Genesis of Enugu intrigues

The political scenario of Enugu State will continue to be funny and unpredictable as long as the governor of the state, Mr. Sullivan Chime remains publicity shy. Loved by the lower members of the society, the governor’s apathy for publicity (and of course propaganda) always makes it difficult for the people to know the true situation of things whenever there is a little problem in the state. Chime has made the people of Enugu state reap the dividends of democracy through massive roads construction and rehabilitation. Prior to Chime’s emergence, the belief among the people of Enugu state was that it was only the Federal Government that can venture into roads reconstruction and building.

Chime silently, without the pseudo media hype of his predecessor, “Enugu state is working”, transformed and restored the glory of Enugu city as the capital of the defunct Eastern region. His efforts endeared him to the people of the lower cadre. And anything said to be affecting the governor negatively, sends shivers down the spine of his numerous admirers.

For this his disposition towards publicity, his opponents always capitalize on it to fly kites whenever there is a problem in the state. Tales have been told of the governor’s “quarrel” with the deputy Senate President, Chief Ike Ekweremadu. Despite Ekweremadu’s denials publicly and in private, the opposition still continue to insist that the two “inseparable” politicians have parted ways.

Recently, the kite being flown by the opposition was that Chime and the godfather of Enugu State politics, Chief Jim Nwobodo, are having   problems over land issue. The story goes that Chime had solicited the services of Nwobodo to help him reach out to the judges sitting over the case challenging his nomination as the candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Enugu State. The case was filed by an Abuja based businessman, Chief Alex Obiechina. Nwobodo was said to have been given a large sum to deliver to the judges.

But along the line, according to the story, Nwobodo could not deliver the money and was said to have refused returning the money to the governor. And the governor in retaliation pounced on a large acreage of land said to belong to Nwobodo and shared it among his aides. But these were flatly and staunchly denied by Nwobodo. He told reporters that he was never sent on such errand by Chime and the governor never touched any of his land. “In any case, I don’t have an inch of land at where they are mentioning. I have no problem whatsoever with my governor. We have been the best of friends. Those who spread the rumour are not only wicked and inhuman, they are as well enemies of progress,” Nwobodo said.

He threatened to close down a local weekly tabloid that celebrated the “unfounded story,” saying he had already instructed his lawyers to take action against the Nsukka based tabloid. The story came strong as judgment was being awaited on the suit by Obiechina. The judgment which was to be delivered last Monday May 23 was adjourned sine die by the court. 

The prayers in the suit are similar to those of the former governor of Bayelsa State, Timipre Sylva, whose suit was thrown away by the Supreme Court, which declared them as party matters and, insisting that the courts have no jurisdiction over them.

Prior to May 23, the camp of Obiechina, joined by Anayo Onwuegbu, was in celebration that Chime would be thrown out by the court on the judgment day. Obiechina and Onuegbu are from the same community, Oji-River.  Their supporters were so sure that either of the two would be declared the authentic flag-bearer of the party. Some of them even boasted they had seen the judgment.

While the drama was on, the governor’s camp opted to keep mum. Chime being a lawyer, would not want his aides to make comments on the impending judgment as he believed that his lawyers and those of PDP and INEC did a thorough job in their response and submissions.

But wagging tongues of both social and political stakeholders in the state are querying why the two kinsmen would not allow Chime to carry on his administration of the state since emerging as governor for a second tenure? Onwuegbu, whose supporters call Omeiheukwu, had challenged the governor earlier in the court and lost. Before the primaries, Onwuegbu had told reporters in his Enugu residence that the problem they had with Chime was his “refusal to open” the party and not that he was not delivering the dividends of democracy to the people. It is for this reason that Chime’s supporters said Onwuegbu’s insistence to challenge the governor was informed by obvious commitment of the Nwodo family, which promised him the ticket of the party under the platform of their then faction.

Obiechina, whose suit was adjourned sine die, is not also a new player in Enugu State politics. But he had been in oblivion since he was roundly trashed by Chimaroke Nnamani in 2003, in the race to occupy the Lion Building. He was then straddling on the back of Senator Jim Nwobodo to upstage Nnamani. Nwobodo had promised Obiechina “What I did for Chimaroke, I will do for you.” Seeing that penetrating the PDP then was impossible, they decided to contest on the platform of United Nigeria Peoples Party (UNPP). He did not make any mark in the general elections which was won by PDP’s Nnamani.

Nobody heard of him again after that. His name only resurfaced in Enugu political scene in January last year after the primaries.   Most people did not know he was in the contest. It is the court action that made people to know that he was in the race. The actual contenders then, apart from the governor, were Okey Ezea, Anayo Onwuegbu and Val Nnadozie.

Okey Ezea later picked the ticket of Labour Party while Val Nnadozie got that of Action Congress of Nigeria to contest the election. This led to questions by people why the duo of Obiechina and Onwuegbu, if they considered themselves popular, did not empower other parties and contest on their platform.

The latest development in the suit did not only actually save an impending ugly situation in the state; it also pacified the majority of Enugu residents, who were already roaring for action if anybody was imposed on them. 

Although the judgment is still pending, Chime and his aides are not even perturbed that anything would go against them while the Obiechina/Onwuegbu camp is still hopeful that the judicial pendulum would rest on their side.