From PETRUS OBI, Enugu

So many persons in the political circle in Enugu State have always had this belief that Governor Sullivan Chime is not a ‘politician’. They have always painted him as a political green horn that came to power by accident. Yet the governor has fought many political battles successfully and does not seem to be afraid of going into another if it becomes inevitable.

On May 29th this year, the governor while answering questions from the people of the state during a town hall meeting at the Nike Lake Resort, again stirred the hornets’ nest when he announced that his successor in 2015 will come from the Nsukka Zone of the state. For those who see him as a political toddler, he has made another blunder; for them he shouldn’t have made such declaration so early in the day.

Whether it was a miscalculation or not, that pronouncement has changed a lot in the politics of the state. The first to react was the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu who told the media that there is no existing zoning system in Enugu State and that the governor’s decision was unilateral.

The governor was not however bothered by the reactions that trailed his pronouncement and only waited patiently for the state PDP caucus meeting where he answered his critics. If anyone was expecting the governor to change his earlier declaration on zoning, then that person was mistaken. He rather added to the injury by warning that any member of the House of Assembly, House of Representatives or Senate who has served two tenures must give way for a fresh candidate.

The caucus made up of the Chairman of the party, governor, former governors, deputy governor, members of the National Assembly, speaker, and ministers was well attended. Apart from Senator Ken Nnamani who was said to be away at the time, other members like Chief Jim Nwobodo, Chief Dubem Onyia, and Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo were all present.

At the meeting, the deputy senate president was said to have spoken against the governor’s declaration insisting that there has never been a zoning arrangement in the party. He was said to have recalled that since 1999, the people of Nsukka zone had presented candidates in all previous elections arguing that if truly there was zoning, they were not expected to have contested against other zones.

Ekweremadu’s objections were silenced when former minister, Chief Dubem Onyia moved a motion that the governorship position be zoned to Nsukka zone. The motion was seconded by former senator, Ben Collins Ndu and was carried.

Ekweremadu and majority of the members of the National Assembly reportedly left the meeting unannounced and in anger.

`If the governor’s decision to zone the governorship seat to Nsukka created bad feelings in the PDP fold in the state, then his decision to stop majority of the members of the National Assembly from returning having served two tenures is currently brewing fresh crisis.

After the PDP caucus meeting in Enugu, members of the National Assembly from the state were said to have met again with the governor in Abuja where they openly confronted him on the issue. The meeting was said to be a hot one where both parties shouted at each other, threw blames here and there but at the end, the governor maintained his stand.

That Abuja meeting marked the birth of a new ‘Abuja Group’ in Enugu politics. The lawmakers are believed to have regrouped, holding meetings and perfecting strategies on how to checkmate Governor Chime in the 2015 elections.

Members of the new Abuja Group are counting on the support of the local government chairmen, most of who have been loyal to them. However, Chime appears to have read their minds and has perfected plans to drop majority of the chairmen in the November Council polls. Unlike his predecessor who was interested in who was the ward party chairmen across the state, Governor Chime is believed to be lackadaisical in such details and had left politics at the local level in the hands of the members of the National Assembly. This, the Abuja group hopes to capitalize on ahead of 2015 elections.

The build-up however appears to have started much earlier as a reliable source said there was an effort by the 17 council chairmen to lobby the State House of Assembly to increase their two-year-tenure to three years to enable them stay longer in office. Today, reasons are being read into that move in which money was believed to have exchanged hands and a move the governor himself foiled.

Today, with the local government election around the corner, fears have gripped local government chairmen in Enugu State who are seeking re-election in the November 2, 2013 council polls with reports claiming that the state is set to drop most of them.

Twelve out of the 17 chairmen in the state are in their first tenure and are therefore seeking re-election but our source claims that not more than three chairmen will be given nomination by the PDP. According to him, “the issue now is not whether one performed or not, but where is your loyalty; the governor or the National Assembly members?”

The chairmen seeking re-election are those of Ezzeagu, Udi, Aninri, Awgu, Enugu North, Enugu East, Isi-uzo, Igbo-Etiti, Igboeze North, Igboeze South, and Uzo-uwani council areas. But, our source who is close to government reliably disclosed that only a few trusted ones who would be firm and defend the interest of the government in the 2015 general elections will be returned as chairmen.

One of the major battles which the Abuja group is gearing up against the governor is the senatorial ticket for the Enugu East Zone currently with Senator Gil Nnaji. The ticket is believed to have been reserved for the Chief of Staff to the governor, Mrs. Ifeoma Nwobodo in 2015. Also, the governor has reportedly zoned the senatorial position for Enugu West which Ekweremadu is currently holding to Udi. All the council and party chairmen from the zone have also been made to endorse the decision which automatically disqualifies the deputy senate president from seeking re-election.

A close source to the Abuja group told this reporter that the National Assembly members are set to make the state ungovernable for the governor. Said he; “they are ready to use whatever they have in their arsenal at least to show the governor that Enugu State does not belong to anyone. We hope it does not degenerate but my brother, these people are ready for Chime.”

The stage is therefore set for a major political battle as the people of Greater Awgu who claim that they have been marginalized continue to urge the deputy senate president to contest the governorship position and call the bluff of the governor and his PDP caucus. Members of the National Assembly are also set to prove a point.

However, the people of Nsukka, the only zone yet to produce a governor since 1999 are strongly behind the governor in this struggle. Even former national chairman of the PDP, Chief Okwesilieze Nwodo who had a running battle with Chime, is on the side of the governor.

Everything boils down to who succeeds Chime in 2015; it’s also all about who controls the PDP structure in the state. Its only time that will tell if the governor as the leader of the party in the state will have his way or if Ekweremadu will use his powers at the national level to hijack the party and determine who gets what in 2015.
http://sunnewsonline.com/new/politics/enugu-2015-chimes-battle-against-status-quo/

Enugu State is as peaceful as Heaven. The Sun Newspaper is making mole out of mountain. Ekweremadu says he is not contesting the governorship election in Enugu State. He is a man of honour and he remains a man of honour until he proves us wrong. Again, that those who serve the State for two-tenure at the National Assembly level will give others chance to equally serve is a welcome development. What is more descent than this? Are those members that serve two-tenure and above seeking Certificate of Occupancy to remain at National Assembly as Landlords? Must politics be dirty as often said? Anybody that fights or intends to fight Sullivan as a result his policy will regret his action for ever because fighting him is like fighting God. He stands for justice and equity. He never hurt an ant. Why shouldn’t we thank God for the gift of Sullivan nwa Chime.

Wow! this is really stirring the hornet's nest.
But the truth is, in Nigerian politics, anything can happen the next minute. A Nigerian politician may tell you he's not interested in this or that, please do not believe him with your heart, at least until he makes good his word.
I tell you, whatever you dream/imagine, can happen in Nigerian politics, just think it.
But I foresee a cleaner politics in Nigeria, where the ecletorates will have a say, where politicians will only waste their money giving bribes, where people will realised they are being used as panws by these politicains and stand against it. If only men of integrity will be in charge of some positions, INEC say, we'll be heading there.
If you ask me, I'll say others should emulate Peter Obi "promise" to quit active politice after two tenures, we're not sure if he'll keep to that yet.
God bless Nigeria