SENATE: I'VE NO PLANS TO STEP DOWN FOR NNAMANI- NNAJI

By NBF News

By Tony Edike
Senatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party and member of House of Representatives, Prince Gilbert Nnaji, yesterday, dismissed as untrue speculations that he would step down for former Governor Chimaroke Nnamani who is seeking re-election to the senate on the platform of People for Democratic Change, PDC.

Speaking with reporters in Enugu, shortly after the list of candidates for the April elections were displayed by Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Nnaji, who represents Enugu East/Isiuzo Federal Constituency at the National Assembly, said it was wrong for anybody to claim that he was a pretender in the race for Enugu East senatorial district, stressing that he was sure of victory in the forthcoming election.

Nnaji, who emerged from Governor Sullivan Chime's faction of the PDP in the state, asked Senator Nnamani, who heads the Ebeano Political Family, which he (Nnaji) was a member from 1999 to 2007, to give him chance to represent Enugu East at the upper chamber of the National Assembly in the next dispensation, insisting that it was the turn of his constituency (Enugu East/Isiuzo) to produce the next senator.

His words: 'It is surprising that this kind of rumour should be going round Enugu because Chimaroke Nnamani himself knows the kind of person I am. I have worked with him and he knows my capability and credibility.

There is no way I can step down for anybody including him. I ran for the primaries of the PDP, a heavily contested one at that and I thank God that I emerged.  So there is no way I can step down for anybody, no matter how highly placed. I am running for this election and I am sure I am going to win it no matter what anybody thinks.

'I know my capability in this zone (Enugu East) and today is not the first time. Like what I said during my election, I told the people there that if Nnamani hears that I have won the primaries of my party he may decide to bury his ambition and not to contest again.   I am one of those that made him what he is in Enugu and he knows my abilities.   So whoever is saying because he is our boss I am going to step down for him, I want to say it is not possible.'

'INEC has released the list of candidates and I am one of the candidates. I have not withdrawn from the race.  Nnamani cannot stand my way because I don't even see where he will be coming from.  Is it from Enugu East that he is going to get votes from, is it Isiuzo, which is my own constituency or is it Enugu North and South? It is impossible.

The fight is in his local government, Nkanu West but I know I am going to beat him there. I am praying that this election should be one man, one vote. Let every vote be counted and let us test the popularity of Nnamani in Enugu politics.'