Ekweremadu's Home Trouble

Ike Ekweremadu, Deputy Senate President, is in political quandary in his Enugu state home front, as both his third term senatorial and governorship ambitions crumble.


These are, particularly, trying times for Chief Ike Ekweremadu, Deputy Senate President and Senator representing Enugu West District. (Pictures left show Ekweremadu, outgoing senator representing Enugu West District; right down is Sir OAU Onyema, hopeful replacement of Ekweremadu)

Ekweremadu is, at the moment, visibly torn between the Devil and deep blue sea, uncertain of his political future which, to all intents and purposes, is irretrievably hitting the political rock of Enugu state under the firm administration of Barrister Sullivan Iheanacho Chime.

Just last Monday, July 4, the Deputy Senate President received the rudest shock of his life. The occasion was a gala-night organized in honor of the newly elected National Chairman of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, by the government of Chime at the Old Governor’s Lodge, located on Abakiliki Road, Enugu.

It is worthy to recall that during the struggle for the post of the PDP national chairmanship position, Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu visibly threw his support behind the candidacy of Chief Ozichukwu Chukwu against that Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, his fellow Enugu man. Chief Ozichukwu Chukwu, one-time Vice Chairman of PDP, in the South-East zone, is an an indigene of Imo state.

Ekweremadu’s clear support of Ozichukwu, actually, ran counter to the wishes and aspirations of his Enugu state people who had been lobbying, over the years, for the position to be zoned to them. And it was in response to the outcries of the citizenry that Chime’s government, alongside a few other Wawa irredentists, spent restless days and sleepless nights in Abuja to install Nwodo as National Chairman of PDP. Apart from being the first Executive Governor of Enugu State, Nwodo was, also, the pioneer Secretary of the PDP.

Now that the Deputy Senate President’s candidate (Ozichukwu) did not emerge victorious, political analysts had expected him (Senator Ekweremadu) to retrace his steps and transfer his full support and solidarity to Nwodo, but that did not seem to be the case, at least, during the church reception organized in Nwodo’s honor at the Holy Ghost of Cathedral, Enugu last Sunday, July 3.

Senator Ekweremadu conspicuously shunned the church service, and many read politics into his behavior. It was learnt that his absence at the church service could have been his own way of still protesting the loss of Ozichukwu, his candidate, and the emergence of Nwodo as National boss of his party (PDP).

To some others, Ekweremadu’s later visit to Nwodo’s GRA residence following the deluge of blames and persuasions from his dwindling followership, was nothing but a face-saving devise, and the same impression dogged his subsequent appearance at Nwodo’s grand reception ceremony held at the Michael Okpara Square, Enugu. Nwodo’s grand reception, of course, attracted eminent personalities, including Governors across the southeast geopolitical zone.
Perhaps, the snub he (EKweremadu) earlier received from Governor Chime at the Old Government House Lodge venue of the gala-night in honor of Nwodo would have jolted him (Ekweremadu) to the reality of the fact that the political situation of things in Enugu state no longer favor him. Put differently, the Deputy Senate President now seems like a political leper, with the very few that still interact with him doing so from a reasonable distance.

Governor Chime, particularly, at the gala-night, shunned Senator Ekweremadu when he (Ekweremadu) stood up from his seat, moved closer to the Governor and invited him (Chime) to join him in an on-going victory dance at the floor. Other personalities including former governors and senators had, at this point, joined in the merry dance.

Like an episode in an outdated love film, Ekweremadu stretched out his hands for over five minutes, beckoning on Governor Chime to join him in the dance floor, saying: ‘Your Excellency, come now, let’s dance now. Come now, let’s dance’.

The Mpu-born senator even moved closer to pull the Governor by the hands, but Chime neatly folded his hands across his chest while watching the dance of joy which he, alongside other committed few other compatriots, fought out their hearts to ignite for Enugu people, of course, in exclusion of this Deputy Senate President.

The dazed Senator Ekweremadu, who can presently best be described as a political orphan in his home Enugu state, later, (out of his own shame?) moved over to the floor to join in the dance. Of course, his own dance steps became highly feverish and discordant, having been treated with such level of ‘irrelevance’ by the very people he ‘lies’ in Abuja to represent.

Ekweremadu’s argument in supporting Ozichukwu against Nwodo, his Enugu kinsman, appeared to have been born out of his touted claim that the duo were both ‘Ndi Igbo’ who he argued he is entrusted with equal responsibility to protect.

But this reason, as far as the majority is concerned, is as baseless as ever. The truth, some insist, is that Senator Ekweremadu, whose new craze is primitive accumulation of property across Nigeria and beyond, opted to support Ozichukwu because both have worked together for a long time and have developed a lot of ‘winning rapports’.

Thus Ozichukwu, being his man-Friday, would easily create a platform which could offer him his much-sought-after Enugu state governorship ticket in a couple of months to come. And there is no gainsaying the fact that Ozichukwu was willing to be the Deputy Senate President’s tool which he could use to exploit political opportunities in Enugu state to his (Ekweremadu)’s advantages.
Of course, Ekweremadu rightly reckoned that Nwodo would not be such a willing tool to ‘manipulate’ to achieve his political whims and caprices, as Nwodo is, unarguably, noted for his calm, firm and procedural dispositions in handling political matters as they arise. At least, many expect that his political antecedents stand as a testimony to this. Nwodo is largely perceived as a man who sticks to due process, and he is not noted for allowing himself to be coaxed, under any guise, into taking any decision to the detriment of the party in the state and beyond.

