New Telegraph

Ebonyi: The return of political groups

Umahi, Anyim’s groups battle for Ebonyi

 

Two political forces have surfaced in Ebonyi State polity with drumbeat of war ahead of 2023 general election the way it occurred in 2003 when former Senate President, Anyim Pius Anyim and the then Governor, Sam Egwu led the two groups, UCHENNA INYA reports

 

The 2003 general election was very bloody in Ebonyi State because of the political battle between two leaders in the state then; Anyim Pius Anyim and Sam Egwu over who controls the state. During the supremacy battle, the state was divided into two political groups – Abuja group and state group.

 

Anyim, who was then President of the Senate President, led the Abuja political force against the state political force with then Governor Egwu as its leader. Lives were lost and property destroyed during the fierce political battle.

 

The 2003 scenario is playing out ahead of the 2023 elections. The Abuja group, which exited the stage after the emergence of Engr. David Umahi as governor in 2015, has resurfaced, following the governor’s recent dumping of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC). Interestingly, Anyim and Egwu  who squared against each other during the 2003 battle, are the arrowheads of the Abuja group this time.

 

Other members of the group are major stakeholders in Ebonyi State PDP. They include the senator representing Ebonyi Central in the National Assembly, Obinna Ogba and his Ebonyi South counterpart, Michael Ama Nnachi.

 

Others are the five House of representatives from the state elected on the platform of the PDP – Iduma Igariwey (Afikpo North/South), Livinus Makwe (Ohaozara/ Onicha/Ivo), Anayo Nwonu (Ishielu/Ezza North), Chukwuma Nwazunku(Ebonyi/Ohaukwu); the newly inaugurated National Vice Chairman of the party, Chief Ali Odefa; former member of House of Representatives, Linus Okorie as well as former ministers and ambassadors – Franklin Ogbuewu, Lawrence Nwuruku and Fidelis Nwankwo, among others These PDP bigwigs nominated members of the state caretaker committee of the party led by Chief Fred Udeogu.

 

The State group is led by Governor Umahi, with his deputy, Kelechi Igwe, the member Representing Ezza South/Ikwo federal constituency, Hon. Chinedu Ogah; former Governor Martin Elechi, Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Chief Francis Nwifuru, former Senators Julius Ucha and Tony Agbo; former members of House of Representatives, Peter Ogeali and Peter Edeh.

 

The group also has the Chairman, Revenue Mobilization, Allocation  and Fiscal Commission, Chief Elias Mbam; 2015 Labour Party governorship candidate in the state, Chief Edward Nkwegu; Ambassadors Nwanne Ominyi and Alex Nwofe; a former commissioner in the state, Chief James Aroh Nweke; Leader of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Victor Chukwu and about 14 members of the Assembly who followed Governor Umahi to the APC. Equally in the group are Secretary to the State Government (SGF), Dr. Kenneth Ugbala; Commissioner for Infrastructural Development for Concession, Fidelis Kings and chairmen of the 13 local government areas in the state.

 

The governor and some other leaders of the APC nominated the 15-member state caretaker committee of the party, which has the state Commissioner for Internal Security and Border Peace, Chief Stanley Emegha, as its chairman. PDP had conducted its congresses from the ward to state levels about three months ago and re-elected over 90 per cent of members of its State Working Committee (SWC). Onyekachi Nwebonyi was re-elected as the state chairman of the party.

 

However, the election of members of the SWC did not receive the support of the Abuja group as the political force distanced itself from the exercise.

 

Though the governor later hosted Anyim, Egwu and other leaders of the Abuja political group to iron things out, the meeting failed to resolve the issues in the party as the Abuja political  group allegedly teamed up with some forces at the PDP headquarters to snatch the party structure from Umahi ahead of the 2023 general election.

 

Political pundits believe that this was against this backdrop that Umahi decided to leave the PDP for the the APC to avoid being treated like former Governor Martin Elechi, who lost PDP’s structure ahead of the 2015 general election.

This, perhaps, explained why the Abuja group regrouped immediately the governor left the PDP to strategize for the 2023 general election. Before the emergence of the Abuja political force, face caps which had 043 boldly written on them had flooded Abakaliki, the state capital.

