Baring any shift in position which is not strange in politics, there are strong indications that Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, representing Igboeze North/ Udenu Federal Constituency in House of Representatives may have been endorsed as the consensus governorship candidate of a fraction of the ruling People’s Democratic Party in Enugu state.
HOMELAND NEWS gathered from a reliable source that the soft spoken lawmaker, and Chairman House Committee on Maritime was picked during, a marathon meeting held late within the week between Governor Sullivan Chime and all the PDP gubernatorial hopefuls loyal to his group.
A close PDP source who attended the meeting convened by Gov. Chime at the Governor’s Lodge, Enugu, told our Correspondent under condition of anonymity that Hon. Ugwuanyi was selected from the long list of aspirants from Enugu North Senatorial district (Nsukka) where the PDP has zoned its governorship ticket to.
The choice of Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, who hails from Orba, in Udenu council Area of the state according to the source is because of his general acceptability to all the aspirants present at the meeting.
They were said to have told the governor that they had no problem whatsoever with the federal lawmaker being the PDP gubernatorial flag-bearer in the coming election as he is believed to be very popular and acceptable to all segments of the state.
“The chances of all the contestants under the PDP from Chime’s political camp were reviewed at the meeting but it turned out that Hon. Ugwuanyi stands a better chance because he will enjoy tremendous support of the people both in Enugu North and the other two zones, west and East”
“Again, looking at all the aspirants and their antecedents, Ugwuanyi is one candidate that will give the PDP an easy ride to victory even though there is no strong opposition in Enugu State.
“So, the decision to back him is a wise one and a good development for the PDP,”.
Prior to yesterday,s decision, some of the PDP members from Enugu North Senatorial district with guberatorial ambition include, two-term senator and Chairman, Senate Committee on Works, Ayogu Eze; Ambassador Fidel Ayogu; Speaker of Enugu State House of Assembly, Eugene Odoh; two-time Commissioner for Information, Chuks Ugwuoke; Commissioner for Enugu Capital Territory, Ikechukwu Ugwuegede, Managing Director of Enugu State Housing Authority, Ikeje Asogwa.
Others were former Commissioner for Education, Professor Simon Ortuanya, PDP State Chairman, Vita Abba, amongst others.
However, the campaign posters of Chinedu Onuh, a former commissioner during ex- Governor Chimaroke Nnamani’s administration, believed to be the Deputy President of the Senate,Ike Ekweremadu’s candidate has flooded the entire state.
