It was a gathering of ‘who is who’ on Thursday, June 17, when the people of Enugu East Senatorial zone of Enugu State held a mega rally at the Michael Okpara Square, Enugu to press home their demand for a gubernatorial ticket come 2023 general elections.
Sons and daughters of the zone from all walks of life, their traditional, political and religious leaders at the rally, spoke with one voice and appealed to Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi to uphold the established rotational zoning arrangement of governorship position and support the zoning of the said position to Enugu East senatorial zone in 2023.
Former Governor of old Anambra State and former Senator who represented Enugu East Senatorial zone, Jim Nwobodo, extolled Ugwuanyi.
He described him as a man of peace, expressing optimism that Ugwuanyi will endorse someone from the zone.
He said: “Gburugburu is a peace-maker; Gburugburu entrusted Enugu State to the hands of God. Gburugburu will give Ndi Enugu East Senatorial District governor in 2023. We are only waiting for the time to come to know who will be the candidate. We are appealing to other senatorial districts to support the choice candidate of the governor from our zone when the time comes”.
Nwobodo said that the candidate should be someone “who will be as humble and peaceful like you (Ugwuanyi) and also a governor of the entire Enugu State not governor of Enugu East Senatorial Zone, as Ugwuanyi is today the governor of Enugu State, not governor of Nsukka”.
Former Senate President, Senator Ken Nnamani, who was represented by the Ambassador to Poland, Major General Christian Ugwu (rtd.), added his voice to the clamour of his people.
He commended the organisers of the event for galvanizing the people of the zone to come and appraise the existing rotational principle of zoning in Enugu State.
Nnamani commended Ugwuanyi for the peace being enjoyed in Enugu State. He was optimistic that the governor’s disposition to peace and good governance will guarantee a peaceful transition in 2023, where a candidate from Enugu East senatorial zone will be elected governor.
Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Enugu State Chapter, Dr. Ben Nwoye, disclosed that the party has zoned its governorship position in 2023 to Enugu East Senatorial zone.
He commended Ugwuanyi for his leadership strides in the state, describing him as a peaceful, humble and development-oriented governor.
“When you have peace, you have order. When you have peace, you have development. You (Ugwuanyi) are a peaceful governor and you have brought peace to our people”, Nwoye said.
He noted that Ugwuanyi’s presence at the rally was a prayer answered towards the quest for his successor to come from Enugu East Senatorial zone.
“Your Excellency, the fact that you are here means that you have answered our prayers in our midst. It means that you have agreed to endorse someone from Enugu East Senatorial District come 2023.
“We (APC) have zoned the governorship candidate to Enugu East Senatorial District. We are following the PDP people to beg you to also nominate and zone their governorship candidate to Enugu East Senatorial District.
“So, Your Excellency, you will do the right thing. You will anoint someone from Enugu East Senatorial District. If it goes to APC, you anoint someone from APC, if it goes to PDP, you anoint someone from PDP”, he said.
State chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), Augustine Nnamani, in his speech, said that the party has not yet taken decision on the issue of zoning.
He said that the outcome will be favourable.
In their goodwill messages, members of National and State Assemblies from the zone, the Council Chairmen, clerics, traditional rulers, State Executive Council, and others , commended Ugwuanyi’s leadership qualities.
They urged him to stick to the existing rotational zoning arrangement for the Office of the governor.
Responding, Ugwuanyi appreciated the people of Enugu East, Enugu North, Enugu South, Nkanu East, Nkanu West and Isi-Uzo local government areas making up Enugu East Senatorial zone for their outstanding support during his 2019 governorship re-election, saying that they emerged as “the senatorial zone that mustered the second highest number of votes in support of my candidacy, after Enugu North Senatorial zone.
“I admit, in all humility, that I have listened to all the speeches and I salute your uncommon political literacy and consciousness.
“Ndi Enugu are famed for being a peaceful and united family, irrespective of religious bent or party affiliations. I, therefore, enjoin you to stay the course of peace and remain united.
“I pray that at the end of our friends, we will bequeath to all, a just, equitable, peaceful, united and prosperous Enugu State that has ascended more rungs on the development ladder”.
Earlier, the Convener and Speaker of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Edward Ubosi, said that the only agenda of the gathering was to demand for the governorship seat of the state in 2023 in the spirit of equity, fairness and justice, stressing that it is the turn of Enugu East Senatorial District going by the long established rotational template in the state.
He commennded Ugwuanyi for attending the rally, stating that it was the unanimous stance of the people of Enugu East Senatorial zone and beyond that the governor has a major role to play in the choice of his successor since his predecessors enjoyed such privilege during their tenures as governors.
“Your Excellency, your own will not be different. We are waiting for you to take a decision on your choice of your successor from any of the six local government areas of Enugu East Senatorial District and we will support the person overwhelmingly”, Ubosi said.
