OPINION” PDP'S CAMPAIGN AT ENUGU AND HON UGWUANYI'S OVERWHELMING ACCEPTANCE
The Peoples Democratic Party's campaign at Enugu last Friday no doubt has been adjudged the grand rally of the party's campaign so far. This followed the tumultuous PDP faithful that trooped out en masse to welcome the presidential standard-bearer of the party, Dr Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan, and the official handover of the governorship flag of the party to Hon Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi as Enugu state standard-bearer. The handover to a very large extent put to rest the conjectures of who is the rightful governorship candidate of the party in the state come 2015.
Like every great truth, many issues came up during the rally. The salient expose' however is the unison of the Coal City populace to vote for the PDP in the forthcoming general elections. It was a total acceptance beyond doubts for both President Goodluck Jonathan and Hon Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.
President Jonathan's Speech
The general acceptance of President Goodluck Jonathan in Enugu state and the South East in general has never been questioned. The mantra also that action speaks louder than words came to the fore as Jonathan left the people of Enugu state and the South East to judge him by his massive achievements in the zone instead of the conventional itemizing successes. Such is always the hallmark of a leader whose achievements know no bounds. The one that is glaring is the second Niger Bridge which President Jonathan had broken the jinx. One will not also forget various federal government media outfits in the South East which have provided thousands of jobs for the youths, and the new look federal government higher institutions in the zone which Enugu benefitted a lot. What about the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, and many more? The various federal roads in Enugu and South East at large are either already completed or work in progress.
Jonathan's Alleged Remarks on Buhari
Political analysts believe in the clarification of issues. President Jonathan is known not to be a personality-based politician. He is always issue-based. Like many people rightly observed, 'he was apparently responding to statements hitherto made by the opposition'. One, his effort in letting Nigerians know what practical promise and theoretical promise stands for should be commended. The basis of electioneering is to state the obvious. Yes the All Progressives Congress' presidential candidate, General Mohammadu Buhari (rtd), said he would revive the nation's economy if elected president. One had expected him to explain how he would achieve it in practical terms. Like Wole Soyinka earlier observed, Buhari is yet to tell Nigerians the difference between Buhari of 1983 to 1985, and Buhari of today. Buhari has not also justified his government's penchant for jailing his perceived enemies without trial during the years he was in-charge. This President Jonathan said is 'medieval' because it was only in the Middle Age that monarchs never followed laid-down procedures in executing laws.
Recall that former vice president Alex Ekwueme and first executive governor of old Anambra state Jim Nwobodo earned over 200 years' jail terms respectively without trial. Invariably, Jonathan only revealed these for Nigerians to synthesize and chew. On the failure of the Buhari government, Jonathan only echoed the Babangida administration's report on Buhari's incompetence, which till date, Buhari has not countered.
Hon Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi as Authentic PDP Candidate
Hon Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi is a three-term member of the House of Representatives. It is good at this juncture to let the electorate know how Hon Ugwuanyi emerged. He was a consensus governorship candidate of the PDP. Hitherto Barr Sullivan Chime, governor of the state, in his wisdom and political acumen, had urged the people of Enugu north senatorial district to produce a candidate that would be generally acceptable. The climax of the route to Hon Ugwuanyi's emergence was the voluntary stepping down of even his co-aspirants to the Enugu Government House. This was followed by his endorsement by all the PDP stakeholders in the state, including Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu who has also stated that the victory of Jonathan and Ugwuanyi come 2015 would be the highest point in the political history of the South East.
In every twelve, there must dissidents, but this holds no water because Hon Ugwuanyi is a product of the PDP congress genuinely supervised by the party's hierarchy both at state and national levels. This underscores the assertion of Alh Adamu Muazu, the national chairman of the PDP in Enugu during the handing over of the flag to Hon Ugwuanyi. He said when he was called up to the podium that, “This is one of the most popular candidates I have ever met in this period of electioneering in our country.” He also acknowledged that Hon Ugwuanyi enjoys overwhelming support of Enugu PDP stakeholders, and the party faithful, many of whom have constituted over 100 support groups working to actualize his ambition.
In a similar vein, a chieftain of the PDP in the state, Hon USA Igwesi, did not mince words when he said, “In my entire political career, I have never seen any politician who has enjoyed the support of his people like Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.”
Like Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu had repeatedly harped on, the people of Enugu state should ensure that they obtain their permanent voter cards to enable them to exercise their voting powers in the forthcoming general elections. That is the only way to tell Hon Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and President Goodluck Jonathan that they have 100% support of every person of the state. It is also a means of reciprocating the magnanimity of Governor Sullivan Chime whose sterling achievements in office will form the foundation of Hon Ugwuanyi's administration. Chime must also be commended for enabling the most popular and widely acceptable candidate in the 2015 general elections.
Written by Chinedu Aroh.