 

As expected, the development elicited questions over the meaning of the inscription. In some quarters, it was insinuated that the inscription simply depicts the telephone code of the state which is 043, but some political pundits wondered the reason behind the inscription and the cap worn constantly by Senator Ogba.

 

Others who were seen in different fora with the caps included the former Commissioner for Information, Chief Chike Onwe; son to late Senator Offia Nwali, Oguzo and a Senior Technical Assistant to the governor, Monday Eze, among other loyalists of Senator Ogba.

 

While there is no doubt that realignment of political forces ahead of 2023 governorship election in the state has started, New Telegraph’s investigation revealed that the cap is an awareness  campaign ahead of the poll.

 

It is no longer in the realms of speculation that Senator Ogba has started oiling political machinery for the Ebonyi governorship and he is reeling out his strategies courageously and boldly.

 

The governorship position of the state is beclouded with uncertainties over the zone that will produce Umahi’s successor.

 

While the Central and Northern zones are being projected, but given the dynamics of the state’s politics, it would be difficult for anyone to predict wher the pendulum will swing to.

 

The emergence of the 043 customized caps contributed to the resurgence of the Abuja and Ebonyi groups even as it wearers have started lobbying and shopping for members.

 

While tongues have continued to wag on what the code on the caps actually means, political watchers in the state were baffled, when some of Umahi’s appointees started wearing them against the seeming interest of his administration.

 

There were mixed reactions in the social media when the meaning of the 043 inscription was revealed to be Obinna Ogba for 2023 (043).

 

This is as the O43 group has witnessed an upsurge of supporters since its emergence on the social media.

 

However, some political watchers in the state described the ambition of Ogba as a tall dream, noting that what the state needs is someone that will consolidate on the landmark achievements of Governor Umahi.

 

Loyalists of the senator, on their part, believe that Ogba remains the favourite. No doubt, individuals have right to freedom of association as guaranteed by the constitution, but the resurgence of the Abuja political group in Ebonyi State has prompted Governor Umahi to raise the alarm over what he described as plot by some major stakeholders in the state to instigate crisis.

 

Pointing accusing fingers at Anyim, Egwu and Ogba, the governor warned that he would match force with force should they wish to execute the plan.

 

His words: “I want the media to note that I reported an allegation by some Ebonyi people, who are engaging cultists and according to them, some members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to start killings and crisis in Ebonyi State in the name of fighting Ebonyi State government and the governor.

 

“This is information I got and I needed to share it with the security agencies, and the reason is that every governor in this state has been fought by the same set of people. I am not saying the information is true or not, but when I am told that lives would be lost, I needed to raise alarm, and I am praying to God that it will not be true.”

 

Anyim in his reaction described the allegation as wild, infantile and senseless accusations against his person. “Governor Umahi is pitiably delusional.

 

He is a prisoner of his greed and inordinate ambition. Here is a drowning man looking for whom to drag down with him.

 

Governor Umahi has made his worst mistake after his latest misadventure by taking on me and other noble and respectable sons of Ebonyi State who have served and continued to serve our dear State with resolute commitment, dedication and integrity.

 

“The case at hand is his defection to APC on the 19th of November. The discerning public knows that he has  been on the plan for a long time and when he decided to consummate it, he suddenly concocted an accusation against PDP, that PDP was not willing to zone Presidency to the South East. When he spews these allegations, he would not even mind whether they make sense or not.

 

“He did not have the mental capacity to reason that no party in less than two years into a new term would bring the next election unto the front burner. That even in APC where he has gone to, the issue of next election is not yet on the table as doing so would distract the government.”

 

While the war of words between the governor and ex-Senate president have continued since then, other members of the Abuja political group, who spoke on the unfolding development in Ebonyi State, said nobody can discourage them from making their political choices.

 

According to Odefa, who was recently inaugurated as National Vice Chairman of the PDP (South-East), politics is not war and should not be made so by some politicians in their bid to actualize their ambitions.

 

“We are not turning back, no matter who is involved and no matter what it costs us. We are determined more than ever before to work for the success of our great party. Ebonyi State is PDP and PDP is Ebonyi State,” he said.

