Indeed, it was expected that Nigerians would
cringe at a same faith presidential ticket –
Christian-Christian or Muslim-Muslim – in
2015.
However, unlike the case of a Muslim-Muslim
ticket at the federal level, concerns raised by
the Anglican Church over a Catholic-Catholic
gubernatorial ticket in Enugu State came as a
surprise.
Before the Enugu State Peoples Democratic
Party picked Mrs. Cecilia Ezeilo, a Catholic, as
the running mate of its governorship
candidate, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, also a Catholic,
the Anglican Church in Enugu State demanded
that the party must offer the deputy governor
slot to an Anglican.
At a news conference in Enugu on December
17, Anglican bishops in the Enugu Ecclesiastical
Province, led by the Archbishop of Enugu
Ecclesiastical Province, Most Rev. Emmanuel
Chukwuma, had warned that the PDP may lose
the support of Anglicans during the 2015
governorship election if a member of the
Anglican Communion was not picked as the
running mate.
The other bishops, who were at the news
conference alongside Chukwuma, are
Archbishop Amos Madu, Bishop of Oji River
Diocese; Rt. Rev. Emma Ugwu, Bishop of Awgu/
Aninri Diocese; Rt. Rev. Chijioke Aneke, Bishop
of Udi Diocese; Rt. Rev. Prof. Evan Ibeagha,
Bishop of Nike Diocese and Rt. Rev. Dan
Olinye, Bishop of Eha-Amufu Diocese.
There are fears that the unexpected demand,
which was not eventually met, could lead to
another crisis for the PDP in Enugu State,
where the party is just recovering from an
internal rift caused by a power struggle
between Governor Sullivan Chime and the
Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu.
The fears are not unfounded as the Anglican
bishops specifically warned against a Catholic-
Catholic governorship ticket, and also alleged
that members of the Anglican Communion
have been marginalised in Enugu State.
The bishops noted that since Ugwuanyi is a
Catholic, it would be wrong to field another
Catholic as his running mate.
They alleged that despite the huge population
and contribution of Anglicans in the
development of the state, they have been
marginalised in political appointments.
Insisting on an Anglican running mate,
Chukwuma noted that Anglicans are not against
Ugwuanyi as a candidate, but would support
him if one of their own was selected as his
running mate.
Chukwuma said, “Right now, as it is, we are
crying out to the world to say there is trouble
looming in Enugu State if Anglicans are not
considered in the governance of Enugu State in
the coming dispensation. We wholeheartedly
support his (Ugwuanyi’s) candidature because
we believe that as it is now, there is no other
candidate that is more credible than Ugwuanyi,
but Ugwuanyi should not succumb to the
pressure of selfish people who want to
perpetrate their sister or their brother as
deputy, he should be very careful and he
should be aware that it is not going to augur
well.
“We as Anglican bishops are crying and
appealing that Anglicans in Enugu State are
saying that the Anglican Church must be given
the position of deputy governor next year. For
the position of governor and deputy governor
to be Catholic/Catholic will not be acceptable
to us. In the federal level, people are not
happy with Christian/Christian ticket, hence the
president has taken a very good stand to
return as president and pick a Muslim as his
running mate.
“Why should Enugu State, therefore, nominate
a Roman Catholic governorship candidate who
we are not against and wanting again to
nominate a Roman Catholic as the deputy
governor? We, Anglicans, say no to that kind of
arrangement.”
Shedding further light on the alleged
marginalisation of Anglicans in the state,
Chukwuma said, “We are not in minority in
Enugu State and we totally reject that intention
and we are warning that if they want peace to
reign in this state and for them to enjoy our
cooperation, it should not be Roman Catholic/
Roman Catholic ticket.
“You can say Anglicans like Jim Nwobodo, C.C
Onoh were governors, but after that time,
they cannot prove to us that Anglicans have
been governor or deputy governor.
“When Chimaroke Nnamani, a Methodist took
over from Navy Capt Agbaje, he made
Okechukwu Itanyi, a Roman Catholic, his
deputy. After that he handed over to Sullivan
Chime who is a Catholic and Sullivan chose
Onyebuchi, who is a Methodist as his deputy.
“Now, he is going away again; Ugwuanyi
Ifeanyi, we don’t have anything against his
candidature, but we are saying give us an
Anglican deputy, otherwise you are looking for
our trouble. If you look at in Enugu State right
now, the governor is not Anglican, the deputy
is not Anglican, the Speaker is not Anglican,
the Secretary to the State Government is not
Anglican, the Chief of Staff is not Anglican.
Where are we? For the posts of
commissioners, we are marginalized because
we don’t have good number. They (Anglican
commissioners) are not more than three or
four.”
While it was possible that Anglicans in Enugu
State have been feeling aggrieved over the
perceived marginalisation, the comments
made by their bishops served to bring the
matter to the fore, making the alleged
maltreatment of Anglicans to become a factor
in Enugu politics.
The PDP leadership in the state has tried to
allay the fears by explaining that there was no
anti-Anglican, pro-Catholic agenda in the state.
Moreover, Chief Ikeje Asogwa, the Enugu State
PDP chairman, noted that the party did not
actually refuse the demand made by the
Anglican Church but that the request came
very late.
Asogwa, who explained that the decision to
choose a female as Ugwuanyi’s running mate
was a deliberate attempt to show fairness in
the distribution of political positions in the
state, said the request came after the party
had chosen and submitted the name of the
running mate.
Asogwa, who spoke at an event organised by
the Nigerian Union of Journalists said, “Let me
say it again that Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi is the Enugu
PDP governorship candidate, and I want to say
that even before the bishops made their
demand, the party had forwarded the name of
Mrs. Cecilia Ezeilo, to the appropriate quarters
as the running mate to the party’s
governorship candidate.”
But the PDP state chairman added that besides
the fact that the party had already picked the
running mate of its governorship candidate
before the Anglican Church made its request,
the position was not supposed to be based on
religious denomination.
Be that as it may, the prevailing sentiment
among members of the Anglican Church in
Enugu is that the authorities should take
deliberate actions to address the concerns
raised by the bishops, particular concerning
the issue of marginalisation.
An Anglican, Michael Ejirike, who spoke to our
correspondent, expressed reservations that
“nothing was done” about the demand made
by the bishops. Ejirike, who admitted that he
was not aware of the “marginalisation of
Anglicans” until the bishops spoke on the
matter, said Catholics are not the only people
in Enugu State.
The Executive Director, Center for the
Advancement of Literacy and Leadership,
Bismarck Oji, described it as an attempt to
introduce ‘church politics’ in Enugu State. He
disputed the claim that Anglicans have been
marginalised in the state.
Oji said, “For Anglicans to be asking for the
deputy governorship slot is uncalled for and an
attempt to introduce church politics into Enugu
State. In the Second Republic, both Jim
Nwobodo and C.C. Onoh (former governors)
were Anglicans. Okwesilieze Nwodo, a catholic,
was governor for barely one year during the
Third Republic. At the resumption of
democracy in 1999, Chimaroke Nnamani,
another Anglican/Methodist was governor.
“As such, the incumbent, Sullivan Chime, is the
first Catholic to have served a full tenure as
the state governor, right from the era of the
old Anambra State till date. The people of
Enugu State are not interested in playing inter-
church politics. Going by what happened in
Anambra last year, where crisis between
Catholics and Anglicans led to loss of lives and
destruction of property, it is a dangerous to
introduce such sentiments into Enugu State
politics.”
“Such sentiments are indeed retrogressive and
counterproductive. The people of Enugu State
have never seen one another as Catholics or
Protestants. Enugu politics has been based on
sectional sentiments, like what part of the
state one came from, I mean the Awgu,
Nkanu, Nsukka or Udi political blocs.
“That (sectionalism) too, being wrong and
uncivilised, is what we expect religious leaders
to preach against and not to introduce a
religious dimension into the issue. Ethnic and
religious sentiments have been the bane of
Nigerian politics and should be discouraged in
the buildup to the 2015 election. Nigerians
should choose their leaders based on the
candidates’ manifestos and track records,” Oji
added.
For Rev. Okechukwu Obioha, the President of
Njiko Igbo Forum, a socio-political
organisation, the demand shows how the high
level of corruption in the country has impacted
negatively on governance. According to
Obioha, such demands are made because
political office holders are expected to serve
their people first, before addressing the needs
of the general society.
“Corruption is not only when you give or
receive bribe – it is also corruption when you
do something out of selfish sentiments
without considering merit. If not that
corruption had eaten deep into the fabric of
the Nigerian society, we would not be talking
about where one comes from or worships
when we talk of political offices. This is
happening because people go in there to serve
their own people first – that is why somebody
will tell you that the governor or deputy
governor must come from a particular group,”
Obioha said.



