…as jubilant mammoth PDP faithfuls envelope election venue
By Ikechukwu Ezema
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stakeholders from Igbo-Eze South Local Government Area have continued to pour encomiums on the peaceful election of Barr. Ugochukwu Fedinand Ukwueze as Chairmanship candidate for the party in the forthcoming local government election.
It will be recalled that the PDP in Enugu State held the party’s primaries to elect their Chairmanship candidates for the forthcoming local government election on Wednesday 14th August, 2024.
The party faithfuls who turned out in their numbers at the venue of the PDP Chairmanship primaries held at Igbo-Eze South Local Government Council pavilion, described the candidature of Barr. Ukwueze in the forthcoming election as peoples choice.
They said that the choice of Barr. Ukwueze who is the immediate past Chairman of Nigerian Bar Association Nsukka Branch, has made the election a walkover for the PDP in the council election.
Forty Five (45) out of the Forty Eight (48) delegates who participated in the PDP primary election, voted for Barr. Ugochukwu Fedinand Ukwueze to fly the flag of the party in the forthcoming council election, while the remaining three delegates could not make it to the election due to unforseen circumstances.
The retuning officer for the Igbo-Eze South PDP primaries election is Hon. Ugwu Euzebius Chinedu and the electoral officers for the election are Hon. Nnenna Nwangwu and Barr. William Eze.
Reacting to the victory of Barr. Ukwueze as the Chairmanship Candidate for the PDP in the forthcoming LG election, the Enugu State Commissioner for Special Duties, Hon. Sunday Ajogwu, said that the election was a free and fair exercise which is a practical demonstration of the level of acceptability of the candidature of Barr. Ukwueze by the party faithfuls.
Ajogwu who is from Igbo-Eze South West Zone of the council area, said that the massive turnout by PDP faithfuls showed that they were happy with choice of Barr. Ukwueze.
He said, “Today is a beautiful day for the Igbo-Eze South PDP faithfuls. You can see the level of the massive turnout of our party faithfuls in the primary election that took place today. We are super charged to go into this election and at the end of the day by God’s grace will win the election.
The commissioner wished Barr. Ukwueze and his running mate, Princes Chinwendu Omeje-Ogbonna, good health and best of luck in the forthcoming election.
A former Executive Chairman of Igbo-Eze South Local Government Area, Hon. Christopher Omeje, said that PDP made a good choice by electing Barr. Ukwueze to fly the party’s flag.
He said that zoning the Chairmanship to the Igbo-Eze South East Zone of the local government was a welcomed development carried out by the leadership of the party to ensure Political power balancing in the council area.
Omeje further explained that Barr. Ukwueze’s running mate, Dame Princess Chinwendu Omeje Ogbonna is a worthy daughter of Igbo-Eze South West precisely from Ibagwa Aka community despite that she is married to Uhunowere.
The former Chairman who is also from Igbo-Eze South West Zone of the Local Government, described Barr. Ukwueze as a candidate without political dent or segregative attitude, noted that the PDP accommodated the interest of the two political zones of Igbo-Eze South Local Government.
He maintained that, “Barr. Ugochukwu Fedinand Ukwueze is a party man with enormous respect for everybody not minding your position or age. I have no doubt that he will give the people of Igbo-Eze South the best of leadership if he is elected at the main local government election.
“I therefore call on the people of Igbo-Eze South to vote for Barr. Ukwueze in the LG election because he has the capacity to take Igbo-Eze South to an enviable height.”
Reacting to Ukwueze’s emergence as the PDP Chairmanship candidate for Igbo-Eze South, Engr. James Ajibo, also commended PDP faithfuls in the local government for peaceful primary election.
Ajibo who is a member of ESUT governing council, said that he was optimistic that Barr. Ukwueze will give Igbo-Eze South the best of leadership adding “He is young and rich in wisdom to lead the council area to an enviable height.”
Ajibo who is from the same Ibagwa Aka community with which Barr. Ukwueze’s running mate also hails from in the Igbo-Eze South West Zone of the council area, urged the people of Igbo-Eze South to vote for Barr. Ukwueze and his vice in the forthcoming election.
