For the past one year, an atmosphere of uncertainty prevailed in the Enugu State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. It was clear that the umbrella split into two clear parts- one for the loyalists of Governor Sullivan Chime and another for the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu.
More glaring is the fact that it was a near taboo for any person to be seen shifting his loyalty from either of the camps to another.
For instance, at some point, Chime’s loyalists announced the suspension of the Chairman of the PDP in Udi Local Government Area of the State, Hon. Uche Ogbodo. His crime, DailyPost gathered, was his close affinity with Ekweremadu.
However, in what appears to be a move to fight back, Ogbodo, alongside some other stakeholders of the party in Udi, slammed suspension on four aides to Governor Chime, including the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Amechi Okolo.
Besides, the two PDP blocs in the state have never rested in their use of media propaganda, one against the other. They have in the past one year resorted to the use of some groups to do image battering against each other.
It was equally gathered that several efforts made to restore peace to the “Enugu PDP Family”, have continued to hit brick wall. A meeting was reportedly held in Abuja recently, where former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, and other party chieftains made efforts to reconcile the warring factions.
Analysts are, however, unanimous in their opinion that the latest impeachment procedure against the Enugu Deputy Governor, Mr. Sunday Onyebuchi, has dealt a terrible blow on the peace process.
The rivalry between Governor Chime and Ekweremadu became more pronounced after the former announced that his successor would come from Enugu North Senatorial zone, (Nsukka) and that all legislatures who had served for two tenures would give way for new people in 2015.
This pronouncement, DailyPost learnt, did not go down well with Ekweremadu and other national assembly members, who saw it as a move by Chime to retire them from politics and at the same time make himself, (Chime), the god-father of Enugu politics, by installing his cronies in office.
It is believed that if the Governor succeeds in determining his successor and at the same time nominates candidates for the National Assembly position, he will indeed become the new power broker in the state.
For instance, the Chief of Staff to Governor Chime, Mrs. Ifeoma Nwobodo is widely believed to be the anointed candidate for the Enugu East Senatorial seat. If that happens, the incumbent Senator, Gilbert Nnaji would be heading for political oblivion.
Of course, Nnaji is not ready to give up so easily. On different occasions, he had maintained that the power to determine who shall represent the people of Enugu East in 2015 resides on the people and not on any individual.
In addition, a source disclosed that Ekweremadu and his loyalists were stunned when Governor Chime equally announced his interest to contest for Senate in 2015.
“For some of us, the Governor’s decision to run makes it look as if he is solely out to fight the Deputy Senate President; otherwise, having said that any person who has served in the National Assembly for two tenure would not go back, how would he be talking of going to the Senate, after serving as a Governor for eight years?
“So, I expect the Governor to show example by also dropping his senatorial ambition. Governor Chime has done well in office, but he should not allow power hungry politicians to destroy his legacies”, the party source said.
Enquiries showed that Onyebuchi, who is considered as a loyalist of Ekwermadu, fell into more trouble when he declared to contest for the Enugu East Senate, a position allegedly reserved for Chime’s Chief of Staff, Mrs. Nwobodo.
According to the source, Onyebuchi has remained resolute in his quest for the senatorial ambition, despite warnings from the powers that be.
A government source equally alleged that he was in deep romance with the All Progressives Congress, APC, a platform he intends to use, should the PDP deny him ticket.
According to him, “on several occasions, he was told to drop the ambition but he refused, insisting that he has every right to aspire for any political position. He was equally given the option of resigning his position when they felt that he was no longer absolutely loyal, especially to the Chief of Staff, who he once accused of going beyond her bounds.
“You can now see why things got to this point; government feels that he is creating more problem for the party. You know that former Governor of the State, Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani and a former information minister, Frank Nweke jnr, are all contesting for the same senatorial position.
“So, in order to break the Deputy Governor’s back-bone, impeachment became the last resort, and it is so easy considering that the Governor has a firm control of the State House of Assembly. And certainly, the Speaker, Hon. Eugene Odo, who has governorship ambition, became a wiling tool”.
From every indication, the impeachment plot against Onyebuchi would sail through and if that happens, it may well adversely affect his political career.
Many observers who have followed Enugu politics for the past seven years are sympathetic to the plight of the Deputy Governor, who they said had remained calm, mute and loyal, until earlier this year when the “Poultry Farm Politics” took the centre stage in the state. It became the first time Onyebuchi addressed journalists for the past seven years, and it became the beginning of the end to his many battles.
