By Samson Ezea
Ahead of the 2022 local government election in Enugu State slated for February 23rd, members of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has continued to display seriousness, commitment, dominance and presence with their usual vigorous, issue-based and people-oriented campaigns across the length and breadth of the state.
Leading their campaign train across the 17 local government areas in the state is the Governor of Enugu State, leader of the PDP in the state and Southeast region, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, a man who is himself a political movement and a leadership brand.
Accompanying him on the campaign train are Deputy Governor Mrs Cecilia Ezeilo, Speaker, Enugu State House of Assembly, Hon. Edward Ubosi, Chairman of the party in the state, Hon. Augustine Nnamani, state executives of the party, members of the State and National Assembly, members of the state exco, government appointees, party faithful, supporters and many residents of the state.
Just like the party’s primaries that were consensual, consultative, participatory, hitch-free and seamless with every party stakeholder, being satisfied with the outcome, the campaigns and elections are being funded by the party’s candidates, elected and appointed party members, who donated generously and freely for it.
They did not only donate financially, they were present at the party’s campaign flag-off at Ikem, Isi Uzo LGA headquarters to support their party and solidarise with their party leader, Governor Ugwuanyi.
At Ikem campaign flag-off, former Governor of Enugu State and Senator representing Enugu East Senatorial zone, Senator Chimaroke Nnamani, who have seen it all in PDP and the opposition party reminded those who are double-standing and double-speaking in the PDP to be careful, stressing that PDP remains the party to beat in any election in the state.
Also at the campaign rally at Agbani, headquarters of Nkanu West LGA, Senator Nnamani, who pledged unalloyed loyalty to Governor Ugwuanyi and was grateful and thankful to him for what he did for him, went down memory lane to reminisce on how Ugwuanyi against all odds revived his political career and brought him back to the political limelight in 2019.
Of note is that while Governor Ugwuanyi is dedicatedly leading the PDP campaign train across the 17 council areas in the state with the grand finale slated for Obollo- Afor, headquarters of Udenu LGA, party chairmen in the council areas alongside 17 party’s chairmanship candidates and vice chairmanship candidates, 260 party’s ward chairmen, 260 councillorship candidates and party members are campaigning seriously at the grassroots, flaunting Ugwuanyi’s government’s giant strides and assuring the voters of continuous good governance, peace and development especially in the rural areas.
The impact of the Ugwuanyi government’s sterling performance and the PDP campaign is being felt everywhere in the state as party members are leaving no stone unturned to ensure victory for the party, knowing full well that the outcome of the council election will be a determinant of 2023 general elections in the state.
Surprisingly, while the PDP members are busy campaigning, canvassing and soliciting for votes and supports across the state, including on the streets and in the markets, ahead of the council poll, no other political party is doing the same, not even the major opposition party, All Progressives Congress ( APC ).
What is observed is in few locations in the state capital are countable posters of chairmanship candidates of some obscure and briefcase opposition parties, that usually emerge in the same pattern ahead of every council poll in the state since 1999.
The presence and voice of candidates of these obscure parties are only heard and read on radio and social media platforms, where they engage in self deceit with utopian ideas, wishful thinking and false campaign promises, forgetting that elections are contested and won at the polling units and not on social media platforms.
They are hardly seen campaigning or canvassing for votes anywhere in the state. These parties and their few candidates only surface and resurface before elections and disappear immediately after elections. Their so- called candidates are more of social media warriors and urban guerillas than candidates of opposition parties in elections. Unfortunately, they will be the first to rush to the media to criticize the process and outcome of the poll, which they know they never prepared for, apart from being the opposition parties’ candidates on the posters, social media platforms and radio stations.
The dominance and stronghold of the PDP in Enugu State since 1999 is not in doubt. It is historic and obvious. It is not an overstatement for one to say categorically and unequivocally that PDP is Enugu State and Enugu State is PDP.
PDP has provided good governance and has always emerged victorious in every election in the state. Virtually everyone who has defected from the PDP for one reason or the other at a time, has always found reason to return to the fold along the line.
Many had thought that with the PDP loss of the Presidency to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2015 and 2019 that PDP will be weakened and destabilized in Enugu State. That has not been the case since Governor Ugwuanyi assumed office in 2015.
With Ugwuanyi as the Governor of the Enugu State and leader of the PDP in the state, PDP has grown from strength to strength. The party has remained the beautiful bride in the state.
Ugwuanyi has used his good office, outstanding performance of his administration and his exemplary leadership style to reposition the party, bring back and reconcile estranged, aggrieved and rival members, rebuild the party and reunite members for the party’s cohesion and growth.
That was why in 2019 governorship election, the party won the election with 95.54 percent, which is a testament of Ugwuanyi’s soaring popularity in the state and the unprecedented unity in the party.
The feat is unparalleled in the history of the PDP’s victory in the governorship election in the state, since 1999, not even when PDP was in control of the Presidency.
No wonder Enugu State was adjudged by the National Commissioner of INEC, Bar. Festus Okoye as the state with the most peaceful election in the country in 2019 general elections. This was during his handover of Certificate of Return to Governor Ugwuanyi at INEC office Enugu after 2019 general elections.
Ahead of the forthcoming local government election in Enugu, it appears PDP victory is assured. The indices and parameters to measure that are clear. The party is shoulder high above others. PDP is the party to beat.
Ugwuanyi who is political brand is a huge asset to the party at the state and national levels. Just like one of the founding fathers of the PDP in the state, Senator Hyde Onuaguluchi, said it at the PDP LG Election Campaign Grand Finale at Udenu LGA headquarters in 2020 that PDP’s continous electoral victories and successes in Enugu State since 2015 wouldn’t have been possible without Ugwuanyi’s leadership style and performance in office.
The same thing will likely happen in the February 23rd local government election in the state. PDP will surely clear the coast, having performed well in government and worked assiduously in the campaign rally.
As Governor Ugwuanyi will alwalys say that when everyone irrespective of status is allowed to take his or her own share in the party, jealousy, witchcraft and witch-hunt will be things of the past.
Ahead of 2023, this is time for all the PDP faithful in the state at all levels, elected and appointed to imbibe Ugwuanyi’s leadership style and virtues of peace, unity, tolerance and accommodation. That is the only way PDP’s presence and dominance in the state could be sustained beyond Ugwuanyi’s administration. This is especially now that PDP is not in control of power at the centre and need to recapture it in 2023. This is a task that should be the greatest preoccupation of every genuine PDP member especially the elected, about-to-be elected and appointed members of PDP in Enugu State.
Ezea writes from Independence Layout, Enugu State
