The chess game towards the governorship position in Enugu State has started in earnest and assuming a terrific crescendo. This Sunday, Former Senate President, Ken Nnamani; Senator Chimaroke Nnamani, Speaker of Enugu State House of Assembly, Edward Ubosi; traditional rulers from Enugu East senatorial district and other stakeholders of the zone, endorsed zoning of the governorship of Enugu state, stating that 2023 belong to Enugu East senatorial zone. However this arrangement is being viewed with suspicion by the Isi-Uzo political bloc in the senatorial zone who feel strongly that it would be their turn in the arrangement. The two major political parties in the State are having different views towards the zoning formular. Their differences stem from the bloc that would produce the next governor should it go back to Enugu East Senatorial zone. Politicians from the Nkanu block are angling to have the position returned to them while the Isi-Uzo bloc feel that they had been shortchanged for a long time whenever it comes to sharing of political offices.
At a meeting of stakeholders of the zone convened by Ubosi, who is also eyeing the governorship seat, Drumnewsonline learnt, which took place at the palace of Odezuligbo-Nike, HRH Igwe Julius Nnaji, it was agreed that the position goes back to Enugu east but the meeting was shy of mentioning the bloc that would produce the governor. Addressing the gathering, Senator Ken Nnamani stated that his political party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, had already made an announcement that the Party will only give ticket the 2023 governorship ticket to an aspirant from Enugu East senatorial zone, but no one said if the Peoples Democratic Party had toed the same line. The former governor of the State, Senator Chimaroke Nnamani said that the agreement should be respected, noting that it was the entrenched zoning arrangement that has kept the state in a state of peace and tranquillity.
Speaker Edward Nnaji stated that for peace sake, the zoning arrangement should be respected in the state. “The people of Enugu East senatorial zone were gathered to say that we are not ready to fight and the on the issue of 2023 governorship is our turn. We are not fighting with anybody on that. “We want other senatorial zones to support us. It started in the Chimaroke time, and at the end of his tenure he handed over to Sullivan and at the end of Sullivan he handed over to Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and it is necessary that at the end of the Ugwuanyi tenure it will come back to us,” Ubosi said. The meeting urged the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to announce as APC did.
However, it was not clear if the former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu was at the meeting or sent his representatives. He is known to have strong ambition to be the next governor of Enugu State and the meeting at Nike could be to checkmate his political forays. But, also in the mix are the politicians from the Isi-Uzo political bloc who feel strongly that even if the position comes back to Enugu East, they should produce the next governor. According to a source that spoke to Drumnewsonline based on anonymity, he said that the Nkanu political bloc had shortchanged them for a long time and that they were prepared to fight for their right.
According to him, the Nkanu bloc had produced Dr Chimaroke Nnamani so the next governor should come from their bloc. There were unconfirmed reports that PDP was prepared to ensure that justice and equity prevails in Enugu politics, however, the political ambition of the present governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, could be the stumbling block. He wants to go to the Senate and if he supports the arrangement that would favour Isi-Uzo political bloc, he might as well bid goodbye to his ambition.
Source: Drumnewsonline with reports from Vanguard