It must be pointed out, for the umpteenth time, that the current intractable problem and dilemma of the second-term serving Senator Ike Ekweremadu (popularly known as Ikeoha), actually, started with his ambition to run for the governorship of Enugu state, even when he was yet to make any visible positive impact on the lives of tens of thousands of his constituents in Enugu West Senatorial Zone.

Apart from what his critics describe as vaulting ambition of campaigning for the guber position without recourse to the PDP high command in the state, others insist that Ekweremadu, about to serve out two (fruitless) terms in the senate, should step aside for a more competent constituent to mount the saddle.

Sequel to this, Udi people, insisting on equity and fair-play, have called on the other council areas that make up Enugu West Senatorial zone, including Ekwereamdu’s tersely populated and developed Aninri, Awgu, Ezeagu and Oji River respectively to allow them to produce the Senator this time around.

Already, a constituent from Udi Local Government Area, Ogochukwu Agapitus Umunnakwe (OAU), Knight of St. John International (KSJ), is presently under persistent pressures by a circle of his friends cum supporters to run for the senate seat in place of Ekweremadu.
Incidentally, OAU Onyema (Akpaagu Ikenga), Chairman of Ohanaeze Ndigbo (Enugu Chapter) and a tested politician, is yet to throw his hats into the political ring for the senatorial job because he is yet to get required endorsement of his immediate boss, Governor Chime and, of course, that of the PDP high command in the state.

To demonstrate their resolve in ensuring a stop to the perceived ‘lack-lustre’ representation which incumbent Senator Ekweremadu has subjected them to all these years, Sir Onyema’s friends, in a widely circulated booklet in February of this year, vehemently insisted that ‘it is the turn of an Udi man to be given a chance in the senate this time around’.

Of course, the iron cast logic of the Udis, as earlier reported by this magazine, is hinged on the fact that the people have not produced a senator (for Enugu West Senatorial District) for the past 30 years while all their neighboring constituent councils have, either produced twice or thrice. Examples abound.

And although Onyema, a would-be-lawyer, has tried to avoid situations of being thought over ambitious, the calls on him to stand out ‘to be counted’ remain strident.

Having on two occasions now prevented two other groups who came to ‘conscript’ him into the senate race, Onyema, a holder of two masters degrees, one in ‘Corporate Marketing’ and the other in ‘Industrial and Labor Relations’, says he would, in respect of his running for the senate, abide by the dictates of his boss (Governor Chime) and authorities of his party, the PDP.
Onyema, born on September 11, 1967, is presently, the Coordinator, Industrial Parks Development, Office of the Governor, Enugu state. A man of many honors and reputation, Onyema was, formerly, the General Manager of Enugu state owned Ikenga Hotel, Nsukka.
Intriguingly, ‘Friends of Sir OAU Onyema’ has, without recourse to him, continued with the campaign to install him the Senator representing Enugu West District come 2011.

Feelers show that the senate slot of Enugu West District is, for now, vacant, as Ekweremadu seems to have lost the opportunity to return to the seat for a third term. And the same scenario, also, applies to his earlier ambition to challenge the second-term running achievement-loaded Governor Chime. Nobody requires the services of a prophet to decipher that both opportunities have, in broad daylight, slipped off the hands of the Ebony black Deputy Senate President with the current political dispensation.

The reason is not far to fetch. Senator Ekweremadu will simply be unable to contend with the practical legacies the Chime administration is bequeathing to the people of Enugu state in all areas of development, including pipe-borne water, housing and electricity, roads, transport, agriculture and workers’ welfare among others.

Apart from the booklet authored by ‘Friends of Sir OAU Onyema’ which, also, supports Chime for second term in office, there are other eminent personalities who feel that the Governor has ‘surpassed what his predecessor tried to achieve in eight years’.

For instance, to Chief Jim Ifeanyichukwu Nwobodo, former Governor of old Anambra state: ‘Governor Sullivan Chime has changed the face of Enugu state. People have told me even as I move on, ‘Please whatever you are doing, allow this Governor to stay because we like him, and this is not based on nothing. It is based on the fact that he has performed. Roads are being built, there is calmness, and people can sleep with their eyes closed unlike before. It is no longer fight, fight and violence’.

Even before his death last year, Chief C.C Onoh, another former Governor of old Anambra state, had this to say of Governor Chime: ‘At my old age, Chime has wiped away my tears. Go to Enugu and see what is happening to our roads…’

Even the opposing Senator Ekweremadu cannot afford to sing any discordant tune on Chime’s project driven government. Thus says the Deputy Senate President: ‘The government has done extremely very well. A lot has happened in terms of infrastructure, but I think the greatest achievement for this state is the issue of peace, because there is nothing you can achieve without peace’.

For now, Senator Ekweremadu, although he remains number two man in the nation’s national assembly, continues to swim in the slippery and murky waters of Enugu state politics. Will he swim out of this fast flowing ‘political beach’ safely? Or will he be drowned, nay, submerged in it? Only time will tell.

Culled from Insider