From Chidi Nnadi, Enugu
As the November 4, Enugu State local government election draws closer, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has begun to carry the wind of change to all the nooks and crannies of the Coal City.
The state chapter of the party has continued to show impressive campaign outings ostensibly to reap from its recently concluded re-registration and registration of new members carried out in all the wards in the state.
The APC going into an election in Enugu State is the first time in over 18 years that a major opposition party has engaged the ruling party in the state in an election as Enugu has literally been seen as a one-party state – the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
But recently, when some of the political bigwigs in the state such as former governor of old Anambra State, Senator Jim Nwobodo; former Enugu State governor, Mr Sullivan Chime; former Senate President, Chief Ken Nnamani; former Gombe State governor, Group Captain Joe Orji; former Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Eugene Odoh; the Chairman of Peace Mass Transit, Dr Sam Onyishi, among others, crossed over to the APC from the PDP, it appears that the party now has new political backbone.
Indeed, this is evident as the APC rolled out its train to march the PDP in grassroots campaigns to woo the electorate to vote for its candidates in all the wards and 17 local government areas in the state, unlike in the past when the PDP had no challengers.
After the flag-off of the party’s campaign at Ogrute in Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area, and later Agbani in Nkanu West Local Government in the penultimate weekend, the APC campaign train last Thursday stormed the Aninri Local Government, the home council of the Deputy Senate President, Chief Ike Ekweremadu.
Former Gombe State governor, Group Captain Orji (retd), who led other party bigwigs to the Okpanku Amabriba Catholic field venue for the rally, said it was a new dawn for the people of Aninri, who he said had been kept in captivity in the last 18 years, pointing out that they have been denied the opportunity of making a choice by an individual who hand-picks and installs candidates of his choice.
Orji told the people of Okpanku that they have chosen their son, Mr Uzoigwe Oleh to fly the flag of Aninri council chairmanship seat as the slot has not been given to their area in the past years since the return of democratic rule in 1999.
He noted that such marginalization had left them without many functional social amenities such as electricity, potable water and good rural road infrastructure unlike their neighbours who had produced the chairmen of the council in the past.
“Ndiabor and Mpu have produced chairmen before; but Okpanku has not. Go to Nenwe, there is no road to Nenwe, so we have come on a redemption journey today. Uzoigwe is your son and he is a good person. He has seen the oppression of the Aninri people and has come to rescue his people,” he said.
Orji pointed out that it was good to rotate the chairmanship of the council amongst communities to ensure even development in them, urging the people to support the APC candidate.
“I’m from Nenwe, but I’m supporting Uzoigwe; gone are the days when one man will sit down in his house to bring out who will go without the people making an input,” he said.
He lamented that the PDP had ruled the council in the last 18 years and in those years made the people to suffer.
He told the large crowd of party supporters that President Muhammadu Buhari had assured them that their votes would count during the council polls as adequate security would be put in place to prevent rigging and writing of results, which he claimed was the hallmark of the PDP.
Also speaking, former Enugu House of Assembly Speaker, Rt. Eugene Odoh urged the people of Aninri to embrace the wind of change, saying that he was in the House of Assembly for 12 years under the PDP and had to leave when the party was no longer following democratic rules.
“After witnessing the impunity in the PDP, I left the PDP,” he said, assuring the people that APC with the caliber of politicians in it now from the state would wrest power from the PDP in 2019.
“In 2019, we will still have APC at the centre just like we have now, so, there is need for us to bring this down to Aninri. I can assure you too that in 2019 you will see the revolution in Enugu State and the APC will take over the state,” he said.
Odoh assured the party faithful in the council that there would be adequate security on the day of the election, urging them to vote and guard their votes.
Also speaking, the former governorship candidate of the party in 2015, Chief Okey Ezea, said that it was the first time the party in the state was going round all the 17 local governments to campaign, saying that had shown the seriousness the APC attached now to winning elections in Enugu State.
He, therefore, urged the people to vote for the APC council chairmanship candidate, Uzoigwe and the councillorship candidates for the various wards.
Speaking, Uzoigwe assured his people that he would deliver the goods if voted into power on November 4.
He assured them that all the social amenities that have been denied them in the past would be provided as soon as he assumes office.
“I will end all the sufferings in Aninri,” Uzoigwe declared, promising to boost agriculture in the council area to assist the farmers.
Towards the evening, the APC campaign train moved down to Abogwugwu field where the flag off for Awgu local government area rally was taking place.
The APC chairmanship candidate for Awgu, Chidozie Nwafor, the councillorship candidates and the people of Awgu were excited to receive the party bigwigs.
The party leaders like they did in Aninri assured the people of Awgu that change has come to their council, urging them to breathe the fresh air of opportunity available to the people to take their own decision instead of an individual hand-picking who would serve them.
They told the people that unlike the PDP, which selected its candidates through harmonization otherwise called one-ticket candidate, the APC conducted elections for interested aspirants, saying that their candidates emerged from the process.
They, therefore, urged the people to vote for the APC candidates, saying that they are the true representatives of the people.
The APC Awgu chairmanship candidate, Nwafor told the gathering that he “came with the good message of redemption.”
He promised to deliver dividends of democracy to the people of the council by embarking on massive infrastructural development as well as agricultural development.
Other APC chieftains who attended the two rallies included former Speaker, Eugene Odoh and state Chairman of the party, Dr Ben Nwoye and Joe Mamuel who represented former Governor Sullivan Chime.