Enugu Has Zoning Understanding, Those From The Greater Awgu Should Advice Ekweremadu Properly

By Eneh Victor Chigozie

The leaders and stakeholders from the Greater Awgu have a role to play if the zone wants to produce the next governor of Enugu state after the turn of the Enugu East (Nkanu) Senatorial Zone which will begin in 2023. The Governorship position will move to Enugu west senatorial district which has two political blocks namely The Greater Awgu( Awgu, Aninri and Oji River) and Udi/Ezeagu.

However, the chances of The Greater Awgu to produce the governor of Enugu state in 2031 will be high if the leaders of the zone can speak truth to Senator Ike Ekweremadu and help protect the zoning understanding in the state.

It is believed that Enugu west senatorial district with two distinct political blocks will support someone from The Greater Awgu when it is the turn of the zone in 2031, since the former governor of the state Barr Sullivan Chime is from Udi/Ezeagu axis.

This advice is important owing to the fact that The Greater Awgu is a minority political block in the state with least number of registered voters.

If the former deputy senate president is allowed to destroy the zoning arrangement in the state, it will be very difficult and near impossible for onye Greater Awgu to win a Governorship election in the near future. Nkanu and Nsukka zones have the required population to keep the governorship seat as much as they want.

Ndi Greater Awgu should learn from what’s going on now in Imo state where Owerri zone is struggling to produce the governor of the state with Orlu and Okigwe zones producing the governors of the state since 1999.

I was thinking that those in minority usually advocate for zoning against the dominance of the majority. But in Enugu state, Ike Ekweremadu is working hard to destroy the zoning understanding in the state which will in long run ruin the chances of the Greater Awgu to produce the governor of the state.

Ndi Greater Awgu especially the youths must understand that in 2031, Senator Ekweremadu will be about 70 years old and in such glorious age, it will not be advisable for him to stand for the governorship election again.

This is why he is insisting that zoning must be set aside to enable him contest in 2023. To me, his ambition is selfish and not for the best interest of the Greater Awgu in particular and ndi Enugu west in general.

This is the reason the leaders of The Greater Awgu should advice him properly. If zoning is discarded, Nkanu or Nsukka zone will win the Governorship election in 2023 and retain it in 2031.

The Greater Awgu will regret supporting Ekweremadu to destroy what would have been the shortest political path to producing the governor of the state.

I do not think that either Nkanu or Nsukka zone is afraid of open governorship contest. They have the required population to win it. In 1993, the governorship election in the state was an open one. It was between Dr Okwesirieze Nwodo of Nsukka zone and Dr Hyde Onuaguluchi of The Greater Awgu. Nsukka won it.

In 1999, it was also an open contest between Dr Chimaroke Nnamani of Nkanu zone and Chief Gbazuagu Nweke Gbazuagu of Greater Awgu. At the end of the race, Chimaroke won.

In 2007, Nsukka or Nkanu would taken it, if not that in the spirit of fairness, ndi Enugu decided to go into zoning and give every block equal opportunity to have a governor of the state from their zone.

Ndi Nkanu and Nsukka zones supported an Udi son. Barr Sullivan Chime from Enugu west senatorial district and he was elected. In 2015, all the zones supported the incumbent who is from Nsukka zone and he won.

Common sense is that Nkanu should be supported in 2023 after which it will be the turn of The Greater Awgu. But if the leaders of The Greater Awgu do not call thier son to order and prevail on him to respect the Zoning Understanding in the state, then the zone with majority will continue to rule Enugu state like the case of Imo where Orlu zone is not giving any chance and Benue state where the Tivs control everything.

Those pushing for continued zoning in the state love ndi Greater Awgu more than those who are clandestinely working agaisnt it.

Eneh Victor Chigozie
AIF Media