… dismisses zoning claims
… Nwodo shifts ground on start date
Senator Ike Ekweremadu speaks on a zoning pact today in Enugu and dismisses widespread claims that one exists in Enugu PDP.
Yesterday, former Gov Okwesilieze Nwodo confirmed that Enugu PDP didn’t use zoning to pick its governorship candidates in 1999 and 2015.
Senator Ekweremadu addressed the controversy today at a media consultation meeting where he declared an interest to run for Governor.
‘Zoning is fake’
He reminded the audience that he was the 1999 director-general of Chimaroke Nnamani gubernatorial campaign and therefore privy to how the candidate emerged.
At no point did we factor in zoning in the selection of a governor, he said.
He also said that as Chief of Staff, he was well acquainted with how Gov Nnamani proposed Sullivan Chime as candidate.
Ekweremadu said in 2014, Enugu PDP stakeholders merely hearkened to cries of marginalisation by Nsukka people to annoint Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi as candidate.
The Senator said Enugu should be thinking about how to develop holistically, not through micro level rotation arrangements.
He noted that cries of marginalisation across the state is proof that microzoning arrangement does not work, after every zone produced a governor.
Ekweremadu said he is running for Governor as an individual with the capacity to turn things around using his experience and skills.
Pressed to agree that his aspiration was not being fair to Enugu East, he went into history to defend his decision.
“Enugu as we know has four cultural zones – Nkanu, Agbaja, Nsukka and Awgu.
“Of the four, only Awgu cultural zone has not produced a governor,” he said.
In terms of civilian governors in relation to the current three Senatorial Zones, Enugu West deserve another shot, he said.
“Enugu East has produced three governors – Chief Jim Nwodo, Chief CC Onoh and Senator Chimaroke Nnamani.”
“Also, Enugu North has produced two Governors in the persons of Okwesilieze Nwodo and our friend and brother, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi,” he said.
“Enugu West, on the other hand, has produced only one civilian governor in the person of Sullivan Chime,” he pointed out.
Sen Ekweremadu is from old Awgu in Enugu West Senatorial District. The odds favour him going by his argument.
‘Chime, Nnamani not products of zoning’
Former Gov Okwesieze Nwodo yesterday dealt a major blow to claims that zoning existed in Enugu PDP since 1999.
The subsisting narrative is that Governors Chimaroke Nnamani (East) and Sullivan Chime (West) were selected through a zoning agreement.
Gov. Nwodo practically dismissed the speculations when he confirmed that a zoning arrangement only came into being during Sullivan Chime administration.
Nwodo made the clarification to the Prof Bart Nnaji-led stakeholders from Nkanu East that visited him yesterday to drum up support.
The delegation has recently been visiting Enugu stakeholders to draw sympathy to the state of underdevelopment in their LGA.
Following is the testimony of Gov Nwodo to the delegation on the genesis of zoning:
“I was very happy when under Gov. Sullivan, we decided that we shall be rotating (Governorship) position in Enugu State.
“That day I was at the Government House when it was agreed on. It was Dubem Onyia that moved the motion. I don’t know what put it into his head.
“His motion was that Chimaroke Nnamani from Enugu East Senatorial District had become governor, (and) Sullivan was on the saddle, from Enugu West Senatorial District.
“… that after Sullivan, it (governorship slot) should move to the North (Enugu North Senatorial District).
Zoning narrative shifts
Based on Nwodo’s amendment, the zoning claims have now dramatically shifted to a new narrative.
Both Governors Nwodo and Chime have effectively destroyed claims hitherto promoted that Enugu PDP zoning agreement began with Chimaroke Nnamani (1999).
Enugu Metro’s independent prior research clearly showed that a collective decision was made in 2014 to leave Enugu North with the slot.
The decision was however based on equity and fairness, not on a rotation principle, our findings showed.
Ekweremadu speaks on PDP zoning pact in Enugu
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