By PETRUS OBI.
Today is the D-Day for the 3-man ward delegates election by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP
The 3-man delegates elected today alongside statutory delegates as enshrined in the party constitution that will be used for the party primary elections in the state.
In the build up to the 2015 elections a lackadaisical Sullivan Chime was drinking champiagne while the then Deputy Senate President Chief Ike Ekweremadu hijacked the process.
The difference is that this delegates election is happening in April while the other took place in November. But the process is same, and Ekweremadu is still involved.
It was an event that handed Ekweremadu the party structure in Enugu and automatically retired the then governor, Sullivan Chime from politics.
The war between Ekweremadu and Chime had started over who represented Enugu West in the Senate. Chime had vowed to retire the Senator but ended up hurting himself.
That list of delegates thrown up by the Ekweremadu faction was upheld in court and formed the basis for the nomination of Candidates for the election proper.
The resignation of then PDP State Chairman Vita Abba worked in Ekweremadu’s favour as his own Candidate, Aja, as Deputy was recorgnized as acting Chairman of the party.
Fast forward, and Enugu goes to elect 3-man delegates at the ward level. Again Ekweremadu is involved but with a different ambition of becoming the Governor.
The war may not have been pronounced as the case was during Sullivan, but there is a cold war going on, and all efforts are geared to stop Ekweremadu who is believed to be going against the zoning formular.
The outcome of today’s election will be a pointer to what to expect, especially as it concerns who becomes the next governor and who gets what ticket at the forthcoming party primaries.
Already there is tension and apprehension as both the Ekweremadu camp and Ugwuanyi’s try to read the mind of the opposing camp.
The fear of a parallel delegates election as was the case during Sullivan is there while efforts to close all loopholes has been in top gear as Ugwuanyi continues his behind the scene manouvres.
It is top class politicking and the echoes of the result could be heard; the sound is very feint, yet clear to discerning minds.
