2023: Ugwuanyi Put Zoning Of Guber Position On Hold In Enugu

Posted by Ignatius Okpara Enugu, Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Friday, June 18th, 2021

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – As the 2023 general elections gathers momentum, the people of Enugu East Senatorial Zone of Enugu State, have sounded a note of warning against any plan to truncate the existing zoning arrangement of the governorships position which favours the district.

They threatened to resist any zone or individual who may make any attempt to drive the zone from succeeding the incumbent governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi who hails from Enugu North zone.

African Examiner reports that they made the declaration at a mega rally held at the Michael Okpara Square in Enugu, the State capital.

Governor Ugwuanyi was the Chief guest of honour at the rally.

Speaking at the event, Governor said he was delighted to be in the midst of the people of Enugu East, adding that he appreciates their support in the 2019 election.

He however, refused to make a categorical statement regarding the demand of the organizers of the rally who had in their separate speeches requested he (Ugwuanyi) to endorse the zone for the exalted office in 2023.

Ugwuanyi said he had listened to their speeches and assured them that as 2019 election ended in praise, 2023 shall also end in praise, stressing that justice shall prevail in the end.

The Okpara Square event had in attendance people from various political and religious divides, traditional rulers, among others.

First to speak was the convener of the rally and Speaker of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Edward Ubosi, who warned that “we have blood of a butcher in us, we can do and undo.”

Ubosi told Governor Ugwuanyi that his predecessors anointed those that succeeded them, stressing “Your Excellency, your own will not be different.

He recalled, “in 1999, our father, Distinguished Senator Jim Ifeanyichukwu Nwonodo anointed Senator Chimaroke Nnamani to be the Governor of Enugu State. Chimaroke later anointed Sullivan Chime to be the Governor and after his tenure, he anointed you to be the Governor of Enugu State.

“Your Excellency, your own is not going to be different, we are waiting for you to anoint the next Governor of Enugu State from Nkanuland, which compromises six local government areas. Any soul you pick, we will give you and the person all the needed support.”

The Speaker went ahead to knock those he said have been going around with the notion that Nkanu people were butchers.

He stressed that they were indeed proud to be butchers, adding “I agree we are butchers. If not for the insecurity in this country we were supposed to come here with our matchets. How can you call us butchers? A zone that produced the first governor of the old Anambra State, you are calling us butchers.”

Ubosi enumerated other principal leadership positions that the people from the zone had occupied and warned against any further denigration of the people.

“How can a reasonable person be calling us butchers? An Nkanu man can have anything, with that blood of a butcher in him he can do undo. I want to call on other zones not to undermine us.”

Also speaking, Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Enugu State, Dr. Ben Nwoye, who also hails from Enugu East zone, informed the gathering that the party has already zoned its governorship ticket to the Enugu East Senatorial Zone.

Nwoye, who lauded Governor Ugwuanyi for the existing peace in the State said the zoning arrangement should not be destroyed.

The APC Chairman told Gov. Ugwuanyi that “the fact that you are here means you are with us, the fact that you are here means that you have agreed to bring the anointed one from Nkanuland come 2023.”

“APC has already zoned its governorship ticket to Enugu East,” he said amid applause, adding “we are here to tell the PDP to also zone the position to Enugu East.”

Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, in Enugu State, Mr. Augustine Nnamani said his party was yet to cede the position to any of the three Senatorial zones.

Hon. Prince Offor Chukwuegbo, representing Enugu-North/South Federal constituency, who spoke on behalf of members of the National Assembly lauded Governor Ugwuanyi for identifying with them and for the prevailing peace in the State.

According to the federal lawmaker , the essence of the event was to solicit the support for the emergence of a Governor of Enugu East extraction in 2023.