Since the return to civil rule in 1999, the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in Enugu State is facing the first real challenge, following the emergence of Chijioke Edeoga as the governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP). Correspondent DAMIAN DURUIHEOMA reports

The Peoples’ Democratic Party’s (PDP) dominance in Enugu State has gone unchallenged for over two decades. But the political equation appears to have changed ahead of next year’s general elections. The PDP now faces stiff competition from opposition parties, particularly the Labour Party (LP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC). The competition is whittling down the influence of the ruling party ahead of the election.

Hitherto, before every election, all eyes will be on the ruling party to see the candidates it has lined up for various elective positions. This was so because the opposition parties lacked the clout to challenge the PDP during general elections and candidates on its platform usually end up winning the contest. In fact, after the primary, such candidates are usually addressed as ‘governor-in-waiting’, and ‘senators-in-waiting’, as the case may be.

Yellow Page mobile

Except in 1998 when the All Peoples Party (APP) won three local government areas: Igboeze, Aninri and Oji River; and in 2003 when Senator Fidelis Okoro won the Enugu North senatorial district seat on the platform of Alliance for Democracy (AD), the PDP has been dominating the political space in the key Southeast state known as the Coal City State. Immediately after the 2003 general elections, Senator Okoro quickly dumped the AD and returned to the PDP to ensure that he retains his seat.

The above scenario highlights the dominance the PDP has enjoyed for over two decades in Enugu State. However, the party’s grip on the state is now being challenged by the rising profile of the LP, the APC and even the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

Pundits believe the inability of the PDP to resolve the agitations which arose from its governorship primary has made the battle of who occupies the Lion Building an uphill task. Many of the governorship aspirants on the platform of the PDP were said to have been goaded into the contest by the party leadership with an assurance that the ticket was ‘reserved’ for them. Thus, when they were asked to spend heavily on party stakeholders, they did not hesitate to do so, knowing that it was worth it. But, all of them, especially some of the influential ones who had already started throwing parties, were disappointed when it was learned that the eventual winner had been endorsed as the party’s candidate less than 24 hours before the primary.

This all happened when no one reckoned with the LP as a potential challenger in the election.

Nevertheless, the PDP is still favoured to win next year’s election in the Coal City State. But, this time, no one expects the party to sweep the polls in every constituency without some fight from the leading opposition parties, particularly the LP which is becoming influential by the day; the people of Enugu State seem to have embraced the LP and its governorship candidate, Chijioke Edeoga.

LP’s growing influence:

The sudden rise in the fortunes of the Labour Party in Enugu State and elsewhere in the country could be attributed to the emergence of the former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi as the presidential candidate of the party. His adoption by the youths as an agent of change has further positioned the party as a major threat to the hitherto top political parties like the APC and the PDP.

In Enugu, just like supporters of Obi are doing many things to back his aspiration elsewhere, youths are mobilizing their resources to push for the emergence of Edeoga, who they believe will guarantee a more peaceful and productive state if elected. Since the emergence of Edeoga as the party’s governorship candidate, the notion that the PDP will have an easy ride in next year’s election is now out of the question.

The Nation learned that the belief by the opposition that it can dislodge the ruling PDP came in the wake of the introduction of a new Electoral Act, which reduces election rigging to a very large extent. This act, from the experiences of what transpired in the recent Osun and Ekiti governorship elections, has given hope to the opposition parties that they can dislodge the ruling party in a fair contest.

Edeoga, a former member of the House of Representatives and commissioner in the Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi-led administration had resigned his position to contest the governorship primary of the PDP but lost to Peter Mbah, the eventual winner of the ticket.

Before the primary, apart from his master plan on how to further develop Enugu State and his experience in the governance circle, the alleged marginalisation of his local government area, Isi-Uzo in Enugu East Senatorial District was another major issue going for him. The agitation for a governor of Isi-Uzo extraction led to the hashtag “Ka Isi Uzo Jee” – meaning Let Isi-Uzo rule. It trended for some time on social media before the PDP primary.

On the strength of this, the LP was said to have chosen its governorship candidate from Isi-Uzo, which is yet to hold any major political position, apart from a House of Representatives seat, which it shares with the Enugu East council area within the Enugu East Senatorial District. The affinity of the people of Isi-uzo with the Nsukka zone was also said to have encouraged Edeoga to join the governorship race on the platform of the LP when he lost the PDP ticket.

Determined to achieve a positive result, the party chose Edeoga’s running mate, Dr John Nwokeabia from Oji River Local Government in Enugu West Senatorial District. It was on the strength of this that the LP chairman, Dr Casmir Agbo said at a recent town hall meeting that with Edeoga as its governorship candidate, the party had everything to win next year’s election in Enugu State. This, he added, was because by his calculation the party already had eight local government areas out of 17 to its aide before the elections.

Political watchers are also of the view that given that the major supporters of the Labour Party are of the PDP stock, the party is counting on the seeming unity of purpose of the Nsukka zone, the majority of non-indigenes in the Enugu metropolis, the apparent sense of belonging given to Oji River in particular and Enugu West Senatorial District and the overall influence of the ‘Obident’ movement to dislodge the PDP in Enugu come next year.

Also going for Edeoga and his party is the fact that his entry sharply divides Enugu East District with potentially far-reaching effects on the upcoming governorship elections. Three of the six local governments in the district now parade strong governorship candidates campaigning for the PDP and the APC (Nkanu East), the APGA (Nkanu West) and Labour (Isi-Uzo).

Speaking after his emergence as the candidate of the party, Edeoga vowed to put the party in the minds of every Enugu resident and family. He also vowed to dismantle the structures of the PDP in the state, as according to him, he was in the best position to do that.

He said: “I intend to put the Labour Party in place in all the wards in Enugu State and make it a winning party. I have the knowledge and the capacity to systematically dismantle PDP in Enugu State. I don’t have any doubt at all. With the backing of my colleagues here, by the power of our conviction, we will dismantle the PDP. The reasons are so obvious and if there is anyone who is in the position to do it, I’m the one.”

Nsukka sentiment:

A chieftain of the PDP and former national auditor of the party, Ray Nnaji dismissed as impossible, the idea that the Nsukka sentiments would swing votes against PDP in favour of the Labour Party governorship candidate. Nnaji, who spoke with The Nation in his office, said much as Edeoga is a strong force to contend with, the PDP’s structure would contain his threats in every part of the state.

Nnaji, a former commissioner, said: “Edeoga is my colleague and friend. We are lawyers and became local government chairmen same time. I am from Nkanu West Local Government whereas he is from Isi-Uzo. But I must have to tell you that even though Isi-Uzo is in Enugu East Senatorial District, they belong to the minority, while Nkanu is in the majority.

“Edeoga is trying to play the sentiments of Nsukka. But it would not work for him. He failed to understand that the PDP has structures in all the wards in Nsukka. The PDP has all the local government chairmen and councillors in Nsukka. It’s not going to be easy for a councillor to allow another party to win his ward. This is because when the dividends of democracy are being shared, they will use his ward result as a yardstick to deal with him. Even if you have the opportunity of going for a second term, they will deny you that because you have nothing on the ground to show for it.

“To be honest, we’re not underrating him (Edeoga). It’s better you know you have a strong opponent and work hard to earn your victory. The PDP is not joking. We’re prepared to give what it takes to every opponent, to win the election.” (The Nation)

Update news