By Ogbonna Asadu 

A coterie of disgruntled selfish politicians of Nsukka extraction had run to Labour Party in rebellion to the choice of candidates by the people of the PDP in Enugu State. They are persons who had held one position or the other in the PDP government, but who would want to perpetuate themselves in power. They are persons who had largely benefitted from the Ugwuanyi administration in one way or the other, but have now turned against the governor, sponsoring all manner of calumniation against him and his government.

Chief among them is Chijioke Edeoga who had been a commissioner in the Ugwuanyi administration for seven years until the iniquity of overambition crept in on him, and, like Lucifer, rebelled against his boss and the popular will of the people. Edeoga is vindictive and politically immature. Having lost out at the Enugu State gubernatorial election held on 25th May, 2022, Edeoga vowed never to talk to Governor Ugwuanyi all his life. He had wanted Ugwuanyi to give him the PDP governorship ticket singlehanded, and then bankroll his governorship bid, something that is not tenable in democracy. Since then, Edeoga has vowed to go down with Ugwuanyi. Chijioke had confided in some persons that he knew he would lose the governorship election to Peter Mbah of the PDP, but that he was on a cause to frustrate Ugwuanyi's senatorial candidacy by selling a dummy to Nsukka people, leveraging the sentiment of old Nsukka zone. That could account for why his godfather, Chief Nnia Nwodo, attempted to rehash the same narrative at Onyohor in Igbo-Etiti Local Government the other day, a narrative which earned him the bashing of his life by the people of Enugu State who saw through his chicanery and the failed attempt to sell Isi-Uzo to Enugu North Senatorial Zone, and deprive the people of Isi-Uzo their belongingness to Enugu East Senatorial Zone.

Besides this deceit visited on the people of Nsukka whom Nnia Nwodo and his family had subverted for ages and usurped positions that came to them, even when Nnia's ancestors have no provenance in Nsukka, the Nsukka labourers, largely spent forces doddering at Nsukka General Assembly, have one clear agenda: to frustrate Governor Ugwuanyi's senatorial bid. That accounts for why all efforts of theirs are concentrated at Nsukka. Edeoga's campaign is centred at Nsukka. They are behind all manner of lies told against Governor Ugwuanyi. They do everything to diminish Ugwuanyi's superlative scorecard in Enugu North. Even when Ugwuanyi's many unprecedented legacy projects abound here and there at Nsukka, they play on the emotions of the people and hone their entitlement sentiments with the claim that Ugwuanyi gave the governorship ticket to Nkanu instead of Nsukka, as though it was the turn of Nsukka to produced the next governor of the state; as though Chijioke Edeoga was from Nsukka. Meanwhile, by the zoning tradition, it is the turn of Enugu East Senatorial Zone to which Isi-Uzo belongs. How then would Nsukka or Enugu North Senatorial Zone decide for Nkanu or Enugu East Senatorial Zone who to choose for their turn? It is only a gullible person that would swallow Edeoga's vindictive pills.

Seeing that they are completely defeated as all their false propaganda, mudslinging and evil machination against Ugwuanyi and the PDP have failed, they now resort to fictions. And they generate them in algebraic quantum. They would tell tactless tales against Ugwuanyi and the G5; how Ugwuanyi is turn between the devil and the blue sea; discussions he purportedly held with Nwike and directives from the national chairman of the PDP. Such infantile tales show how petty and childish the Nsukka labourers can be. Such make believe narratives can only be swallowed by the gullible. 

Besides Governor Ugwuanyi, Walter Ozioko, the Chairman of Nsukka Local Government, is their albatross. Walter has taught the Nsukka labourers a lesson in Politics 101. Ozioko is a grassroots person who knows the terrain very well and leverages his relationship with the people of Nsukka whose hearts he has won with his performance and relationship saviness. Chijioke Edeoga had done all to woo Ozioko to his malicious side. He had like Nicodemus visited at night, asking for "agada agada", and got the rebuking of his life when Ozioko told him off. Since then, Walter has become the butt of their propaganda and vile politics. If Ikem Okuhu, Edeoga's minion, is not complaining in his lackluster articles that Walter Ozioko is intimidating people, another of Edeoga's e-rats would contrive a frosty relationship between Ugwuanyi and Ozioko. Walter Ozioko is minded to deliver the PDP candidates whole and complete in Nsukka and has put inimitable strategies on ground to that effect. Walter has remained impervious to their shenanigans, and has continued to do what he knows how best to do. Ozioko has the best of cordial relationship with Governor Ugwuanyi. At no time other than as obtained in the tainted imagination of the labourers had Ugwuanyi complained about Walter. If anything, Ugwuanyi is full of commendation for Walter, the only local government chairman in Enugu State who does asphalt roads.

Amos Amadi Agbo and Onah Christiana, the two candidates for Nsukka West and East state constituencies respectively were prudently chosen by the PDP members during the primaries. Both are sound. They are grassroots persons who have a knack for mobilisation. Ugwuanyi could not have complained about them; whereas, they are on top of their game coasting home with victory.

No amount of chicanery, shenanigans, calumny, vain imaginations, false propaganda and diatribes can overawe the firm determination of the people of Enugu State to vote PDP in the forthcoming general elections. Governor Ugwuanyi's senatorial bid is fait accompli. Who can stop him? He has yet to be seen. Ugwuanyi is loved. He commands uncommon goodwill amongst Ndi Enugu.

Okey Ezea, the senatorial candidate of Labour Party for Enugu North, is not worth Ugwuanyi's finger. He too ate the Labour lotos and since then has been singing with the vile tongue of bitter politics full of name-calling as egg is full of meat. That one who drove his business to the backwater and now seeks rehabilitation through politics? A serial failure who runs every election to fail? No! Ezea is far from it. Edeoga and Nwodo chose a wrong tool with which to execute their political vendetta. Ugwuanyi coasts home with victory as he goes to the senate to emerge the Senate President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to the glory of God and in the interest of Ndi Nsukka.