 

Federal lawmakers in both chambers of the National Assembly from Ebonyi State, led by Senator Egwu, on their part, said though the caucus recognizes Umahi’s rights and liberty to join any political party of his choice and supports the aspiration of the Igbo presidency, it considers it inappropriate for the governor to give conditions.

 

“While we support that it is the turn of the South-East to fly the presidential flag of any of the major political parties come 2023, yet we consider it impolitic, indecent and unwise to give ultimatums and conditionalities in a bid to secure zoning,” the caucus said.

 

The group faulted Umahi’s migration from the PDP to the APC on the grounds that there was no division in the party.

 

It said: “As democrats, we concede Umahi’s right to join any political association of his choice. However, as federal lawmakers, we are not unaware of the Supreme Court decision that candidates are products of political parties.

 

What it means is that political office holders are not at liberty to migrate from one political platform to another, particularly when there is no division in their party.”

 

Firing back, the state APC caretaker committee, not only wrote off the PDP caucus, but maintained that none of the National Assembly members has the capacity to win in the next general election, especially now they are not with the Governor Umahi, who made them to win the current positions they occupy.

 

Caretaker Chairman of the party, Emegha, who stated this, while speaking with journalists, said: “It is a practical thing which all of us here in the state know. Start from number one to the last National Assembly member that is there; does any of them have the capacity to win councillorship election? Is it not because of the love the governor has for them that made all of them to sail through?

 

Is it not the governor, who made them to be National Assembly members? “Can Dr. Sam Egwu come out and say yes; this was how he won his two  elections to the Senate? Some of this people don’t have capacity. It is just that they have gone to Abuja and they feel that they have arrived.

 

Can you conduct election in Abuja; is it not down here in Ebonyi? “So, let us see how popular they are in their various areas. They will come to APC because they know that the governor has done wonders in the state within a space of five years and they are enjoying them.”

 

Some stakeholders and elders of the state, who are sympathetic to the governor, recently rose from a meeting in Abakaliki and also alleged a plot by some politicians to destabilize the state.

 

In a communique issued after the meeting, the stakeholders who included Chief Njoku Afoke, Dr. Chris Achi, Chief Mathias Adum among others, said they stand with the governor over his defection to the APC.

 

The communiqué read in part: “That we consider the decision as a bold step towards mainstreaming with the party at the centre to savour the full complements of the nation’s dividends of democracy for the good of Ebonyi State and the prosperity of her inhabitants.

 

“That we uphold the move to join the party at the centre as a decision in the best interest of South East, which shall once again launch Ndigbo to the centre-stage of national politics.

 

We believe that those who are castigating this arrangement today will in future praise the foresightedness and forthrightness that informed this bold decision to mainstream with the party of national unity.

 

“That we are worried by the alarm raised by the Governor of Ebonyi State, Chief David Umahi on the plot of some politicians to unleash terror and destabilize the security of the state and therefore reiterate that as stakeholders and elders of the state, we cannot fold our hands and watch the state go into flames again after the hard earned peace and harmony we achieved under the present administration.

 

“That we recount the killings and wanton destruction of property in the state between 2000 and 2006, especially the Ishielu killings, Ivo Killings, and the brazen destruction of property orchestrated by some highly placed politicians which left Ebonyi State into monumental socio-economic disaster.

 

“That as stakeholders and elders, we are constrained to warn that we will never again allow such evil to befall the state.

 

That we warn those that have such plans to destabilize the peace and harmony in the state and those who think they are distracting the governor to desist forthwith as we shall mobilize all forces to resist them.

 

Unfortunately, those who think they are distracting the covernor came late as our dear Governor has delivered in his promises to the people of the state.

 

“That we once again re-state our unwavering love, solidarity and support to our dear Governor and praise him for the unprecedented development in the state that has given us a bold face in the comity of states. We therefore urge him to remain focused and undaunted in his determination to transform Ebonyi state for the good of all.”

 

Despite appeals from different quarters for the warring groups to sheathe their swords, political pundits are of the belief that the supremacy battle may get tougher in the days ahead given the stage it has reached.

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