Enugu guber: Calm in Enugu as Chime, Ekweremmadu settle differences

Peace is gradually returning to the Enugu State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as the two major contenders in the power struggle for the party structure, Governor Sullivan Chime and Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremmadu, may have finally resolved their differences.

Daily Sun gathered at the weekend that Governor Chime and Senator Ekweremmadu resolved the deadlock, which almost tore the Enugu PDP apart in a highbrow meeting presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan.
A top member of the PDP in the state told Daily Sun that in the meeting, which was held at Abuja, the president told Governor Chime to allow Ekweremmadu to go back to the Senate while he controls the remaining party structure in the state.
Our source informed that with the trade off, Chime, who initially wanted to replace Ekweremmadu at the Senate, sacrificed his ambition but would now control the structure that would produce his successor, Senators of Enugu North and East and other elective officers of the state.
It was gathered that with the development, the coast is now clear for Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, who has been adopted as the popular governorship candidate of the PDP in the state.
Yesterday, it was gathered that in spite of news reports, suggesting that a faction of the party appeared to have had a better part of the fight, feelers on the outcome of the Abuja meeting doused the tension, as it was learnt that Chime and Ekweremadu have made up their differences.
Our source said: We gathered that whereas the close supporters of the two gladiators, who have been at daggers drawn over the Enugu West senatorial ticket of the party seemed to have carried on as if war was imminent, even at the weekend, the truth is that the two alongside some top leaders of the party in the state have reached a truce in Abuja and that they did that in liaison with Mr. President.
He said that perhaps, the agreement to work in harmony once again, was the reason the deputy chairman of the party, Elder David Aja, who has been claiming to be the acting chairman since the resignation of Chief Vita Abba, was reported to have signed the statement releasing the result of the special local government delegates billed to hold last Saturday.
Many of those who made the list in the Enugu North zone, it was gathered are said to be allies of Chime.
Aja has been fighting the factional war on the side of Ekweremadu, a reason those who would not know what has transpired between the leaders of the factions were wary of the name of Aja associated with the list published yesterday.
At the weekend the candidature of Hon. Ugwuanyi was further boosted as the Enugu State chapter of the Nigerian Councilors’ Forum joined several other groups in support of him.
According to the statement of the forum signed by Hon. Hyginus Makata, chairman of the Enugu chapter and its secretary, Barrister Francis Ani, the councilors expressed their support for the zoning of the governorship seat to Enugu North zone (Nsukka) by the party in the state even as they joined all the levels of authority of the party in the state in endorsing Ugwuanyi, who is the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Marine Transport.
“We express our support to the leadership of the party in the state on the zoning of the governorship seat to Enugu North senatorial zone in fairness and equity and thank Governor Sullivan Chime for all the programmes he has been midwifing to ensure a smooth political transition in the state.
“We are not just supporting the endorsement of Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi but are part of his endorsement by the state caucus of our party, PDP, and the entire stakeholders in the state”, said the group.
The leaders of the councilors said the choice of the consensus candidate “is one singular action that has saved the state from what onlookers thought was going to be a very knotty governorship race that would have torn the party very much apart in our dear state because he has remained a solid bridge builder whose main attribute is calmness in the face of all provocations”.