TROUBLE is looming in the Enugu State chapter of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) after Governor Sullivan Chime unilaterally anointed Hon Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi as the party's sole candidate for next year's gubernatorial elections.
In a move which caught many members of the party by surprise, Governor Chime called a meeting of stakeholders on Friday night at State House and got it to endorse Hon Ugwuanyi, the member of the House of Representatives from the Enugu North senatorial zone, as the man to fly the party’s governorship flag in 2015. He was described by the stakeholders at the meeting as the consensus candidate.
With this development, Hon Ugwuanyi will be the only candidate the state chapter of the party would present for its primaries billed to hold in November this year. However, there is some disquiet in Enugu and Abuja as other aspirants and stakeholders queried the decision and have vowed to challenge it at the right time.
Hon Ugwuanyi, 50, representing the Igboeze North/Udenu Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, is the chairman of the House Committee on Marine Transport. Last night, there were jubilations in his constituency where he has represented the people for three terms in parliament.
Friday's stakeholders’ meeting was attended by political leaders and governorship aspirants from the Enugu North senatorial zone. Sources close to the meeting said that most of the stakeholders at the meeting did not oppose the emergence of the lawmaker as a consensus candidate, however.
Some of the political leaders from the zone who attended the meeting included former PDP national chairman Dr Okwesilieze Nwodo; Senator Ayogu Eze, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Works; Senator Fidelis Okoro and Ambassador Fidel Ayogu, the Enugu State PDP chairman. Others included Chief Vita Abba; Chief (Mrs) Justina Eze, the former member of the House of Representatives, Chief Mike Ejinima, the chairman of the PDP in that zone, all legislators at all levels from the zone and all local council chairmen from the area.
In a move which caught many members of the party by surprise, Governor Chime called a meeting of stakeholders on Friday night at State House and got it to endorse Hon Ugwuanyi, the member of the House of Representatives from the Enugu North senatorial zone, as the man to fly the party’s governorship flag in 2015. He was described by the stakeholders at the meeting as the consensus candidate.
With this development, Hon Ugwuanyi will be the only candidate the state chapter of the party would present for its primaries billed to hold in November this year. However, there is some disquiet in Enugu and Abuja as other aspirants and stakeholders queried the decision and have vowed to challenge it at the right time.
Hon Ugwuanyi, 50, representing the Igboeze North/Udenu Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, is the chairman of the House Committee on Marine Transport. Last night, there were jubilations in his constituency where he has represented the people for three terms in parliament.
Friday's stakeholders’ meeting was attended by political leaders and governorship aspirants from the Enugu North senatorial zone. Sources close to the meeting said that most of the stakeholders at the meeting did not oppose the emergence of the lawmaker as a consensus candidate, however.
Some of the political leaders from the zone who attended the meeting included former PDP national chairman Dr Okwesilieze Nwodo; Senator Ayogu Eze, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Works; Senator Fidelis Okoro and Ambassador Fidel Ayogu, the Enugu State PDP chairman. Others included Chief Vita Abba; Chief (Mrs) Justina Eze, the former member of the House of Representatives, Chief Mike Ejinima, the chairman of the PDP in that zone, all legislators at all levels from the zone and all local council chairmen from the area.
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