By Eze Nwamadi, Ogbonna Asadu and Ezema Igwenunu

There is no war between Nkanu and Nsukka except such as took place in the vile imagination of Okey Eze, alias Ideke, the do-or-die senator-elect of Enugu North zone. Ezea had declared the March 18 elections a war between Nsukka and Nkanu, holding that it would be a do-or-die affair. The proverbial tortoise had boasted that at the fullness of the market, he would trample a pregnant woman to death. A certain pregnant woman died at the fullness of the market, then the people held the tortoise responsible for making good his boastful threat. Ezea's speech was appropriated by his Labour Party in the spirit of do-or-die battle between Nsukka and Nkanu.

Okey Ezea seemed to have spoken the mind of the Nwodos for whom Chijioke Edeoga, the Labour Party governorship candidate in Enugu State, is a surrogate. It was reported that the Nwodos activated their contacts and unleashed soldiers on the entire Enugu North Zone on the day of the elections. The soldiers would arrest PDP members on phantom charges and intimidate voters. They were alleged to have colluded with INEC officials to manipulate the Nsukka Local Government result in the favour of Labour Party. The soldiers blocked every route and even debarred the chairman of Nsukka Local Government, Barr. Walter Ozioko, from coming closer to the collation centre. Labour Party had a field day and did as it pleased them at Nsukka and the entire Enugu North Senatorial Zone.

In spite of the do-or-die attitude of Labour Party towards the elections and the massive rigging that followed it, the PDP still garnered more votes than Labour Party in Enugu State. INEC had on Sunday night of 19th March, 2023 collated the results of the 17 local governments in the state, and should have gone ahead to declare Peter Ndubuisi Mbah the winner but rather chose to dilly dally over objections from Labour Party. Section 64(8) of the 2022  Electoral Act demands that after collation, the result should be announced and the winner declared. The delay in the announcement has generated bad blood among the people who suspect that INEC had been compromised.

Chijioke Edeoga had as at 1am on Monday, on  Politics of Enugu WhatsApp platform, incited the people to violence in such a way INEC would be compelled to declare him the winner. As early as 6am on Monday, Labour Party supporters had converged at Agric Bank end of Independence Layout, Enugu, quite close to INEC office, chanting songs of war and racism, claiming Edeoga was Nsukka and Peter Mbah Nkanu. At the other side close to INEC office also were converged supporters of Peter Mbah and members of the PDP, protesting INEC's undue delay in announcing the winner of the election which results had already been collated. In the face of this provocation, some youths broken into songs, singing that Nsukka could not be more powerful than Nkanu.

This is obviously how not to think and act for a state like Enugu that is a home to the Igbo man. This is apparently not Peter Mbah's mindset towards the governance of Enugu State. Mbah is a transcedental leader whose heartbeat is the development of Enugu State for the well-being of its citizenry, irrespective of where they come from. Peter does not pander to irredentist politics, such as the Nsukka Generals, serving and retired, unleashed on March 18.

Chijioke Edeoga has continued to create division in Enugu State. Edeoga is from Isi-Uzo in Enugu East Senatorial Zone, but now claims Nsukka. That accounts for why he chose a running mate from Enugu West Senatorial Zone when, in line with the zoning tradition, it ought to have been given to Enugu North Senatorial Zone. Edeoga and the Nwodos played politics of deceit on Nsukka people. Assuming Edeoga was from Nsukka, the implication is that Nsukka will be handing over to Nsukka, and a cousin handing over to a cousin. How would anyone expect the people of Nkanu whose turn it is to produce the governor to fold their arms and allow such injustice to fester? It is this injustice that they protest against, asking that the right thing be done. Nsukka is not at war with Nkanu. There is no reason for that, except that the belligerent Chijioke Edeoga is desperate for power and so uses unfounded sentiments of the old relationship between Isi-Uzo and Nsukka to ferment trouble in the state.