By TONY EDIKE
THE crisis rocking Enugu State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has deepened, despite last week”s resignation of the party’s National Chairman, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, as major stakeholders and leaders of the party have adopted Engr. Anayo Onwuegbu as the governorship candidate for the state ahead of Governor Sullivan Chime’s second term ambition.

The party  leaders, who have dumped Governor Chime in preference for Onwuegbu, include former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, former governor of old Anambra State, Senator Jim Nwobodo, chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Power, Prof Barth Nnaji, Senator Fidelis Okoro, Dr. Silas Iloh, Senator Hyde Onuaguluchi and four former military governors from the state, among others.

They also adopted Dr. Uche Ogbu as Onwuegbu’s  running-mate, while the trio of Hon. Frank Ugwu, Dr. David Ngene and Mr. John Egesi emerged senatorial candidates for Enugu North, Enugu East and Enugu West respectively.

By this development, the bid of the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, to return to the senate for a record third time may also  have suffered a major setback.

From the list submitted to the party’s national leadership by the stakeholders and signed by the Chairman and Secretary of the PDP in Enugu State, Chief Okey Ogbonna, and Mr. Oyibo Chukwu respectively, for onward transmission to INEC, none of the incumbent members of the State Assembly, House of Representatives or Senate secured a ticket to return.

Briefing newsmen on the development in Enugu yesterday, Engr. Onwuegbu said his endorsement followed the laid down procedure of the party, adding that the primaries that produced the candidates were held under the authentic party executive of Chief Ogbonna which emerged from the congresses held between December 29-31, 2010.

According to him, the congresses, which were supervised by INEC officials, relevant security agencies, were sequel to the directive of the National Working Committee, NWC, which equally sent a panel, led by Senator Sylvanus Ngele and Chief Sam Bassey as chairman and secretary respectively, to monitor the exercise.

He stated that the fresh congresses became necessary following the dissolution of the Vita Abba-led executive by the PDP NWC after it was declared illegal by INEC and the subsequent vacation of the two court orders that restrained the party from conducting fresh congresses in the state.

Onwuegbu, who insisted that his nomination as well as those of other candidates was done by delegates produced by authentic executive of the party in the state, said that any attempt to subvert the collective decision of party elders, stakeholders as well as genuine delegates would be stoutly resisted.

“As I’m taking to you now, the party executive in the state, after hearing a rumour that plans are underway to change the list that has been submitted to the party’s national leadership, filed a suit at the Federal High Court, Abuja, seeking for an order restraining the party from tampering with what has been done as well as stopping them from thinking of conducting any other congress in Enugu State.

“We hope that by the time the court rules on this, all these rumours about several candidates’ lists flying here and there would have been laid to rest. We are optimistic and preparing for the main election,” he said, even as he disclosed that the NWC had long presented certificates of returns to the elected party executive as demonstrated in the list of delegates to the party National Convention which boldly appeared on the event’s brochure.

Meanwhile,the Association of Enugu State Professionals has said that the  removal of Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo might not bring respite needed by Governor Sullivan Chime for an unfettered return to the Government House in May.

In a statement issued at the weekend and signed by its president, Dr. Didi Okoro Didi, the group  asked  the governor to beware of more booby-traps already  laid for him.

In the statement entitled “After Nwodo’s exit, what next for PDP in Enugu state?”, the statement  pointed out that “it is clear that state political elite and the  masses in the state are not  comfortable with some of  the policies regarding party primaries”.

Dr. Didi further hinted that more dangerous for Chime is  the fact that many of his associates, aides and present  state and National Assembly members supposed to be in league  with the governor in plotting strategies for the next election appear to moles for certain leaders  who would

not want him to make it in his second term bid.

The association pointed out, for instance, that whereas Chime’s predecessor and estranged political god father, Senator Chimaroke Nnamni, and his associates in his new political platform, People For Democratic Change, are busy planning to grapple with the election proper and apparently to stop the governor, he appears to be depending on certain persons around him who also appear to have their heart in the new platform.

It said the former governor has honed his ever ready deft political  strategy and appears set to clinch theEnugu East senatorial seat again under PDC and that pairing him with a weaker candidate of the PDP will be a grievous political mistake on the part of Chime. The association pointed out that, for instance, in the caseof that knotty situation in Enugu East senatorial district over the National Assembly primaries, it appears that Chime  is confused over the choice of either a business mogul, Chief Everest Nnaji or House of Representative member, Hon. Gil Nnaji, for the senate.

According to the statement, whereas it appears clear that the people of the zone want the business man, some people who are working clandestinely against the governor are giving him the impression that the legislator will be more suitable for the post.

”Quite alarming is the wrong impression they are giving to Governor Chime when in the real sense they are working against come April election”, the group cautioned.

It also stated that “it will be a terrible mistake to underrate Dr. Nnamani and his new party, the PDC by picking weak candidates on the platform of the PDP to confront them. This, indeed, is the biggest danger facing PDP in the state now that Nwodo is gone.

There have been conflicting signals as to which of the two senatorial aspirants from the East senatorial zone actually has the ticket, and whereas some said the business man was anointed by the governor, others have also said that the governor may have shifted the choice to the incumbent

legislator who is said to be preferred by deputy senate president, Ike Ekweremadu.

Yet, the issue of the North district, Nwodo’s home base, is another big nut for the governor to crack as some of those who emerged from the primaries in that area under the arrangement brokered by the presidency between the ousted national chairman the governor have headed to court to challenge any move to replace them now because their leader has been removed.