continued to agitate the minds of critical observers is -were there indeed parallel governorship primaries in Enugu as reported in the media?
According to reports, ‘two’ candidates emerged from the elections.
While Hon Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi was declared winner in the primary election conducted by the five-man electoral panel headed by HRH Asari Asari at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium and attended by Governor Sullivan Chime, Senator Ike Ekweremadu and other prominent members of the party in the state, Senator Ayogu Eze was declared winner in another primary exercise organised in Filbon Hotel tucked in, in New Haven part of the state.
Senator Eze pulled out to organise his own primary election after a meeting held earlier in the day with the electoral panel at Allens Hotel, Enugu collapsed as they disagreed on the delegate list to be used for the election.
The panel had met with all the aspirants including Eze, Ugwuanyi, Sam Onyishi, Hon Eugene Odo and Onyeke A. Onyeke, where Eze was said to have insisted on the delegate list approved by an Abuja High Court after the November 1 ward congress instead of the harmonised list which the two factions of Chime and Ekweremadu had agreed on.
But critical observers argue that to understand what transpired in the Enugu PDP primaries, so many factors should be put in proper perspective.
Popularity: Many in Enugu including the deaf and dumb would agree that in the history of politics in the state, no candidate has enjoyed the level of support being given to Hon Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi. In the estimation of observers, the House Committee chairman on Marine Transport is a brand in the politics of Enugu State. Before the primaries, the belief in virtually every quarter in Enugu was that Ugwuanyi was merely going into the contest as a formality. He is seen as one politician next door, having invested so much social capital in his rise to power.
Not a few argue that even Senator Ayogu, his major opponent knew that one, on one, he did not stand any chance against Ugwuanyi whose governorship ambition literally has become like a movement in Enugu politics.
Harmonisation: The saying that in politics, there are no permanent enemies or friends but permanent interest came to the fore in the recent PDP primaries in Enugu. Before the harmonization, the power struggle was between two camps led by the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu and Governor Sullivan Chime. The two major contenders in the governorship race, Senator Ayogu Eze and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi belonged to the two camps. While Ayogu was with Ekweremadu, Ugwuanyi was in Chime’s camp. However, many believed that Ugwuanyi was still at home with leaders of the Ekweremadu camp unlike Ayogu who is derided in Chime’s camp like a plague. There are those who insist that even before the harmonisation, many members of the Ekweremadu camp were only interested in the Deputy Senate President going back to the National Assembly and not necessarily Ayogu becoming the governor of Enugu State. Analysts are in agreement that Ugwuanyi’s victory at the primaries became a done deal immediately Governor Sullivan Chime sacrificed his Senatorial ambition to pave way for Ekweremadu to go back to the National Assembly. Judging by Ekweremadu’s body language even at the height of the power struggle with Chime, it was obvious that he did not have anything against Ugwuanyi becoming the next governor of Enugu State.
The argument is that even though supporters of Senator Ayogu Eze believe that Ekweremadu betrayed their camp, what they did not know during the power struggle was that the Deputy Senate President was not even interested in the emergence of their principal. On Sunday night ahead of Monday’s primaries, there were clear indications that Ugwuanyi, would emerge as the governorship candidate of the party.
The endorsement of Ugwuanyi on Sunday by Ekweremadu, whose political camp controls a reasonable percentage of the elected party delegates in the state and the stepping down of two other governorship aspirants, Chief Anayo Onwuegbu and Hon. Chinedu Onu, brightened his chance as the candidate to beat. Ekweremadu had after he was returned unopposed as the senatorial candidate for Enugu West on Sunday publicly declared his support for Ugwuanyi, describing him as the “future of Enugu”.
He urged his supporters to vote for Ugwuanyi, who had been earlier endorsed by Governor Sullivan Chime, PDP Enugu State Caucus and other stakeholders as the party’s gubernatorial consensus candidate.
He said: “In the spirit of equity, we have all agreed that the governorship seat should go to Nsukka, so let us support Ugwuanyi.
As you can see today, Chief Anayo Onwuegbu has withdrawn from the race; Chinedu Onu has also withdrawn. So, I urge all our people to vote for Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi tomorrow (Monday). Peace requires making sacrifices and that is what they have all done.”
Following the harmonization, Onwuegbu, a gubernatorial aspirant from Enugu West senatorial zone announced his withdrawal from the gubernatorial primaries during the Enugu West senatorial primary election at Awgu, saying his decision was to stabilize the peace which was gradually returning to the PDP in the State.
In the same vein, Onu who is from Enugu North senatorial zone where the governorship slot has been zoned to, also announced his withdrawal from the race in the interest of peace in the party. The two candidates who hitherto were in Ekweremadu’s camp stepped down for Ugwuanyi ahead of the primaries to pave way for a smooth exercise.
Many also believe that Governor Chime’s strong support for Ugwuanyi from the moment he was nominated and the strong backing he enjoys from the PDP stakeholders in all the three senatorial zones of the state, also gave Ugwuanyi the victory.
Difference in Parallel primaries: Many believe that what happened in Enugu on Monday showed that the era of impunity is gone for good in Enugu State. Before now, especially during the administration of former Governor Chimaroke Nnamani, many politicians in Enugu believed that the voters did not matter. That culture of impunity was rejected by Enugu people on Monday during the PDP governorship primaries. Even a child knew the difference between the primaries held in Nnamadi Azikiwe stadium and the one in Filbon Hotel, New Haven.
Political watchers believe that there is a world of difference between the primaries held at the Stadium where Ugwuanyi emerged and that organized in Filbon, New Haven where Ayogu was declared winner.
At the stadium, there was an official seal to the primaries as all five-man electoral panel led by HRH Asari Asari were present.
As early as 8:00a.m, the 1008 delegates from the 17 local government areas of the state had gathered at the Okpara Square for accreditation from where they were taken in an organized manner to the stadium in 17 buses.
As soon as Governor Chime arrived at the stadium by 3:00p.m, the primary election started with the state PDP Chairman, Chief Ikeje Asogwa introducing members of the five-man electoral panel led by HRH Asari.
At the stadium, seven aspirants were listed for the election: Senator Eze, Hon Ugwuanyi, Chief Onwuegbu, Chief Onuh, Hon Odo, Dr Onyishi and Onyeke.
Many also argue that the quality of PDP stakeholders at the stadium showed that it had a seal of authenticity. Those present at the stadium included the Deputy Senate President, Chief Ekweremadu; Deputy Governor, Rev Ralph Nwoye; former Senate President, Chief Ken Nnamani; Senator Gil Nnaji; Speaker of the House of Assembly, Hon Odo; former Governor Okwesilieze Nwodo and former Deputy Governor, Chief Okechukwu Itanyi. Others were the state PDP Chairman, Chief Ikeje Asogwa; his Deputy, Elder David Aj, former state PDP Chairman, Chief Vita Abba, former Aviation Minister, Mrs Fidelis Njeze and PDP BoT member, Amb Mrs Justina Eze.
For the parallel exercise held at Filbon where Senator Ayogu was declared winner, the situation was the opposite. As it appeared, no popular politician was in the venue except Ayogu alone. Even the two warring chairmen of the state chapter of PDP, Ikeje Asogwa and Elder David Aja were at the stadium.
Strategy: There is a school of thought that believes that even though it is crystal clear that Ugwuanyi is the man that has the support of the majority in Enugu, Senator Ayogu is banking on exploiting the judiciary to go to the Lion Building.
–– Okechukwu writes from Enugu
