CHUKS NWEZE writes that there is looming crisis in Enugu state chapter of the Labour Party as two persons, suddenly emerged at a rally captioned, “Charity Begins at Home”, claiming to be the party’s gubernatorial candidate in the state
How it started
On Saturday, August 27, 2022, a drama ensued at the Kobb Event Centre located at the premises of Enugu ShopRite, venue of the rally where a pressure group in support of the Labour Party candidate Mr. Peter Obi and his running mate Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed anchored their solidarity March tagged, “Charity Begins at Home.”
The solidarity rally which took the Enugu capital city by the storm on Saturday, commenced at the popular Okpara Square, Independence Layout, Enugu and terminated at the Kobb Event Centre.
Before the solidarity rally proper, there had been big signposts mounted at strategic places in the Coal city with the caption, “Charity Begins at Home.”
Initial impression about the rally
Initially, everybody within the metropolis had thought that it was the ruling party in Enugu state, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), that mounted the billboards not knowing that it was not the ruling party projecting their choice governorship candidate, Barrister Peter Mbah whose signposts and thank you visits to wards and communities have inundated the capital city recently.
Ob/Datti rally
But it turned out that the billboards were the creation and brainchild of a pro-Peter Obi and Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed presidential ambition.
So, it was a huge surprise on that fateful day on the realization that the “Charity Begins at Home,” is the pet project of the former PDP guber candidate, Chief Evarestus Nnaji, (aka Odengene). He was said to have mounted the imposing billboards as his contribution to ensure that Peter Obi’s presidential ambition is actualised.
The jubilant group who wore T-Shirts printed with Peter Obi and his running mate Yusuf Datti Ahmed, and face caps, “Charity Begins at Home, defied a drizzling that later snowballed into a downpour, marched and chanted songs for the Obi/Datti presidential project as they went round the major streets of Enugu.
The group later reconverged at the Kobb Event Centre were some Labour Party hierarchy gathered to address the pro- Obi-Ahmed quest.
Bubble burst between Nnaji and Edeoga
Everything had gone well at the venue, until the Master of Ceremony, announced Chief Evarestus Nnaji as the governorship candidate of the LP for Enugu state.
Though in the brochure for the programme, Nnaji’s picture was shown as the governorship candidate, nobody said anything until the MC made the announcement that Odengene, as Nnaji is fondly addressed, is the governorship candidate of LP.
With the announcement, the hall erupted in an uproar and the crack which was not initially readable now became palpable.
While many people jubilated and sang Obi to high heavens, nobody knew that a group loyal to Hon. Chijoke Jonathan Edeoga, the LP governorship candidate officially elected on August 4, at the Top 10 Hotel, GRA, Enugu witnessed by LP party hierarchy and top Labour leaders, was there.
The pro-Edeoga group rose up in unison immediately Odengene was mentioned as the LP guber candidate for Enugu state, and started chanting, Edeoga’s name.
They sang that Edeoga was their choice candidate whether he was going or returning from anywhere. Translated in Igbo language, the group chanted, “Edeoga, Edeoga kanyi ga so, Mona ejeje Mona agaga, Edeoga kanyi gasoo.”
The group held the hall spell bound for some minutes until the Deejee got himself and put on a loud music to drown their dissenting voice. The magic worked and this made the protesters to depart and peace.
As if on queue, another group rose and started singing, dancing and chanting in favour of Nnaji’s name. They sang a similar song but this time around, it wasn’t Edeoga that they would follow everywhere he went but Nnaji, aka Odengene. And thus they sang, “Odengene, Odengene kanyi gasoo, Mona ejeje Mona anana, Odengene kanyi gasoo.”
When the din died down, the MC continued with the programme and party hierarchy were called upon to address the rally.
Where the speakers stand
A prominent and a suave speaker, Kennedy Iyere who is organising a 40 million March in support of Obi-Ahmed said that for Peter Obi to rule Nigeria, he needed to have governors, legislators to back his government otherwise if the opposition should have upper hand, it would spell down for Obi’s presidency.
