THE governorship aspirants in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from Enugu East Senatorial district have agreed to let the governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi pick any of them as the party’s flagbearer.
To this effect, 15 of the 16 governorship aspirants
signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to accept any of them picked by the governor as the party’s candidate in the May 28 governorship primary for the 2023 polls.
The aspirants who signed the MoU were: Prof Bart Nnaji,
Dr Bar. Peter Mbah, Hon. Bar. Chijioke J.Edeoga, Senator Gil Nnaji, Captain Evarest Nnaji, H.E. Rev. Ifeanyi R. Nwoye,
Sir Chinyeaka Ohaa, Dr. G.O.C. Ajah, Dr. Kingsley Udeh, Pastor Engr. Beloved Dan Anike, Hon. Bar. Nwabueze Ugwu, Dr Josef Ken Onoh, Engr. Erasmus Anike, Prof. Jehu Nnaji and Chukwudi Abraham Nneji.
Incidentally, those who signed the MoU are from Enugu East Senatorial district, the zone expected to produce the next governor.
Prof. Hillary Edeoga didn’t sign as he was absent at the meeting where the agreement was reached.
Present at the meeting were members of the Enugu East Traditional Rulers Council led by its Chairman, HRH Igwe Julius Nnaji the Odezuluigbo II of Nike.
In signing the MoU, the aspirants would not go to any court to contest drag the outcome of the primary and to run peaceful campaigns devoid of hate speech and animosity.
It was also agreed that those who would eventually lose out would be carried along in the incoming government.
According to the MoU:
“In a determined effort to sustain the peaceful political environment fostered by the consultative administrative style of His Excellency Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and to ensure a sustained brotherly and fraternal political zone both before and after the PDP
governorship primaries, we, the governorship aspirants from the Enugu East Senatorial Zone, hereby collectively and individually commit to the following:
“A campaign devoid of rancour and animosity, devoid of blackmail, sabotage, hatespeech, and any other act(s) capable of sowing discord and negatively impacting the cohesion, peace, and unity of Enugu East Senatorial Zone and Enugu State in general.
“A peaceful campaign that ensures every candidate and his supporters are
accommodated within the structure of whoever wins the primary nomination; Peaceful primaries devoid of violence and other acts that could compromise the peace and security of the Enugu–East Senatorial Zone and the entire Enugu State.
“A compromise on matters that will promote unity, law, and order during the campaign and election period; Respect for the Governor of Enugu State and acceptance of his choice of a candidate from this group in the best interests of the Enugu–East Senatorial Zone and Enugu State at large.
“The avoidance of litigation as a result of the primaries’ conduct, regardless of who ultimately wins;
The eventual integration and accommodation of all aspirant interests in any government led by a victorious aspirant from the Enugu East Senatorial zone.”
