Politics
–
The crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party in Enugu State appears to have been resolved with the peace deal Jonathan brokered between the main gladiators, Governor Sullivan Chime and Ike Ekweremadu, deputy senate President
| By Anayo Ezugwu | Nov. 24, 2014 @ 01:00 GMT |
THE leadership crisis rocking the Enugu State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is gradually coming to an end. There were indications on Friday, November 7, that the lingering political crisis in the state may have been resolved following the intervention of President Goodluck Jonathan, who brokered peace between Sullivan Chime, governor of the state and Ike Ekweremadu, deputy Senate President.
Investigations have shown that the two gladiators, who are struggling for the control of the party structure, have finally resolved their differences. Realnews learnt that the differences were resolved in a meeting held in Abuja, where the president told Governor Chime to allow Ekweremadu to return to the Senate while he controls the remaining party structure in the state.
With the agreement, Chime, who initially wanted to replace Ekweremadu at the Senate, sacrificed his ambition but would now have total control in producing his successor, senators of Enugu North and East and other elective positions in the state. It was gathered that with the latest development, the coast is now clear for Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, who has been adopted as the governorship candidate of the PDP in the state.
This truce reached by Chime and Ekweremadu, came as Justice A. R. Ozoemenam of Enugu High Court, on Friday, November 7, granted an interim injunction restraining Elder David Aja, acting chairman of the PDP in the state, to stop parading himself as the acting chairman. There are indications that the injunction may have accorded recognition to Ikeje Asogwa as state chairman of the party. But some officials of the party including Okey Eze, state publicity secretary of the party, denied knowledge of the court order.
Meanwhile, Ugwuanyi’s aspiration as the next governor of the state was further boosted on Saturday, November 8, as the Enugu State chapter of the Nigerian Councillors’ Forum joined several other groups in pledging support for him. According to the statement from the forum signed by Hyginus Makata, chairman of the state chapter and Francis Ani, its secretary, the councillors expressed their support for the zoning of the governorship seat to Enugu north senatorial zone by the party in the state. They equally joined members of the party in the state in endorsing Ugwuanyi.
“We express our support to the leadership of the party in the state on the zoning of the governorship seat to Enugu North senatorial zone in fairness and equity and thank Governor Sullivan Chime for all the programmes he has been carrying out to ensure a smooth political transition in the state. We are not just supporting the endorsement of Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi but are part of his endorsement by the state caucus of our party, PDP, and the entire stakeholders in the state,” the group said.
The forum said the choice of the consensus candidate is one singular action that has saved the state from what onlookers thought was going to be a very knotty governorship race that would have torn the party apart in the state. But Governor Chime has remained a solid bridge builder whose main attribute is calmness in the face of all provocations. It is yet to be seen how far the latest truce can go ahead of the party primaries in the state.
|
Tags:
