The constituency which is currently represented by Engr. Peter Ede of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has acquired the status of the stronghold of opposition in Ebonyi State. This is true since in addition to the federal constituency which the APC won in the 2011 general election, two out of the four state constituencies were also won by the APC. With the 2015 general election fast approaching, political pundits are wondering whether the repackaged opposition APC will continue to hold sway in the federal constituency, or the reformed PDP will recapture Ezza North/Ishelu Federal Constituency.
To a large extent, whatever will happen in the 2015 election in Ezza North/Ishielu Federal Consistency will depend on the calibre of candidates fielded in that federal constituency by the political parties. This is why there is need to take more than a passing glance on the credentials of those jostling for the position.
Hon.Peter O. Ede: An Engineer by profession, Peter Ede is currently the member representing Ezza North/Ishielu Federal Constituency in the National Assembly, Abuja on the ticket of the defunct All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP), now APC. Ede, a shrewd and astute politician came into political limelight in the Sam Egwu era when he was appointed Commissioner for Science and Technology. In 2003, he won and represented his people of Ishielu South in Ebonyi State House of Assembly on the platform of the PDP. In 2007, Ede was the ANPP candidate for Ebonyi Central Senatorial District, but he lost to Senator Julius Ali Ucha who was then of the PDP. Ede rejoined the PDP after the 2007 General Elections. In 2008, he contested the Local Council Election for Ishielu Local Government Area, but his ambition was frustrated by an amalgam of forces from Senator Ucha’s political machinery and that of the state government. Ucha’s grouse against Ede was that Ede who was his political godson, had the effrontery to contest the 2007 senatorial election with him. However, political expediency brought them together in 2011, and Ede became the greatest beneficiary of the entire political protest orchestrated by Senator Ucha over the Ezillo and Ezza Ezillo crisis.
Ede is believed to be a vibrant member of the National Assembly. With about two meaningful motions to his credit, Ede who is a simple and easy going person may likely win for a second term.
Be that as it may, Ede is from minority Agba and this will stand on his way to victory for two reasons: one is that politics is a game of number and two is that Ezza people on whose protest votes he rode to power may not vote for him again given the on-going reconciliations in the area. Above all, Ezza people may want their own blood to represent them especially as the Senate may likely shift from Ezza for the first time. The crises rocking the APC both at the National and State levels also constitute a serious impediment to Ede in 2015.
Chief Moses O. Nomeh: Nomeh has a rich political experience dating from the Third Republic when he served in the board of one of the parastatals in Nwodo’s regime in the old Enugu State. He started as a liaison officer to Gov. Sam Egwu and later rose to become one of the longest serving development centre chairmen in Egwu’s eight-year regime. Gov. Elechi appointed him as member II, Ebonyi State Local Government Service Commission from where he contested the House of Representatives Election for Ezza North/Ishielu Federal Constituency under the PDP in 2011. His loss to Hon. Ede was one of the shockers of the 2011 general elections. He fought hard at the Election Tribunal but lost at the Court of Appeal. Currently, he is serving his second tenure as member II in Ebonyi Local Government Service Commission.
However, there are a few political road blocks between Nomeh and the Ezza North/Isheilu Federal Constituency seat in the National Assembly. First, Nomeh is seen as a proud person who is often power drunk. This, according to analysts, was the reason behind his loss in the 2011 elections. The fact that he allowed some politicians he built to swell the ranks of his antagonists is also seen as a big minus. Finally, Nomeh’s conduct over staff transfer in the commission where he currently serves is also a source of concern.
Emmanuel Nwobo: A lawyer and politician, Nwodo started as legal adviser to Imoha Development Centre under Hon. Moses Nomeh. He later became the PDP Legal Adviser in Ebonyi State. In 2003, he contested the Ezza North–East State Constituency Election into Ebonyi State House of Assembly on the ticket of the PDP and won. In 2007, he equally won his second tenure election and later became the Majority Leader of the state legislature. Youthful Nwobo keenly contested the National Assembly nomination for Ezza North/Ishielu Federal Constituency with his former boss, Moses Nomeh, in 2010 but lost the ticket to Nomeh. A go –getter, Nwobo’s strongest base is the youths whom he empowers and fraternizes with. When he lost the PDP ticket to Nomeh in the run – up to the 2011 general election, Nwobo played bad politics by allowing the opposition to win not only in his own ward but also in his own polling booth. His attempts to explain that he would have won the 2011 election if he had the PDP ticket did not go down well with people and even the government who saw (and still sees) him as selfish and unfair to his benefactor and the PDP.
