Follow Us on Google
From Magnus Eze, Enugu
Former governor of old Enugu State, Okwesilieze Nwodo and Ike Ekweremadu, have disagreed over whether zoning arrangement existed in the state or not.
Receiving members of Nkanu East Leaders’ Consultative Forum (NELCF), led by former power and steel minister, Barth Nnaji, who visited his Enugu residence to seek support in their quest for the 2023 governorship slot to be ceded to their local government area in Enugu East senatorial district, Nwodo affirmed there was a subsisting agreement on rotation among the three senatorial districts in the state.
“That day, I was at the Government House when it was agreed on. It was Dubem Onyia that moved the motion. I don’t know what put it into his head. His motion was that Chimaroke Nnamani from Enugu East senatorial district had become governor, Chime was on the saddle, from Enugu West senatorial district, that after Sullivan, it should move to the North (Enugu North senatorial district).
“Those of us from Nsukka area were very happy and didn’t know how to express our joy. That motion was making things easy for us. However, it was C. C. Egumgbe that amended the motion to say that “after it had gone round, after Enugu North senatorial, it should return to Enugu East senatorial. Ben Collins Ndu supported the motion, and it was carried unanimously.
“The way everybody was happy as a result of this, no one could oppose it. We all agreed. So, as far as I am concerned, it is your turn (Enugu East).
But, Ekweremadu, a leading aspirant for next year’s governorship election debunked Nwodo’s claim.
The former deputy Senate president said those who had purportedly zoned the seat could not have been working for the interest of the generality of Enugu people.
Appearing as guest on a live radio programme monitored in Enugu, he said none of the three governors that ruled the state since 1999 was a product of zoning.
“Talking about zoning means you’re talking about the interest of Enugu people; women, youths, traditional rulers, presidents general of town unions; representatives, the ordinary people. And somebody is telling you that few people sat and discussed zoning. Which party are they representing? Somebody said it was in the banquet hall during the Sullivan regime. If some few people decide to visit the governor in the evening and have a drink and food in the banquet hall, and they have a conversation; many years later; someone wakes up from sleep and said they discussed such thing.
“There is no organ of Peoples Democratic Party constitution that empowers anybody to zone the governorship. So, I don’t know which meeting they were having,” Ekweremadu said.
