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2023 Guber: Enugu East senatorial zone pays ‘thank you’ visit to Gov Ugwuanyi

...expresses gratitude for upholding rotation

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Chetanne Chinelo, Enugu

It was a carnival of some sort as traditional rulers, political leaders, youths and people of Enugu East senatorial zone, comprising of Enugu East, Enugu South, Enugu North, Nkanu East, Nkanu West and Isiuzo local government councils, and drawn from different political parties, converged at the Enugu government house, Thursday, August 25, to express their gratitude to the Governor of the state, Rt. Hon. Dr. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, for ensuring that the tradition of zoning the governorship seat in the state was maintained.

The ‘thank you’ visit which was premised on the emergence of Barr Peter Mbah from the senatorial zone, as the PDP governorship candidate in the 2023 elections, had a lot of support groups in attendance and came shortly after the presentation of Ọfọ to the PDP candidate, Mbah, by the Traditional Rulers council from the zone. 

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Speaking at the well attended visit, the Enugu East zonal chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Nnamdi Nwafor, said the singular reason for the visit was to thank the governor.

In his words “At the Oganiru rally held on June 17, 2021, Your Excellency, you said in the fullness of time, equity, fairness and justice shall prevail. 

“As a zone, we saw justice prevail on May 25, 2022, during the PDP primaries and for this we are grateful. We say thank you, thank you, thank you”.

Reiterating the stand of the zonal chairman, the PDP chairman of Nkanu East, on behalf of all party chairmen of Enugu East zone, told the governor that “by what you have done, you have become a brother to every man of Nkanu extraction. What you have done will be told for generations to come”. 

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Speaking on behalf of the local council chairmen from the zone, Nze Livinus Anike, Enugu East LG boss, emphasized that “the people of Enugu East senatorial zone are grateful because you kept to your promise. We are asking God to protect and keep you. After serving as Governor, you will still be lifted to greater heights”. 

Hon Rita Mbah who spoke on behalf of the women did not also fail to express the appreciation of the women of the zone.

She said “We are really happy for what you have done for not just Enugu East zone but Nkanu East local government. Even if we come here every day, it wouldn’t be enough to express our gratitude. On behalf of the women, I want to tell you that we are ready to work because the man who’s the flag-bearer is God fearing and prepared”. 

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A former governorship aspirant, Dr. Kingsley Udeh, while speaking on behalf of other governorship aspirants in the May 25, 2022 concluded PDP Primaries, re-echoed the fact that as governorship aspirants, they had an agreement to support anyone among them who emerges as the party’s standard bearer. 

“Your Excellency, we are here to tell you that what you have done is good to us. You sustained the zoning formula in the state and it is not just for the good of Enugu East zone but for the entire state. 

“By this, and in years to come, you have sustained peace in the state. 

“Although we all contested for Governor, the standard bearer, Dr. Peter Mbah, ticks all the boxes. He’s a good & sellable candidate and we are going to work to deliver him.

“We all signed a pact to accept any of us who emerges and most of us are keeping to it. For those who didn’t keep to it, it is proof that they won’t keep to their campaign promises if elected as governor”, Udeh said. 

Speaking on behalf of the state excos of Enugu East senatorial zone extraction, a Commissioner, Dr. Jideofor Ebeh, expressed optimism “that at the end of the day, victory will be ours”.

The immediate past Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state, Dr Ben Nwoye while thanking the governor and addressing him as a peacemaker stressed that he was present because despite being a member of the APC, he is also from the zone. 

“We came together as a zone and asked you to ensure zoning in your party, having ensured, as the chairman of APC, that my party zoned the governorship seat to Enugu East zone. All parties have also done the same by zoning their governorship seats to our zone”, he said. 

A former Senator who represented the zone, Sen Gil Nnaji and a member of the National Assembly, Rt Hon Ofor Chukwuegbo, who spoke on behalf of serving and former National Assembly members from the zone, were not left out in the show of gratitude. 

Nnaji said, “We are thankful to you the Governor. You said when the time comes, you will speak and you have spoken. You stood your ground and for the gift of Peter Mbah, we all are happy. 

“We will ensure that we support our brother throughout the campaigns until he emerges.

“We are also asking Barr Peter Mbah to ensure he continues the peace we enjoy in the state by making sure that at the end of his term, he sees to the continuation of the traditional zoning system.

On his part, Ofor noted that “our history as a people will never be complete without mentioning your name (Ugwuanyi)”.

The speaker of the state assembly, Rt Hon Edward Ubosi, who is also from the zone, spoke on behalf of his colleagues. He asserted that Nkanu people had a habit of gratitude and went on to assure the governor that there was “no need to be bothered by the dissenting voices”, convincingly opining that once the campaigns commenced, the difference would be clear.

The state chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Hon Augustine Nnamani, had this to say “Your Excellency, we are not here for campaign. Our agenda is simple, to say thank you for keeping faith to your promise to the people of Enugu East senatorial zone.

“All the 17 aspirants paid us a visit as state executives of the party. When the PDP flag-bearer visited, I told him that if I were him, I wouldn’t contest for Governor, seeing that he has a marvelously thriving business. He made us understand that he has a passion for rural development and wealth creation. 

“We are happy that at the end of your consultation with God and the people, you gave us a man as humble and peaceful as you. On behalf of Enugu East zone, we’re telling you today that we are happy with what you have done for us. Our support to you will be seamless and continue till the end of the elections”.

In their separate speeches the zonal woman leader, Felicia Ijeh, and a former commissioner, Deacon Okey Ogbodo, were all filled with gratitude to the Governor for being a man of his words 

Welcoming the zone, Gov Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State appreciated the great speeches with kind words for his person and the cultural display to entertain him. 

Part of his speech read: “In the course of this event, I recalled the Oganiru rally and the anxiety that followed it. I recall clearly that I said that the content and context of the rally has been understood and in fullness of time, equity, fairness and justice shall prevail. 

“You have given a verdict that even in the spirit land, our decision is applauded.

“All I have done is to provide the leadership needed at this point in our history to protect that cherished political culture and which, in reality, birthed my own political opportunity as well as that of my predecessors in office.

“The beauty of fair rotation of political offices is that both the strong and the weak will have their turn. I therefore enjoin all those in whose hands history and providence may entrust the responsibility of dispensation of political justice in this state in future, to do so without fear or favour, for what is good for the goose is also good for the gander.

“Nonetheless I have increased confidence in our governorship candidate, Barr Peter Mbah. I urge you all to pray for and rally around Barr Peter Mbah.

“Finally, I wish you journey mercies to your various destinations”. 

Recall that on June 17, 2021, the people of Enugu East senatorial zone, in a rally christened ‘Oganiru Enugu East Senatorial Zone’, had gathered at the Michael Okpara square to prevail on the governor to ensure that the zoning system in the state that has been governed by the PDP since 1999 was upheld.

The zone took the decision to hold the rally when it became clear to them that there were attempts to distort the rotation formula.