He said “Enugu state needed a strong LP governorship candidate which Odengene is most suited saying that Edeoga lacked the political muscle to pilot the Labour Party to win the governorship”. In short, he said that Edeoga was not even qualified to be a councilor not to talk of being a governor.
He however forgot that Edeoga had been a local government chairman, a member of the House of Representatives and the Committee chairman on Information and for seven years has been a commissioner in Enugu state.
Even at the national level, he worked with former president Jonathan, former Deputy Senate President, Ekweremadu and it was a wonder that Iyere described Edeoga as a misfit.
Iyere said that he has interacted with Odengene and discovered that he has the capability to be governor.
“I have interacted with Odengene and I have discovered that he is a man of capacity,” he said.
He however wished that Odengene would clinch the LP ticket to fly the flag of LP for the Enugu state governorship race, come 2023.
Iyere, so sure of Odengene’s capacity said that no cabal would stop him from going to the Lion Building.
The Obi Campaign Group manager, Dr. Tanko Yunusa, expressed joy that Odengene was mobilising Enugu people towards Obi’s victory which probably would lead to his own victory if he emerged as the Enugu LP guber candidate.
He, like Iyere said, ” Since he has the capability, he should be given the mandate.”
Speaking like others, the LP National Vice Chairman, NLC, Mrs Ladies Illiya, said “for Obi’s victory and governance to be solidified, he needs to have governors from many states including Enugu which a man with capacity like Odengene would be best.”
To worsen the whole, matter, Odengene who is sure that he would win the governorship if given the opportunity said “Edeoga and his group should not fret if they were sure that Edeoga was the authentic candidate of the party.”
Odengene said that they would take their campaigns to wards to ensure that he and Obi would win in Enugu state.
“We shall go to the wards to get people that will galvanise the people to vote for Peter Obi. If you know that you have a candidate, you should not panic. The moment our ticket is confirmed, you will see things happening in Enugu,” Odengene assured.
This was a clear indication that all was not well with the LP in Enugu state. It portends there is a looming crisis within the party.
When Edeoga was called upon to react to what transpired at the event centre on Saturday, he kept mum.However, a labour leader in Enugu state, Comrade Ben Asogwa, TUC, chairman, said that people should not mind Odengene. “Edeoga is the governorship candidate for Labour Party. You should not mind Odengene and his group. They are seeking attention,” he said.
A political analyst who would not want his name in print said that Odengene was a distraction. He said that Odengene knew Edeoga is the LP guber candidate but wants to play a spoiler game. “Don’t mind Odengene. He knows that Edeoga is the candidate but what he is fighting for is what I do not know. Maybe, it is PDP that is planting him to destablise Edeoga as they did in APC and Ayogu Eze lost to Ugwuanyi.
“I wonder where Odengene is coming from. He was among those that congratulated the PDP candidate, Peter Mbah and he has now come to cause trouble in the Labour Party. Edeoga was duly elected and it was witnessed by INEC officials and LP chieftains. So, where is he coming from?” the analyst queried.
An APC chieftain, Dr. Ben Nwoye blamed Edeoga for what transpired at the rally. He said that knowing that some party hierarchy were coming for the Charity Begins at Home, he should have been there to welcome them.
“If I were Edeoga, I should have gone to the venue to welcome the national officers of the party that came to the rally so that it would look as if he is working against Obi. He was duly elected and should not leave anything to chance,” Nwoye declared.
It was however gathered that Odengene went to a court in Port Harcourt, River state to institute a case against the emergence of Edeoga as the Enugu LP guber candidate.
Even with Odengene’s court action, the party chairman, Barr. Casmir Agbo, who was hitherto the governorship candidate went to court and deposed that he was withdrawing as the governorship candidate, thereby making way for Edeoga who was also a PDP guber aspirant like Odengene to emerge as the LP governorship flag bear for Enugu state.
With Agbo remaining the LP chairman and nobody is contesting it, it is a wonder that the LP governorship primary which he superintended as the party chairman should be in question, giving the impression that PDP actually could be prompting Odengene to disrupt and disorganise LP to ensure victory for their party.
