Enugu PDP caucus in disarray over consensus candidate

Enugu PDP caucus in disarray over consensus candidate

•Chime: I didn’t anoint Ugwuanyi
•Enugu PDP ratifies consensus candidate
The caucus of the Enugu State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been divided over its consensus candidate.
But Governor Sullivan Chime, who has been accused of masterminding the process that led to the emergence of House of Representatives member Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi as the party’s consensus candidate, has denied any wrongdoing.
Many prominent members of the party boycotted last Saturday’s caucus meeting to show their disapproval of what they called a brazen attempt by one man and a few people around him to impose an unpopular candidate on the party.
Among the party’s stalwarts who stayed away from the meeting are: Senate Deputy President Ike Ekweremadu, former governor of old Anambra State Senator Jim Nwobodo, Senator Fidelis Okoro, Rear Admiral Allison Madueke, Chief Anayo Onwuegbu, former Information Minister Frank Nweke Jnr, former Power Minister Prof. Barth Nnaji, former Foreign Affairs Minister Dubem Onyia and Senator Ayogu Eze, who has been insisting that the party should hold a primary instead of ratifying a consensus candidate.
Others include former Senate President Ken Nnamani, who was said to be away in the United States, and several prominent members of the caucus.
It was learnt that Chime tried to convince opponents of consensus to attend the meeting, calling them severally on his phone.
Some of the leaders reportedly said they would not allow the governor to use them as the rubberstamp to his “handpicked candidate”.
They wondered why the governor suddenly began to show them affection, after allegedly alienating them for about eight years.
“The governor never took the call of any leader of Enugu State for nearly eight years. I will be a fool to fall for this emergency love. It’s a Greek gift,” one of the party’s chieftains, who spoke in confidence, told our reporter.
It was also learnt that the governor changed his “usual” authoritative voice for a conciliatory tone to persuade the members to toe his line.
Some of those at the meeting said they were surprised by the haste with which it was conducted.
They also alleged that nobody was allowed to comment or move the motion on the consensus controversy.
Some of the party’s stalwarts said they would not attend the meeting because the consensus candidacy violated the party’s constitution.
“There is no way I would have joined them to flout the instruction and guidelines of the party. No way! The PDP constitution is superior to any individual in the party, no matter how highly placed,” another party chieftain said.
But Chime denied the allegation that he masterminded Ugwuanyi’s emergence as the consensus candidate.
The governor addressed reporters at the weekend after the caucus meeting of the PDP, saying members of the party chose the lawmaker.
Chime, who gave a rundown of how Ugwuanyi was endorsed by the people of Enugu North Senatorial District, where the governorship is zoned to, dismissed insinuations that he imposed him on the party.
The governor said party members from the three senatorial zones chose Ugwuanyi.
He said: “I was there as the umpire; I didn’t participate in the deliberations. Mine was to guide them, to coordinate what was happening. So, everybody who wanted to speak was given the chance to speak.
“All those who indicated interest one way or the other were there. All elected officials – government, public officers, state and national – were there. Past and present leaders were there. So, we met and, unanimously at the end of deliberations, it was put to a formal motion. Many of the aspirants stepped down for Ugwuanyi.
“Those who had expressed concerns earlier, thinking that they were called to just endorse a particular candidate, after hearing from their kinsmen, changed their views and withdrew from the race. “Interestingly, at the end of the day, the two persons who moved and supported the motion were actually contestants who stepped down. Fidel Ayogu moved the motion and it was seconded by former Deputy Governor Okey Itanyi. The motion was unanimously endorsed; everybody supported it.
“When I asked if anybody was against the motion, not a single person raised his hand. So, they all endorsed it.”
Chime explained that marketing his preferred candidate would not be difficult because of what he called his wide acceptability.
The governor said his hope and prayers were to make history as the first governor whose successor emerged through a consensus.
He stressed that it would be fool-hardy for anybody to challenge the lawmaker, either at the PDP primary election or at the general election next February.
On the statement by the party’s national leadership, warning state chapters against endorsing candidates, Chime noted that instead of the warning, the party should pat states on the back for having consensus candidates through dialogue.
He said: “The party cannot and will never be against the party coming together to agree on a candidate. What should be their problem, if any, is if any level of the party stops other people from buying forms. Here, people are free to buy forms. We endorsed the President as a consensus candidate. It won’t stop him from going for the primaries.
“But it will be a mere formality. Any other person coming out will be coming there to ridicule himself because the party has spoken. But it can’t stop anybody from buying form constitutionally.
“That we have endorsed him (Ugwuanyi) is a statement to whoever that is coming that the party has spoken. But if you like, the party wants to make some money. If you like, you can pick your form. Nobody will stop anybody from buying forms. Buy your form and go for the primaries. What you find, you will take. Nobody is going against the party directives.
“I’m not sure what they said affects us. As far as Enugu is concerned, we are not stopping anybody from contesting.
“Thank God, under the present dispensation, all forms are bought in Abuja. Nobody has the powers to stop you from buying forms. If anything, the party should encourage it. They should congratulate us for this feat, for coming together to say this is our choice.”
According to him, almost all the aspirants, who initially indicated interest to run for the governorship seat, have backed Ugwuanyi, who represents Udenu/Igboeze North in the National Assembly.
Chime described the development as a major feat and an example for other states to learn from.
“All of them (aspirants) have queued behind him, as far as I know. If it had not been by a consensus, all of those persons would have been saying things in the papers. They would have been telling you different things. As at today, it is only Senator Ayogu Eze who is opposing the arrangement, for reasons best known to him,” he said.
Also, the Enugu State caucus of the PDP has approved Ugwuanyi as its consensus candidate.
Rising from a special meeting yesterday at the Government House in Enugu, the caucus reviewed the series of endorsements for Ugwuanyi by the three senatorial districts’ caucuses.
The motion for his adoption was moved by a House of Representatives member, Ogbuefi Ozomgbachi, and seconded by a former PDP National Secretary and member of the Board of Trustees (BoT), Chief Rex Onyeabor.
The caucus assured Ugwuanyi of its support to win the election.
The party said it had not barred any aspirant from contesting the governorship election, if such a person insists on participating in the primary.
In a statement by its State Publicity Secretary, Dr. Okey Eze, the party explained that the clarification was necessary because of the “erroneous impression” in some sections of the media through an aggrieved aspirant.
The party said the aspirant claimed that he was denied the right to participate in the governorship primary election.
It stressed that the PDP in Enugu State had always resolved its matters through dialogue and consultations with the people.
The Enugu PDP said such approach had always worked for the party, adding that it had never stopped other aspirants from participating in its primaries.
It wondered why a major beneficiary of the process was raising what it called a false alarm to whip up negative sentiments against the party.
The party stressed that the choice of Ugwuanyi did not foreclose the planned governorship primary or prevent other aspirants from taking part.
It said Ugwuanyi would still go through the primary election to be voted for by the delegates, with other aspirants who insist on contesting.
At the meeting were Governor Sullivan Chime, Deputy Governor Ralph Nwoye, State Chairman Vita Abba, Senator Gil Emeka Nnaji, House of Assembly Speaker Eugene Odo, Power Minister Prof Chinedu Nebo, members of the House of Representatives and members of the Board of Trustees (BoT).
Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu reportedly took permission that he was out of the country and would abide by the outcome of the meeting.
Other apologies were said to have been received from Jim Nwobodo; former Senate President Senator Ken Nnamani; a former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dubem Onyia and Senator Fidelis Okoro.
Ugwuanyi is expected to be presented to the State Executive Committee (SEC) of the party this week for final endorsement before the governorship primary.