By Pat Onukwuli
On Saturday March 18, 2023, the quadrennial ritual of electing and reelecting political office holders in Nigeria which would have held a week earlier will be observed throughout the country. While few states like Anambra will not observe this ritual in full due to their staggered governorship election, others like Enugu are obliged to do so. To that extent, intense political activities are more evident in the states observing this ritual in full.
In Enugu the contest is bearing signs of a tough contest among three candidates who are the foremost contenders for the big win. Chijioke Edeoga of the Labour Party, Frank Nweke Jnr. of the All Progressives Grand Alliance and Peter Mbah of the People’s Democratic Party are fairly equally strong to win the polls. All three are from Enugu East Senatorial Zone where the governorship position is zoned in line with the state’s rotation arrangement. Ordinarily, electing a governor of a state from a senatorial zone will appear to constrict the political space and restrict choices, but the three contestants in particular have varied experiences that will serve the needs of Enugu and her people in this trying period.
However, only one of them has greater chance of a win as well as minded to deliver on good governance. And that is Chijioke Edeoga of the Labour Party. He may not approximate all the qualities of a demon administrator, but he surely has an advantage over his closest rivals. One, Edeoga has borne responsibilities of elected offices both as a Local Government Chairman and Member House of Representatives. Two, he has held appointive positions that exposed him to the complex workings of the executive as well as the legislature. He was a Commissioner for Environment in Enugu state, Special Adviser to former Deputy Senate President on Legislative matters, Special Assistant to the President Goodluck Jonathan on National Assembly etc. The experience of the other candidates if pitted against his easily pales in comparison. What he is bringing to bear in governance in Enugu state is a composite skill honed through exposure to both elective and appointive positions. Neither of his two closest rivals has as much experience to trump him in the contest. Edeoga is enough of a politician, a journalist, a lawyer and with mild manners to navigate the fractious politics of Enugu state and deliver good governance. He is the kind of man you find easy to entrust with the collective aspiration of a people and go to sleep. He is judicious in action and will most likely not provoke distrust through political indiscretion.
While his track record of performance in public office stands him in good stead to perform excellently if elected, his platform, the Labour Party, hitherto “without structure”, puts him in a pole position to win the contest. The performance of the Labour Party in the heavily flawed election of February 25, 2023, has changed the perception about the coming elections. The desire of Nigerians, especially her youth population which forms the greater number of the voter audience to have a new country has put parties like the APC and the PDP on edge. The revolutionary zeal of the Obidient movement which largely propels the Labour Party has shown scant regard for the survival of the other parties. In addition to this, is the confirmation of Edeoga by the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi as the authentic governorship candidate of the Party for the governorship on March 18.
It was evident in that last election that many candidates got lucky not for any special effort of theirs, but for merely contesting on the Labour Party ticket. And so far as that development goes, nothing has happened to suggest that the next Saturday election will be any different. Rather the failure of the INEC to discharge the responsibility fairly and credibly has compelled greater determination to elect more Labour Party candidates in the coming election. The zeal to avenge the subversion of the will of the people in the last election is evident in the manner the people are pulling for Labour Party candidates across the country.
The story is not any different in Enugu State where Edeoga’s emergence as the Labour Party governorship candidate was achieved in almost the same manner as Peter Obi, the Labour Party presidential candidate. Edeoga moved over to Labour Party after losing out in the People’s Democratic Party primaries. However, his candidacy was challenged up to the Supreme Court by one Evaristus Nnaji who sought to stop him. In its ruling the Apex Court described Nnaji as a meddlesome interloper who should not have gone to court in the first place because he lacked the locus standi. “He should not have gone to court in the first place since “he didn’t participate in the Labour Party governorship primaries.”.
It is important to state here that since the campaigns, Edeoga has continued to chalk up good popularity with the people. He has public acceptance which is premised on his previous record of performance as Isi-Uzo Local Government chairman, Federal Law Maker, Commissioner etc. The fact of his being from Isi-Uzo in Enugu East Senatorial Zone, but has ties with Enugu North Senatorial Zone with a running mate from Enugu West makes his governorship a balanced package. It is a governorship in the best position to heal Enugu state and nip off the springing bud of division about to take root in the state. Enugu’s match to statehood has no greater chance of taking effect under any other governorship but Edeoga’s. He has not hidden his distaste for the imaginary divisions orchestrated by few political profiteers just to deepen their perch. Decrying the politics of division in the state he once said: “We do not speak in zones. We speak of the state as one united constituency in need of transformation, and this we are determined to do”.
There is the belief that he is the preferred candidate in the March 11 polls. But more of this belief is hinged on his ability to push up the frontiers of development, make Enugu state the frontline state it was and heal her of the divisions caused by self-serving politicians who want to remain at scene perpetually.
It is not expected that anything will blight his chances at the polls. He has worked hard to “ensure there grows no weed of rebellion to choke the flowers of grace”. He will not labour in vain.
Onukwuli, PhD,
Writes from Bolton, UK