Source:www.punchng.com/politics/anglican-church-dares-pdp-over-deputy-gov-ticket

These people are fools. Instead of ensuring good governance, they are wanting "Catholic" governor or "Anglican" governor.

Please have/ensure the international airport in Enugu is completed on time Reverend Fathers

mensdept:
These people are fools. Instead of ensuring good governance, they are wanting "Catholic" governor or "Anglican" governor.

Please have/ensure the international airport in Enugu is completed on time Reverend Fathers

I tiree oo.... Imagine Christians battling themselves again, I thought 'igbo xtiians' are united...

Like waternogeteneny n all4naija would say.... Lobbish

What about members of Cherubim & Seraphin, Olumba Olumba and Ogwugwu worshipers, what do they get?

Yoruba people looking for division and problems where there is none.
Keep repeating the words of a well known deranged man as evidence of ''battle''.

dayosaurus:


I tiree oo.... Imagine Christians battling themselves again, I thought 'igbo xtiians' are united...

Like waternogeteneny n all4naija would say.... Lobbish

Don't be silly, what's this got to do with Ndigbo or religious zealots. The game for religion started from Aso Rock. Didn't they successfully blackmailed their opponents against picking moslems/moslem ticket. It's the disease of Nigeria that isn't getting better even in this 21st,century, nothing to do with Igbo.
Look at Kaduna, Lagos or any other place where there are religious issues to play with

Eziachi:
Don't be silly, what's this got to do with Ndigbo or religious zealots. The game for religion started from Aso Rock. Didn't they successfully blackmailed their opponents against picking moslems/moslem ticket. It's the disease of Nigeria that isn't getting better even in this 21st,century, nothing to do with Igbo.
Look at Kaduna, Lagos or any other place where there are religious issues to play with

I was being sarcastic... I diint mean it that way.... If I bcom president I would ban all forms of religion..

Eziachi:
What about members of Cherubim & Seraphin, Olumba Olumba and Ogwugwu worshipers, what do they get?

Even free masons should get something

Collynzo22:
Yoruba people looking for division and problems where there is none.
Keep repeating the words of a well known deranged man as evidence of ''battle''.

Naa wa for you ooo..... How do u know he iss mentally deranged...

we are really doomed.
Christians vs Muslims
Pentecostal vs catholics
Igbo vs Yoruba
North vs South
Anglican vs Catholics etc
feel free to add yours