In the meantime, the reasons being adduced by the lawmakers for the impeachment notice on the Deputy Governor have been described by the APC as laughable.
The lawmakers had in the notice stated among other things that the Deputy Governor continued to maintain and operate a commercial poultry farm within the premises of his official residential quarters; and further refused to carry out the directives of the relevant officials of the government who visited his official premises to monitor compliance with the said resolution.
The notice added that “consequent upon the intimidation of the relevant officials of the government by the Deputy Governor in respect of the matter aforesaid, the governor of Enugu State, (hereinafter referred to as “the Governor”) via letters with reference numbers : GHE/CAO/31/239 and GHE/CAO/31/240 dated 24/12/2013 and 27/12/2013 respectively, directed the Deputy Governor to relocate the commercial poultry farm out of the premises of his official residential quarters, which is also within the general premises of the government house Enugu and adjacent to the Governor’s office.
“The Deputy Governor further defied the directive herein and in most discourteous manner and in utter disregard of the office of the governor, responded via his letter dated 8/1/2014, insisting that he would not relocate his commercial poultry farm from the premises of his official residential quarters.
“When the government through the appropriate ministries and departments relocated the birds and cleared the premises of the noxious stench emanating therefrom, the Deputy Governor wrongfully deployed the resources and powers of his office as deputy governor to invite the press and openly castigated the government and her officials, thereby impugning and denigrating the authority and office of the governor and embarrassing the government”.
The 22 lawmakers also alleged that the Deputy Governor habitually refuses, fails and or neglects to carry out and perform the functions of his office as directed by governor pursuant to section 193(1) of the constitution, without any excuse.
According to them, “The deputy governor persists in his defiance of lawful directives issued to him by the governor, which defiance has adversely affected and will continue to affect the smooth running of the government; and he will continue to do so if not removed from office. On the 11th day of March, 2014, the Deputy Governor was directed by the governor to represent him {i.e.the governor} at the flag off ceremony of the construction of the 2nd Nigeria Bridge in Onitsha by the President, Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federation of Nigeria, his Excellency, President Good luck Ebele Jonathan; but the Deputy Governor refused to attend the ceremony”. However, for the APC, in a statement issued in Enugu and signed by its spokesman in the South East, Mr Osita Okechukwu, “On closer study of the items listed are allegations like disobedience of the directive prohibiting the maintenance of commercial livestock in residential quarters and disobedience of lawful directive to represent His Excellency, Sullivan Chime in the South East Governors Forum and the flag-off of the 2nd Niger Bridge.
“Whereas, we are not holding brief for Chief Onyebuch, the APC South East is of the candid view that the items listed are flimsy allegations; therefore we appeal to the House to withdraw the flimsy petitions forthwith.
“We are making this appeal not only for the sustenance of our fledgling democracy, but in the collective interest of the good people of Enugu State, a peaceful citizenry that may not wish to return to the dark insecure days of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leadership in the state.
“We challenge the House to stop the impeachment; otherwise it is only a rubber stamp House of Assembly that will base the impeachment of a Deputy Governor on a poultry which had been demolished months ago.
“And further taking a cue from the letter of one of the leaders of APC, retired Major General Muhammadu Buhari to President Goodluck Jonathan, GCFR, we submit, ‘ whether Governor Sullivan Chime is behind the impeachment or the utilization of desperate tactics to suffocate Chief Sunday Onyebuchi, the Deputy Governor, he cannot pretend not to know, since it is happening under his watch’.
“Consequently, we call on the Governor to call the House to order, in order to maintain the harmonious and peaceful atmosphere that subsists in Enugu, which we praise him; for we can see the hand of Esau and the voice of Jacob”.
Similarly, a former governorship candidate in the state Chief Okey Ezea condemned the development describing it as an act of dictatorship.
Ezea, a chieftain of the APC said “It all goes to prove what I have always said that Enugu is badly governed and under a dictatorship. Anyone can award contracts to build roads, demolish Secretariat, award another…. We are worse than we were under the military government. That is why his party has no guber aspirant. We have an emperor that would install everyone including deciding for Nkanu people who must be their senator. There is God oh!”.
As an atmosphere of anxiety and uncertainty persists in the state, Onyebuchi may become the first major casualty of the power play in the Enugu PDP. There are, however, indications that “his sins” may be forgiven if he drops his ambition.
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