2015: CHIME, ELECHI AND ORJI BATTLE FOR POLITICAL RELEVANCE
Moves by governors of the South-east states of Ebonyi and Enugu to produce their successors by May 29 next year are currently bringing the once peaceful states to the edge of political crisis. Ahead of the primary elections of the Peoples Democratic Party for next year’s general elections, the political temperature in some states of the South-east has clearly reached a feverish pitch as incumbent governors seem to be engaged in the battle of their lives.

Common Aspiration
In the South-east, apart from Anambra State that is not taking part in the governorship election and, of course, Imo that is under the control of All Progressives Congress, the remaining states of Abia, Ebonyi and Enugu are PDP states readying for the emergence of new governors as the incumbents serve out their second terms by May 29 next year.

Besides, the three governors are eyeing the senate seats of their respective senatorial zones. While, Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State has been cleared to contest the Abia Central senatorial seat, Martin Elechi of Ebonyi State is contesting for the Ebonyi Central senatorial seat. On his part, Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu State is seeking the Enugu West senatorial seat, which is currently occupied by the highly influential Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu.

Battle of Succession
At the moment, while Orji seems to have relative peace in his choice of his successor, his colleagues in Ebonyi and Enugu states are having sleepless nights in view of the obvious opposition to their preferred candidates.

Elechi is believed to have settled for the immediate past Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, while Chime has pronounced his preference for three-time member of the House of Representatives for Udenu/Igboeze North federal constituency, Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi. Hon. Ugwuanyi has also received the endorsement of PDP at different levels, from Enugu North caucus, Enugu East caucus, Enugu West caucus, the state caucus to the State Executive Committee. Several other groups have joined the fray of endorsements for Hon. Ugwuanyi, who is widely seen as having large followers across political, religious and social boundaries.

Objection
However, the initial excitement in Ebonyi and Enugu states that had greeted the endorsements of Chukwu and Ugwuanyi, respectively, are being seriously challenged by some party chieftains in the two states. At the last count, no fewer than six persons, including Senator Ayogu Eze representing Enugu North senatorial zone, billionaire businessman and owner of the Peace Mass Transit, Evangelist Samuel Onyeishi, a commissioner with the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), Hon. Chinedu Onu, and a governorship aspirant, Chief Anayo Onwuegbu, have been cleared to challenge Ugwuanyi at the December 8 governorship PDP primary.

In Ebonyi State also, five PDP chieftains, including the deputy governor, Mr. Dave Umahi, a former Commissioner for Works, Mr. Paul Okorie, a former Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Chief Hyacinth Ikpoh, chairman of the Senate Committee on Police Affairs, Senator Paulinus Igwe Nwagu representing Ebonyi Central senatorial zone, and a Second Republic senator, Chief Offia Nwali, have joined the race to challenge Chukwu at the primaries.

PDP Crisis
No doubt, the governorship contests within the ruling party in the two states have become very hot because of the crisis that trailed the party in the build-up to the November 1 ward congresses. The crisis followed the resignation of the chairmen of the party in the states. While Ugorji Amaoti, who resigned to pursue his aspiration to represent the people of Afikpo North/Afikpo South federal constituency of Ebonyi State, and Vita Abba, who resigned to contest the Nsukka/Igboeze South federal constituency seat.

But the major area of contention, which culminated in the crisis rocking the two states, is the mode of replacement of the two chairmen. Those opposed to the two governors alleged that while the party’s constitution provided that the party’s deputy chairman should take over in the absence of the chairman, pending the selection of a substantive chairman from the same area as the previous chairman, the party in the two states had gone straight to replace the duo of Amaoti and Abba with people from their areas instead of their deputies.

In Ebonyi State, they alleged that instead of Joseph Onwe, who was Amaoti’s deputy, Ben Akpa, a former Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, was appointed by the party’s SEC, while the PDP State Executive Committee in Enugu State equally appointed a former Managing Director of the State Housing and Development Corporation, Ikeje Asogwa, as the new state chairman instead of Elder David Aja, Abba’s deputy.

The situation at the moment has pitched Elechi against his deputy, while in Enugu State, Chime is also having a running battle with Ekweremadu, who is seeking to return to the senate for a record fourth time.

