Ahead of the 2027 general elections, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC) are harvesting members of the Labour Party (LP) to maintain their dominance in Enugu State. However, instead of curbing this trend, the party is neck-deep in another crisis that could consign it to the dustbin of political history in the state. LAWRENCE NJOKU reports.
Nothing could have better captured the current political mood in Enugu State better than last week’s visit of the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the residence of the 2023 governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the state, Chijioke Edeoga, to plead for his return to the party. Edeoga was a member of the PDP until the build up to the 2023 general elections when he dumped the party after clinching the governorship ticket of the LP.
This occurred after he participated in the PDP governorship primary, which was won by Governor Peter Mbah. The visit, which culminated in a closed-door meeting, was part of efforts to strengthen PDP ahead of the 2027 general elections in the state.
When they rose from the meeting, Enugu State Chairman of the party, Dr Martin Chukwunwike, told newsmen that his executive had taken it upon itself to “consult with some of our very key people who have been PDP all along,” adding that number person on the list was Edeoga. He stated that approval to consult with all those who left the PDP for various reasons was obtained from Governor Mbah.
He said: “Edeoga has gone to the House of Representatives under the banner of PDP. During our discussion, he told me plainly that he owes a lot to PDP. He’s been in the state executive council of Enugu State courtesy of the PDP and a lot of other things. So, it was painful to me to come and be acting as the PDP chairman without someone like him in the party.”
Edeoga was among the politicians that made the LP tick during the 2023 general elections. Winning the LP ticket after being denied the opportunity by the PDP was all that he needed to launch himself into reckoning.
But at the conclusion of the exercise, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared PDP’s Mbah the winner with 160,895 votes over Edeoga’s 157,552 votes, after the collation was suspended in the state and key officials summoned to Abuja; a development that opened a legal contention that ended at the Supreme Court.
Even after the apex court had dealt a final blow on his aspiration to lead the state last year, he remained a strong opposition voice against some policies and activities of the government in the state.
Since PDP officials in the state left his residence, in line with his promise to the delegation, has begun consultations with LP members and stakeholders about a possible return to the PDP. Should he eventually succeed in convincing LP leaders and returning to the PDP, it would deal a big blow to the political fortunes of the LP in the state as the party has revolved around him since the conclusion of the 2023 elections.
Those who have watched the development have insisted that Edeoga joining PDP would seriously deplete the ranks of opposition voices in the state, just as on the other hand, it would serve as a big boost to the aspirations of PDP going by the massive goodwill he enjoyed during the last elections.
The move to convince the former governorship candidate back to PDP is not the first time since the conclusion of the last elections that LP was suffering massive loss in the state. In fact, in March last year, six of its members who won elections into the Enugu State House of Assembly had in a single day announced their defections into the PDP.
The defected lawmakers, which included Ejike Eze (Igboeze North 1), Johnson Ani (Enugu North), Princess Ugwu (Enugu South Rural), Pius Ezeugwu (Igbo Etiti East) and Osita Eze (Oji River) had attributed their decision to the “existence of irreconcilable division, an ongoing crisis within the Labour Party at the national level, and across all the state chapters.”
They regretted that the party had evolved into a state of perpetual discord with various factions embroiled in legal battles, thereby undermining its ability to effectively serve the interest of the people, adding that the internal squabbles in the party had reduced its capacity.
Close watchers however, observed that the decision to quit LP for the ruling PDP was to consolidate the offices they got at the state Assembly, especially after the court rulings that affected LP dominance of the state Assembly. LP had earlier controlled majority seats in the state Assembly, as well as produced two out of the three Senators of the state.
Currently the LP is left with five members while PDP is in control of the majority with 18 members. For the House of Representative seats in the state, LP currently controls five, and PDP two. But if the moves by three of the members to join the APC sails through, it will further deplete the party.
However, PDP is not alone in the feasting spree on the LP members in Enugu State, All Progressives Congress (APC), which came a distant fourth during the last general elections in the state, is also employing its political control at the centre to win over members of the party (LP).
In fact, the last few weeks had seen the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, who is also the leader of the party in the state, Uche Nnaji, return to Enugu to either hold meetings for possible defection or receive chieftains of the LP into the APC fold. Nnaji has told those that cared to listen that his party was in a systematic drive to wrest power from PDP in 2027 in the state.
APC’s latest catch from LP is one of its financiers from Udenu local government area, Chief Emeka Abah, who joined the party alongside his supporters and is set to win more converts for the party in Enugu North Senatorial zone.
In the same vein, three House of Representative members – Sunday Umeha, representing Udi/Ezeagu federal constituency; Chima Atu, the member, representing Enugu North/South federal constituency and Chidi Obetta, the member, representing Nsukka/Igboeze South federal constituency also last week approached the leadership of APC to join its fold.
They were joined by former member, representing Udi/Ezeagu federal constituency and an LP senatorial candidate for Enugu West in the 2023 general elections, Oguerinwa Amadi as well as Enugu State Campaign Coordinator for Peter Obi’s presidential campaign organisation, Chief Emeka Mamah.
And while the state leadership was attempting to settle down to the realities of the defections starring it on the face, some segments of the party combined with some State Working Committee (SWC) members and local government chairmen announced the suspension of LP state chairman, Casmir Agbo last weekend. Agbo had led the state chapter since the party in the last four years.
Those who wanted him out had in a statement after their meeting accused him of insubordination, attack on the party leader, Peter Obi as well as replacement of elected party leaders without due process. The group also announced the appointment of Chief Kingsley Ugwu, as its acting chairman pending the conduct of its congress.
But Agbo quickly dismissed his suspension as null and void, stressing that the national leadership of the party had some days earlier written to INEC extending his tenure as the state chairman of the party, alongside other state executives.
Lamenting the defection spree by some notable members of the party, he stated that his executive was poised to continue to build a party that would be attractive to all and sundry, just as he advised those planning to leave the party to rescind their decision and work towards its growth in the state. He stated that there is no political party currently in the country that is averse to a crisis.
Examining the current challenge faced by LP in the state, one of its chieftains, George Ezeh, stated that there was no reason for those who had benefited from the party to abandon it ahead of a major election. He lamented that it was unfortunate that efforts and resources that could be used to consolidate the hold on the party in the state were being invested in plotting how to join other political parties, adding that it defeats the essence of making the difference LP had always canvassed.
He said: “This is a party we loved and supported in 2023 and that took the political space by storm. Some of these elected officials, who are now trying to jettison the party and those that have left long ago could not have realised their dreams but for the LP. Rather than fight to ensure that we stick together to go into the next election, they are leaving in droves in search of greener pastures. It is so sad that we have wasted those efforts to support them for nothing.”
Speaking to The Guardian, Great Onwudiwe stated that whatever was happening to the party at the moment was not unexpected, stressing that the majority of those produced by the LP during the 2023 elections were not ready and prepared for public office.
“Some of them emerged because of the need to fill the gaps in their various localities. So, with a major election ahead, they need to identify which platforms that could protect their interests. They do not see LP as having the capacity to do so, especially with the crisis that erupted since the conclusion of the general elections in 2023 at the national level,” he said.
Onwudiwe, who claimed to be a PDP member in the state but “voted for LP in the last elections due to some infractions in his party”, added that the development currently in the party was not enough reasons to write it off in the state.
“It can only take a political reengineering at the national level to restore LP to the party to beat. One particular choice can trigger a return of all those that have left. The party is still strong in the southeast region having maintained presence in almost the five states of the zone. So, it is a matter of striking the right cord to get it back into reckoning,” he stated.
