It was a day of reaffirming solidarity as members of the Grassroots Development Movement (GDM) visited the former deputy president of the senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu on saturday, the 26th of February.

The group which is a political organization registered as Farmers Multipurpose co-Operative Society Limited is currently running the largest political campaign media outlet in Enugu State through her Whatsapp Group outlets and telegram political community outlet across all the 17 L.G.A’s in Enugu State and some electoral wards.

This is aimed at garnering more support for Senator Ike Ekweremadu and in the best interest of Enugu State.

Speaking to the lawmaker during the visit, the spokesman for the group, Hon. Emmanuel Emeka Amadi said “In the recent past, the media is awash with stories and wishes of people of Enugu east senatorial zone to produce the next Governor of Enugu State. Enugu East and Iziuzo Local Government Areas in one of the radio commentary said that the next Governor of Enugu state must come from there. Already few individuals are being touted for the position.

“An Association called Enugu West general assembly also come up with public pronouncements that it is the people of Nkanu’s turn. Before we put the records straight and right it is important to note that it was senator Jim Nwobodo that picked and hoisted Chimaroke Nnamani as PDD candidate and governor of Enugu State.

“Jim further picked Ezenwata Itanyi as his deputy because Itany’s father was Jim’s ally in defunct NPP. Before the end of Chimaroke’s first tenure Jim lost and was forgotten in the political equation of Chimaroke’s administration. Chimaroke was never and may not have been the choice of Enugu East people were they given the chance and the choice.

“Other zones did not zone the governor to Enugu East people. Other zones contested with Chimaroke. Towards the end of Chimaroke’s second tenure he picked Sullivan Chime (his school mate at C.I.C.) and he picked Sunday Onyebuchi as Sullivan’s deputy.

“Towards the end of Sullivan’s second tenure, his relationship with Sunday Onyebuchi turned sour to the extent that Sunday Onyebuchi was impeached. A new deputy served out the rest of Sullivan’s second tenure. Before the impeachment of Sunday Onyebuchi the tide had already turned to flood between Chimaroke and Sullivan to the extent that the “Ebeano” Slogan was banned by Sullivan from his first day in Office.

“It was towards the middle of Sullivan’s second term that the people of Enugu North Started saying that it will be their turn next to produce the governor. Nobody should forget the fact that the people of Enugu North senatorial zone contested with both Chimaroke and Sullivan.

“It is on record that Mrs. C. Ezeillo was picked by Sullivan as deputy to Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi the present Governor of Enugu State. Based on the dreams of our political pathfinders which is equity and fairness and morality, nobody objected to the desire of Enugu North people to produce the governor.

“Even at that point, people of Enugu East and Enugu West contested with Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.

“From the above scenario it is clear that governorship elections and choice of the governor in Enugu State had not been by zoning. At the end of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwanyi’s second tenure, each of the three senatorial zones in Enugu State must have had eight years of two tenures. This excludes the tenures of Jim Nwobodo and Okwesilieze Nwood from Enugu East and Emigu North respectively”, Emeka Amadi explained further.

Putting the zoning issue into focus for better explanation, he said “Each of the three zone have had their chance, so called zoning that took place was not the choice of the people. Zoning has no criterion reference to any other state in Nigeria.

“There was never a time or anywhere the people of Enugu State sat to
discuss and agree on zoning. There is no blueprint on the modus operandi of zoning in Enugu State. If there must be zoning all political parties must be present, credible stakeholders must be present.

“Ex-governors, senators, ministers, the clergy, traditional rulers, women opinion leaders etc must meet and agree on how to zone, the governor, deputy governor, speaker, commissioners, political offices, civil service hierarchy and provision of social infrastructure.

“Who takes the first slot and subsequently, a blueprint must be produced with legal backing, the zones must be allowed to make their choice not to impose a choice on them, fairness, equity and justice must be upheld. 2023 is around the corner and we must not allow ourselves to be a needle caught in the grooves of a defective record repeating the same turn over and over again”, he said.

Explaining further he added that “The people of Enugu West senatorial zone did not zone the senate to allow His Excellency Sen. Prof. Ike Ekweremadu (CFR) to be there for five terms. The people of Nsiikka/Igboze South did not zone the house of representative to allow Hon. Patrick Asadu to be four times and so on.

“The people of Awgu/Aninri/Oji-River did not zone the house of reps for Toby Okechukwu to be there three times. The people of Enugu East senatorial zone did not zone the senate to senators Ken Nnamani Gil Nnaji (two times) and Chimaroke Nnamani for the second time.

“The people of Enugu State should know that the dictionary meaning of democracy is ‘the process of choosing a leader through voting by majority of people in the society’, and not through zoning or by imposition. The vision of our political pathfinders is that we must not allow the fire to quench in our hands.

“Whoever wants to be governor of Enugu State should come out through any political party and the people of Enugu State should speak through voting. The character of who will be the next political office holders in Enugu State must count, in 2023. Era of imposition is gone. Anybody who can fault the above should tell the people otherwise”, he concluded.