Enugu State Caucus of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday formerly ratified the emergence of the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Marine, Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, as the consensus candidate of the party for the 2015 governorship election.
The ratification was the climax of similar adoptions by all the three senatorial zones in the state, which had earlier validated the candidature of Ugwuanyi as the consensus candidate of the party in the zones.
The 9th Enugu State PDP caucus meeting which was held last night at the banquet hall of the Enugu State Governor’s Lodge was attended by Governor Sullivan Chime, Senator Gil Nnaji, and members of the Federal House of Representatives including Hon. Ogbuefi Ozomgbachi, Hon. Kingsley Ibenyi, Hon. Toby Okechukwu, Hon. Stella Ngwu, Hon. Pat Asadu, Hon. Ofochukwu Egbo. Other are the Speaker of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Hon. Eugene Odoh, Chairman of Enugu State PDP, Engr. Vita Abba, Amb. Fidelia Njeze, former governor and National Chairman of PDP, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, among others.
Former governor of old Anambra State, Senator Jim Nwobodo, former Senate President, Senator Ken Nnamani and Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu sent in their apologies.
THE CITIZEN reliably gathered that the motion for Ugwuanyi’s adoption as the party’s consensus candidate for the state gubernatorial election in 2015 was moved by South East Caucus Leader in the Federal House of Representatives, Hon. Ozomgbachi, and was seconded by a former National Secretary of PDP and a Board of Trustee member, Chief Rex Onyeabo.
The source said Governor Chime spearheaded the Caucus meeting to reduce bitterness among the aspirants and make sure that the November 29 governorship primaries in the state a hitch-free event with the consensus candidate coating to victory.
“When the Caucus meeting ended last night, party faithful cheered up Ugwuanyi, echoing “Gburugburu”, singing victory songs and praises because with the state caucus endorsement, he has become the candidate of the party, as the primaries will just be a formality. Indeed he is the right person for the position and there is no doubt about it. The overwhelming acceptance his candidature has received in the state since he was first adopted by the Enugu North senatorial zone last Friday is amazing,” he said.
He however said that despite been adopted by the State PDP Caucus as the consensus candidate for the governorship position, the party has not closed its doors against any aspirant who has a contrary position to the party’s decision on the matter to participate in the party’s governorship primary election in late November.
“The processes we have adopted to choose a consensus candidate does not mean that we have shut the door against any aspirant who wishes to contest and test his or her popularity in the state. This is just the culture of PDP in Enugu State where we treat issues like this as a family affair. Anyone who is nursing ambition to succeed Governor Chime outside of the consensus candidate can still buy form and contest. This is democracy, so we cannot stop the person,” he said.
It could be recalled that on Friday, September 29, 2014, the Enugu North zonal chapter of PDP met and adopted Ugwuanyi as their consensus candidate for the 2015 governorship election. This was followed by the Enugu East at its meeting on Wednesday, October 1 and Enugu West on Friday, October 3.
Addressing the gathering before and after the vote to adopt Ugwuanyi, Chime recalled that in pursuit of the party’s decision to zone the gubernatorial slot to Enugu North, the caucus of the party in the zone last week unanimously adopted Hon Ugwuanyi, the member representing Udenu/Igboeze North Constituency in the House of Representatives, as its consensus candidate.
It was said that at Friday’s Enugu West zonal meeting, Chime noted that the trend of peaceful choice of candidates for various elective positions in the state was the direct fallout of the deliberate policy of wide consultations adopted by the PDP in the state since the inception of his administration.
He pointed out that this has ensured peace and harmony in the state during election periods that other states are now trying to copy the Enugu model.
Chime stressed that the party was the only structure through which any aspirant to an elective office could become successful, adding that anyone seeking to rely on his own private structure was bound to fail.
He thanked the members of the caucus for their commitment and zeal, saying this has helped to ensure the party “enjoyed and will continue to enjoy 100 per cent success in elections in Enugu state.”
Consensus is one of the oldest forms of democracy. The ability to achieve it in Enugu State stems from the fact that the Party had been very well captained, thus availing the polity relative tranquillity since the ascendancy of Chime to power. The overwhelming acceptance of Ugwuanyi clearly depicts his sterling qualities and capacities for the job ahead. Governor Chime has, indeed, distinguished Enugu as a state to emulate in various enviable heights