The battle for Ebonyi

RIGHT from the enthronement of civil rule in Nigeria in 1999, Ebonyi has been a PDP-controlled state which produced the first executive Governor of the state, Dr. Sam Egwu among other elected individuals.

The party during that dispensation also produced both national and state house of assembly members even appointments were equally masterminded by the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP for the benefit of the people of the state.

The second executive Governor of the state, Chief Martin Elechi came also on the platform of the PDP as its senators, 98 percent of the state House of Assembly and House of Representative members were equally produced on the same democratic platform.

The party has always dominated the political landscape of the state with little or no influence and competitive participation of the opposition political parties in the state.

This level of dominance was replicated on 28 March, 2015 as all the National Assembly seats were won by the ruling party in the state.

The party elected former Governor Sam Egwu for Ebonyi North senatorial district; Senator Sonni Ogbuoji for Ebonyi South zone and Chief Obinna Ogba for Ebonyi Central zone of the state.

While the House of Representative members elected last saturday also include: Hon. Sylvester Ogbaga for Abakaliki/Izzi federal constituency; Hon. Edwin Anayo for Ishielu/Ezza North; Hon. Chukwuma Nwazunku for Ebonyi/Ohaukwu; Hon. Linus Okorie for Ohaozara/Onicha/Ivo and Hon. Laz Ogbee for Ezza south/Ikwo and Hon. Idu Igariwey for Afikpo North/South federal constituency of the state.

The party has over time proven its dominance and capacity and is prepared to replicate similar adventure during the Governorship and state House of Assembly elections this saturday.

This platform made it an easy ride for Governor Martin Elechi to emerge as Governor in 2007 and 2011 crushing any existence of opposition in the state and that was why the party has been expressing lots of displeasure over attempts made by the Governor Elechi to destabilize the stability and gains made by the party in the state.

The party’s victory at the last election will no doubt serve as a boosters to all its supporters and stakeholders, that it will assuredly win with ease at the 11 April elections.

It is a fact, that the winners of the last election; senator-elect and House of Representative-elect will work assiduously to ensure the victory of the party at the elections as their supporters have increased following the saying that “Success have many friends; failure is an orphan”.

Following the victory of the party in the last election, the camp of the PDP governorship candidate, Engr. Dave Umahi has increased with decampees, returning to the party with a commitment to ensure PDP’s victory at the polls.

Among the decampees include: the state Director for Media and Publicity for the Labour Party governorship candidate, Chief Chike Onwe, the embattled member representing Afikpo South West state constituency, Hon. Eni Uduma Chima, Labour Party House of Assembly candidate for Ezza South state constituency, Mr. Kenneth Eze, former Deputy Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Dorothy Obasi, 17 executive members of Labour Party and host of others too numerous to mention.

At a press briefing, the state Media Director for the Labour Party governorship candidate, Dr. Chike Onwe who defected at the weekend to the PDP pledged to support the ambition of the party’s governorship candidate, Engr. Dave Umahi in the state.

He stated that his decision to shift camp became necessary following his discovery of the developmental initiatives inherent in the PDP governorship candidate and the yearning of Ebonyi people that power should rotate to Ebonyi South senatorial district of the state.

Onwe who is also the immediate past state Commissioner for Information called on his teeming supporters and friends to join him in ensuring that the political ambition of Engr. Dave Umahi came to fruition on May 29, 2015.

“After a long look ahead, a searching look inwards, a wide look around and a far look upward, I came to the conclusion that his Excellency, Engr. Dave Umahi, the Deputy Governor of Ebonyi state should be supported to win the election to occupy the seat of the Governor of Ebonyi state by May 29, 2015”.

The PDP unlike APGA, APC and LP has always dominated the political arena with numerous successes at every poll since the enthronement of democratic governance in the country.

However, despite the political edge the PDP has gained over the years against the opposition political parties, its governorship candidate has not left his fate on the successes recorded by the party in the past but has in the past two weeks taken his campaigns to the 13 local government areas where he had earlier visited before the President
So far, his foot soldiers who won at the last elections are now busy campaigning at various zones, federal constituencies, Wards and communities across the state for the PDP.
The PDP governorship candidate has also taken his campaign to the urban community in the state soliciting for their votes in the next elections.
At the occasion which took place at the Peoples Club, Abakaliki, stakeholders and various pressure groups bared their minds on the acceptability of the ruling PDP in the state, promising that they would deliver all the candidates more than they did in the presidential election.
Addressing the crowd, Umahi while commending the forum for its support towards his campaign, assured that he would reconstruct all the bad roads in the capital city and also beef up the estactic value within the metropolis.
He assured that he would reduce the school fees in the state tertiary institutions without indigines and non indigine dichotomy.
Wife of Ebonyi former governor, Mrs Eunice Egwu noted that Elechi’ administration was a colossal failure because he decided to bite the finger that fed him.
“Elechi has never contested for election. It was my husband that dash him the position but the governor was ungrateful and he decided to bite the finger that fed him”.
On his part, the former senator of Ebonyi North, Sylvanus Nguji Ngele said “ Edward Nkwegu as a contractor made his money in the state and his interest for governorship does not represent the views and wishes of the Izzi clan because we cannot take what belongs to others” he added.
The victory of the PDP at the April 11 governorship election will redefine the political landscape of state for a very long time as everybody in the state would now operate with the knowledge that after power rotate to the south, the next zone to hold it will be the North senatorial district of the state and otherwise.
It will also bring to nullity the culture of political impunity and imposition of candidates which had dominated the political landscape since the emergence of the present administration in the state.
While opposition political parties in the state such as APGA, APC and Labour party are seen as not being prepared for the elections, the PDP is seriously campaigning for votes in different corners of the state.
What has given Engr. Dave Umahi an edge over other governorship candidates are the experiences he had garnered as the Deputy Governor of the state, former PDP Chairman and his quintessential qualities of being able to influence the lives and welfare of Ebonyi people through his humanitarian services.
It is no longer news that the APC governorship candidate in the state, Senator Julius Ucha is not all out to win the governorship election this time around as feelers from his camp have alleged that he is in the race to simply recoup the funds he spent during the 2011 general election.
Apart from holding political meetings with his allies, the senator is also campaigning for votes via text messages about his manifesto without a dogged move and strategic disposition on how to clinch the governorship position of the state.
Also, the APGA governorship candidate, Senator Anthony Agbo is always seen in his hometown, which is the home of PDP; meeting with his people and canvassing for votes.
His campaign obviously does not have a wide spread support across the 13 LGAs of the state as some stakeholders have rejected his governorship ambition for a more idealistic campaign that power shift to the South was necessary for equity, justice and fair play in the political arena of the state.
Meanwhile, the campaign of the LP governorship candidate has suffered a lot of set back following the recent decampment of stakeholders and candidates from the party to the PDP and the general assessment that since he failed to deliver his booth during the last election, he lacked the capacity to win the governorship election.
As the battle as to who will take charge of the affairs of state draws nearer each passing day, general opinion poll has favoured the PDP governorship candidate, Dave Umahi as he has been able to get the support and endorsement of over 90 percent of stakeholders and electorate from the three senatorial zones of the state.
Meanwhile, the ongoing workers strike in the state has equally made the people of the state to dissociate themselves from any initiative of the state government to thwart the Governorship ambition of the PDP governorship candidate, Engr. Dave Umahi.
The planned merger between LP and APGA; and APC and LP have equally failed as no opposition political party was ready to collapse into LP.
With this failed merger, critics have tipped PDP as the party to beat in saturday’s governorship election.
ial election was first shifted.

Category: NEWS