Undaunted
Despite the crisis, the aspirants appear undaunted in their aspirations. Onyeishi, who is the owner of Peace Group of Companies and Peace Airlines, formally declared for the governorship race in Enugu State on Monday, saying his decision was in response to a divine call. Onyeishi, who made the declaration shortly after being cleared by the PDP governorship screening committee, said he had the needed experience to attract huge investments to the state and equally make efficient management of its resources.

He said, “I started my business from the scratch but today, we are a force to be reckoned with in the country. It doesn’t really matter the amount of money you have but your ability to utilise the little you have. Our assurance to Enugu people is we are not only going to make judicious use of the state’s allocations, but use our business contacts to bring local and international economic investment here.”

Onyeishi added, “Even though I am still rendering service to the people through my business, I will do more as a governor. I also believe that God has prepared me enough to be useful to Enugu State. I believe that I have the training, experience, exposure and enough qualification which I will use if given the opportunity by Enugu people.

“As a philanthropist, I give scholarship to about 120 students out of about 2, 400 applicants every year, just around five per cent. If I had the resources, I will like to give scholarship to 1, 000 persons yearly. Education in the life of a man is as important as air, so it is one sector we are going to give priority.”

The billionaire PDP aspirant equally spoke on his plans in the area of agriculture, health care, solid mineral development, workers’ welfare as well as wealth creation, promising to “encourage a savings culture for the state, to serve as a hedge against any future ‘allocation shock’, which has become likely, given the continuous decrease in the price of crude oil, the nation’s major source of revenue.”

Pro-Jonathan Rally
On their part, despite the political bickering and leadership crisis in PDP in Ebonyi State, last week, Elechi organised a rally to not only drum up support for the second term ambition of President Goodluck Jonathan but to also dispel insinuations in some quarters that he had been swallowed by the crisis currently rocking the party in the state.

The rally held at the Abakaliki township stadium attracted a huge crowd. Some observers said it was one of the biggest political gatherings since the creation of the state. Elechi’s supporters were excited by the size of the crowd, despite what they termed sustained efforts by anti-Elechi elements to wrest the leadership structure of the party from him and prove to the PDP national leadership that the governor was incapable of delivering Jonathan in 2015. Various speakers at the event reassured Elechi of their unwavering commitment to the victory of the party next year.

On his part, Elechi alleged that some politicians contesting elective positions in the 2015 general elections were sabotaging Jonathan’s effort towards building a united Nigeria. He described those politicians as liars, saying their character does not reflect what they profess.

Elechi added that Jonathan had portrayed himself as a true Nigerian by refusing to discriminate against anybody on the basis of tribe, religion, language, and socio-political affiliation even in the face of opposition.

According to the governor, “We are here for a purpose; to thank the man who is the greatest gift to Nigerians. Nigerians are begging him to continue his agenda for total transformation of Nigeria. We thank God for giving us Jonathan. We are happy for him. Some are pretending to be working for him while they are sabotaging him.”

While reaffirming his support for the candidacy of Chukwu, the governor urged all Ebonyians not to vote people of questionable character in the 2O15 general elections. He appealed to the people not to result to violence but to ensure free, fair and credible elections next year.

Senator Chris Nwankwo, who represents Ebonyi North senatorial zone, and Sunny Ogborji, representing Ebonyi South senatorial zone in their speeches said the state was not for sale to moneybag politicians. They warned that any attempt to work against the government would be resisted, promising to support Jonathan to realise his second term bid.

The team leader of Chukwu’s campaign, Senator Emma Onwe, said the rally was a sign of Jonathan’s transformation stride in all sectors of the economy and assured him of their total support.

Private Meeting
Though, the battle is tough at the moment, emerging developments seem to indicate that there would be an agreement among the PDP players at the end of the day.
A source close to the governors of Ebonyi and Enugu told journalists that the outcome of recent meetings between Jonathan and some party stakeholders from the two states were positive. The source, who is a PDP member that prefers anonymity, said “very soon,” the struggle for power in the states would be a thing of the past. But at the moment, the aspirants are not relenting in their political aspirations.

From: http://tectono..com/

How does all this crap affect the Abia state governor?


I can't believe that man is just having a cruise into the senate with no heat on his tail. Its annoying I must say! I don't wish the man well.