•It’s a lie, says aide
From Chidi Nnadi, Enugu
Aninri People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Concerned Members have accused Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, of imposing one Mr Ezekiel Chukwu as the party’s chairmanship candidate for the council in the scheduled November 4 poll.
But, Ekweremadu’s Special Adviser on Political Matters, Dr. Godwin Udeuhele, has denied the accusation.
The group converged on the Okpara Square before they marched to the Government House to lodge their complaint with Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.
They carried placards with inscriptions such as ‘This imposition Will Kill Aninri’, ‘Redeem Your Image Your Excellency’,‘Imposition Will Lead to Mass Defection to APC,’ among others.
Leader of the group, Mr Marcel Anayochukwu, alleged that Ekweremadu unilaterally imposed Chukwu, who he said is not a party-member as candidate, an action he said caused uproar in Aninri.
He also alleged that the PDP was on the verge of losing its popularity in the area as some party faithful have joined the All Progressives Congress (APC) because of the imposition.
In the letter which the group delivered to Ugwuanyi, they pleaded the governor’s intervention in the matter, and noted that Chukwu “has not applied for or not obtained any waiver of any kind from the party, as this is the only remedy to cure this deficiency.”
“As your strong supporters and loyal party men and women from Aninri having maintained a winning streak for our party in our area, since 1999, we will not want to suffer any defeat by the opposition, or any decamping to APC by our members to register their grievances.”
Countering their claims, Udeuhele said Chukwu emerged candidate by consensus and noted that Ekweremadu only played his role as a father in Enugu West Senatorial Zone.
“Ekweremadu is a democrat and cannot impose a candidate.
“He is playing the role he does in the entire zone,” he said.