Nwobo’s major selling point if he secures nomination in the 2015 election is the fact he has over the years endeared himself to the youths of his area with his “Mgba-Mgba” brand of politics. Youths like we all know are very useful in elections.
Nwobo’s greatest problem is the suspicion in high places and within government circles that he had a hand in the dismal performance of the PDP in 2011 in Ezza North. He has been idle since 2011, a long period of time, and consequently, lacks the financial muscles needed to prosecute a political war which the 2015 election promises to be in Ezza North/Ishielu Federal Constituency.
Dr. Sunday Chris Chukwu: Sunday Chukwu, a Ph.D holder and environmental scientist is a cosmopolitan politician who is widely travelled and has a network of friends across the globe. A former consultant with National Environmental Sanitation Regulatory Agency (NESREA), Chukwu who was recently appointed into the Management Committee of Ezza North Development Centre by Gov. Martin Elechi has two things going for him. He is young and as a fresh political blood, he has clean relationships with people having not stepped on any toes. A part-time Pastor of the Winners’ Chapel, Abakaliki, Chukwu’s ambition is driven by what he says is a divine plan which has allegedly been confirmed in many revelations and prophecies, and promises to be the awaited miracle of 2015.
The strongest advantages of Chukwu are his education and his charismatic and non-violent approach to politics. His friends both at home and abroad have in solidarity for his ambition started raising funds big enough to carry the financial weight of the project. Sunday Chukwu’s ambition is also an answer to a long cry for the injection of new blood into the political setting filled up with spent forces who are no longer in tune with the dynamics of the modern society. Dr Chukwu has the support of the youths of the constituency. A formidable youth group which serves as a major support base for the current state administration has given tacit support to Dr Chukwu’s ambition. Also in a largely Christian setting, Chukwu’s Christian network will be an added advantage.
As bright as Dr. Chukwu’s road to victory looks, it is going to face the challenge of class-conscious politicians with avowed penchant for frustrating newcomers by building impermeable walls around themselves.
Bar Collins Ikeuwa Omebe: This lawyer was brought to political limelight by the former council Chairman of Imoha Development Centre, Moses Nomeh, who after appointing Omebe his Legal Adviser, also facilitated the latter’s rise to the position of PDP Legal Adviser for Ebonyi State. Later on, Omebe became the council Chairman for Ezza North LGA between Nov 2007 and 2013.
As Ezza North council Chairman, Omebe ran an excusive administration where the stakeholders and even a large chunk of the populace were isolated. The council area did not see reasonable development during Omebe’s reign because of his obsession to perpetuate himself in power. In fact, in 2011 after a few weeks he took oath of office for his second tenure in Ezza North, he contested the senatorial position for Ebonyi central district. Though his senatorial ambition was stillborn, it gave him out as a man of vaulting ambition. In 2011, he was accused of complicity in the triumph of the opposition ANPP in Ezza North LGA. He was later impeached by his councilors, but the Governor intervened to save him. This was followed by a near fatal attack by gunmen on his convoy along the expressway. Even though he sustained bullet wounds, he survived it. Thereafter, he remained in office till the end of his tenure on 31stOct. 2013,
Ikeuwa’s strength lies in the huge financial war chest which he built over the years; but as a very unpopular politician, it has become difficult to see how he could win the people to his side. His serial betrayal of all those who helped him ascend to power is another stumbling block on his way. Above all, the zoning arrangement does not favour him.
From the foregoing, it suffices that these projections notwithstanding, one thing is certain, and that thing is that come 6thJune, 2015, one person shall take oath of office as the member representing Ezza North/Ishielu federal constituency in the National Assembly. That person, we do not know for now, but time the revealer of all things shall unveil the identity of the person. Till then, all we can do for now is to watch the events as they unfold.
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2015: The battle for Ezza-North/Ishielu Federal Constituency |
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