Chime
The two power blocs in the Enugu State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, are in palpable anxiety as the party goes for the National Assembly elections, today, (Saturday) and on Sunday.
The political temperature in the State had changed following the shocking resignation of the chairman of the PDP in the State, Mr. Vita Abba.
The development, which took Governor Sullivan Chime and his loyalists unawares, left the party at the control of Elder David Aja, a close ally of the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu.
Consequently, Governor Chime, having totally lost the party’s structure to Ekweremadu during the ward congress, agreed to enter into a peace deal reportedly brokered by President Goodluck Jonathan.
Although Governor Chime is said to have conceded his Senatorial ambition to the deal, his aides feel disappointed and sold out.
DAILY POST gathered that few weeks back, some of his aides, including his former Chief of Staff, Mrs. Ifeoma Nwobodo, had resigned their positions having been assured of different national assembly positions.
For instance, Nwobodo, considered to the most powerful person in Chime’s government, had the Governor’s alleged backing to go for the Enugu East Senatorial position.
The former commissioner for Transport, Chuka Utazi was penciled down for the Enugu North Senatorial slot.
Apart from the two of them, the commissioners for Enugu Capital Territory and that of Lands, Ikechukwu Ugwuegede and Chukwuemeka Ujam, respectively, equally resigned their positions to take shots at the House of Representatives.
Besides, the Chairman of Enugu East Local Government Area, considered to be one of the Governor’s closest allies among the council chairmen in the state, was also penciled down for the House of Representatives position.
However, in what could be described as a dramatic turn of events, all of them have lost out in the scheme of things.
In the case of Nwobodo, the former Chief of Staff, she reportedly fell out with Governor Chime shortly after she left office, owing to the discovery of “some annoying jobs she carried out while in office”.
According to DAILY POST source, her exit in the office exposed a number of things to the extent that Governor Chime got infuriated and swore never to allow her win the PDP senatorial ticket. Except for a last minute miracle, it is believed that she has already lost the ticket to either the incumbent, Senator, Gilbert Nnaji or any of the other aspirants, including former information minister, Frank Nweke Jnr.
In the case of other aides to the Governor, a source hinted that the Governor had sacrificed all of them on the altar of the peace deal between him and Senator Ekweremadu.
The situation is said to have created disaffection among Chime’s loyalists as they feel betrayed and cheated.
One of the aspirants and a former commissioner told DAILY POST under anonymity that “the way the Governor has treated us is really very disappointing. He asked us to go for these positions but you can see how he just left us at the middle of the road. As I speak to you, we have spent so much money doing underground campaign, but he has asked all of us to withdraw.
“He called us for a meeting where each of the Federal Constituencies had limited time before him; the worst thing is that people were not even allowed to say their mind; it is really so sad that Enugu people cannot be allowed to choose their own leaders”.
Meanwhile, within the camp of the Deputy Senate President, Ike, Ekweremadu, there is uncertainty as the sitting members of the National Assembly await what becomes their fate during the primaries.
As at the time of filing this report, the only person whose seat is secured is Senator Ekweremadu, following Chime’s withdrawal from the race. It is still not certain whether the remaining serving lawmakers would get return ticket.
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