By Tony Edike
The political tension that gripped Enugu State since the past few weeks following INEC’s recommendation to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP at the national level to conduct fresh congresses in Enugu has heightened.

Three groups within the party in the state are locked in a row over the control of the PDP structure and have engaged in all manner of political intrigue to outwit the other.

Governor Sullivan Chime whose second term bid is seriously being threatened on account of his disagreement with a group loyal to the PDP National Chairman, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, had after fruitless efforts to get the dissolution order on the State Executive Committee of the party led by Engr. Vita Abba proceeded to the Federal High Court, Enugu to explore legal solution.

The governor and his supporters succeeded in obtaining an injunctive order of the court restraining INEC and Nwodo from conducting fresh congresses of the party in the state.

But some observers of the current impasse said the order might not achieve the desired objective.  It is feared that unless the court concludes hearing on the substantive motions brought before it by the Ebeano faction and the recent filed by Abba, whatever primary elections conducted by both camps would be regarded as a nullity.

The future of the party in the state now depends on the ability of both camps to resolve their differences amicably before the forthcoming primaries. Mindful of the dangers ahead for the party in the state, the South East Zonal Executive of the party headed by Barrister Olisa Metuh had set up a peace committee to reconcile the warring parties within the party.

The Deputy Senate President, Chief Ike Ekweremadu was earlier named as Chairman of the peace committee but he rejected the offer because as an indigene of the state and having taken sides in the dispute, he could  not preside over the panel.

Although the zonal working committee is yet to replace him, it listed other members of the committee to include the Chief Whip of the House of Representatives, Chief Emeka Ihedioha, Governors of Abia, Thoedore Orji, Imo, Ikedi Ohakim and Ebonyi, Martin Elechi.

The panel was charged to restore complete peace in Enugu PDP as well as reconciling political interests therein.

Although the influence of Nwodo in the ongoing intra_party squabble in his home state can not be under_estimated, Chime appears to be fully armed to fight the current battle the outcome of which would determine his political future.

The governor had maintained a sealed lip over the current imbroglio even though he had spent a number of days in Abuja making consultations principally to enable him retain the party structure in Enugu.

But while the camps of Nwodo and Chime are fighting on,  an arm of the Ebeano faction loyal to Senator Chimaroke Nnamani  which decamped to the People for Democratic Change, PDC has continued to work hard to sell the party to the people of the state.

The PDC is the platform with which the Ebeano intends to  contest the governorship election with a view to wrestling power from the Chime and PDP in 2011. The PDC was presented to a mammoth crowd that gathered at the palatial home of Senator Nnamani  at Agbani  and thereafter the party’s posters and billboards appeared in parts of the state.

Chime found an opportunity to lash out at Ebeano and its leaders recently for dumping the PDP when at a rally organised at Okpara Square by the Association of the Local Governments of Nigeria, ALGON he fired at Nnamani and his Ebeano loyalists.  “Those who are not interested in developing the state, who are not interested in taking our people to greater height, they are gradually leaving the PDP.

For you to continue to be a member of the PDP, you must believe in rewarding our people. You must believe in taking our people to greater heights,” said Chime.

For the Ebeano camp, it is speculated that a former Secretary to the State Government, SSG under the Nnamani regime, Dr. Dan Shere is being presented as its Governorship candidate for 2011 and his candidature appears to be causing panic in some political camps because of the zone he is coming from.

Shere is from Enugu North otherwise called Nsukka zone which has not produced the governor of the state right from the old Anambra State. Dr. Nwodo remains the only governor that ever emerged from Nsukka zone even though he did not complete a full term in office.

The people of Nsukka zone which constitutes over 120 political wards out of 260 in the state are determined to snatch power from Chime in the next dispensation but the governor’s group has since dismissed them as “ jokers.”

Another trouble that appears to be on the way of the governor is the entrance of Chief Anayo Onwuegbu popularly called Omeiheukwu from Oji River Local Government Area which is in Chime’s Enugu West Senatorial zone.

He is running under the PDP and enjoys the strong support of Nwodo group which comprises PDP elders from across the three senatorial zones.  Onwuegbu described as a successful businessman and contractor, is seen as a serious contender and poses a major challenge to Governor Chime’s re_election bid.

Onwuegbu and Chime are the only aspirants that have so far obtained PDP gubernatorial nomination forms but none of them has submitted the form. The delay, according to political watchers, might not be unconnected with ongoing rift over the party’s structure in the state.

But the camp of Governor Chime appears very confident of retaining the various elective positions currently being occupied by PDP.

Apart from incumbent factor, the governor is acclaimed to have performed creditably within the past three years in urban renewal projects especially in road construction and street lighting.

But the people in the rural areas have not got much to show in terms of state government projects even though the Local Government Areas were given free hands by Chime to utilize their monthly allocation for the development of the rural communities.

“Chime’s achievements will speak for him and the people of Enugu are very vigilant.  The people of Enugu can not be deceived into supporting another party or candidate that will return the state back to the dark days of under_development and insecurity,” Chairman of Enugu North Local Government, Dr. Hebert Oji told Vanguard recently,  adding that it was in determination to ensure the continuity of Chime administration that various interest groups like ALGON, Conference of Nigerian Political Parties, CNPP, PDP members in the three senatorial zones among others have since endorsed the governor’s re_election bid

The battle line has clearly been drawn between the various political interests in the state but the political future of Enugu would largely depend on the ability of the political leaders to resolve the current impasse that has almost torn the mainstream political party (PDP) apart.