The first elected chairman of Igbo-Eze South, Chief Celestine Asogwa, said that the victory of Ugochukwu Fedinand Ukwueze at the PDP primary election was a pointer that he is generally accepted by all the PDP faithfuls and the good people of Igbo-Eze South.
Asogwa who hails from Ovoko in Igbo-Eze South East Zone of the council area and presently over 80 years of age, thanked the PDP for giving him yet another successor from his community to occupy the revered seat of the Chairman.
Also, a former Special Adviser to the President of Nigeria on Economic matters, Prof Osita Ogbu hailed the Governor of Enugu State, Barr. Peter Mbah and the PDP for finding Ukwueze fit to occupy the exalted seat of the Chairman of Igbo-Eze South.
Ogbu who was also a Minister of the National Planning Commission and from Igbo-Eze South East Zone of the council area, called for more supports to see that Barr. Ukwueze and his running mate Princess Chinwendu come out victorious in the election.
In his reaction also, a former Chairman of the PDP in Enugu state, Chief Ikeje Asogwa, said that the party made a beautiful choice that should be supported by all so as to come out victorious in the forthcoming local government election.
Asogwa who is also the immediate past Executive Chairman of Enugu State Universal Basic Education (ENSUBEB) and described by many as workaholic, a man of taste and quality, hails from Iheaka in Igbo-Eze South East Zone of the council area.
He promised to give Barr. Ukwueze and his running mate, Princess Chinwendu, unflinching support to ensure that they win the election.
Reacting to Barr. Ukwueze’s emergence as the flag bearer of the PDP in the forthcoming Chairmanship election, Hon. Fide Odo, said that the party decision remained supreme.
Odo who is a successful business man and a former Executive Chairman of Igbo-Eze South Local Government Area, promised to provide enormous support during the campaign so that it will be robust and result oriented.
The immediate past Enugu State House of Assembly member from Igbo-Eze South representing, Hon. Emeka Madu, in his reaction, described Barr. Ukwueze as someone who has always been associated with everything good.
He said that he was sure that Barr. Ukwueze will leverage on his good family background to give Igbo-Eze South Local Government Area the best of service if elected as the Chairman of the council.
Madu who also hails from Ovoko in Igbo-Eze South East Zone of the council area, was also an Executive Chairman of Igbo-Eze South Local Government.
Meanwhile, in his acceptance speech after his election as the PDP flag bearer for the Igbo-Eze South Local Government Chairmanship election, Barr. Ugochukwu Fedinand Ukwueze dedicated his emergence to God, the Governor of Enugu State, Barr. Peter Mbah and the members of the PDP in the local government.
Barr. Ukwueze assured that he will never take the party’s benevolence of finding him worthy to fly their flag as the Chairmanship Candidate for the Local Government election for granted.
While also noting that the PDP remained a party to triumph in the forthcoming LG election, he said that he will work with stakeholders to rebuild the strength of the party through reconciliation and wining back aggrieved members of the party.
He said that all the aggrieved members of the party will be reached out to so that they can be persuaded to return back into the fold of the party, adding, “We are Stronger Together,”.
Ukwueze promised that, “I am going to run a people oriented leadership and an open door policy that will bring about both infrastructural renaissance and human capital development”.
“We can do it together as a people created and located by God to come from this local government. PDP has been a dominant party in our local government and we will do everything possible within the law to maintain this position”.
“My administration will focus on policies that will uplift the people and give them a sense of inclusion. We will accord every indigene of Igbo-Eze South the respect that is due to them and their various communities.
We will work for the good of the people if we emerge victorious in the Chairmanship election. We therefore solicit for supports and votes from the good people of Igbo-Eze South across all the electoral wards,”.
He commended the returning and electoral officers of the primary election, in addition to the security officials for providing an enabling environment for the successful conduct of the PDP Chairmanship primary election.
Other stakeholders who were present at the PDP primary election were Hon. Decency Omeje, a former Chairman of the Local Government from Ibagwa Aka community, Hon. Emeka Ishiwu, Barr. Fedinand Ugwuarua Executive Secretary Rangers Football Club, Hon. Chinedu Ojemba former Administrator of Igbo-Eze South East Development Center, Hon. Ifeanyi Ogbu former SA to the Governor, Hon. Darlington Chukwuma, Hon. Suleman Ayogu among many others.
