THE NEWS NIGERIA
This weekend’s gubernatorial and state assembly election in Enugu is a straight fight between the Obidient Movement, which powers the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general election, and the Ebeano Confraternity, which has been controlling the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state since the return of democratic rule in 1999. Still, many in Enugu State do not believe that there will be a fight as such.
“It will be a walkover for the Obidient Movement and the Labour Party”, says Victor Nwobodo, a former PDP supporter who owns a major entertainment centre in the state capital. “The people want a change throughout the state, after 24 years of PDP’s rule. It will also be an easy victory for the Obidient Movement in the Enugu East senatorial election which will hold the same day as a result of the assassination of the Labour Party candidate, Chief Oyibo Chukwu, a former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) chairman in the state, who was murdered alongside his personal assistant, Sunday Igwesi, just three days to the February 25 National Assembly election. Their bodies were burnt. And so was their vehicle in the scene where the atrocity was committed at Amechi Uwani in Enugu South Local Government Area”.
Public sympathy is obviously with Labour. Chief Oyibo’s younger brother, Sir Kelvin Chukwu, who studied both law and mass communication and is a businessman, is now the LP standard bearer in the senatorial district. The party is exploiting the strong public sympathy. For example, it has been highlighting that the PDP in the state where the late politician once served as the secretary has refused to condemn the assassination or consol the Chukwu family. Not even the PDP governorship candidate, Peter Mbah, a fellow lawyer and Nkanu man, has condemned the murder or expressed condolences to the bereaved family. In the same manner, the PDP administration in Enugu has not been moved, even by President Muhammadu Buhari’s strong condemnation and directive to security agencies to bring the perpetrators to book, to speak on the heinous act.
Chief Chukwu’s major opponent in the election was Nnamani of the PDP who has since been expelled from the party, with the party writing two letters to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) where it claims that it has no candidate in the Enugu East senatorial election. The PDP national leadership accused Nnamani of anti-party activities for openly backing the All Progressives Congress (APC) against his own party in the presidential vote.
