The wind has gone out of the sail of those who were opposed to emergence of Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi as the choice of the mainstream Peoples Democratic Party, PDP to replace Governor Sullivan Chime with the strong indication that Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu has given a secret endorsement to Ugwuanyi.
It was learnt that EKweremadu has gone a step further to instruct his supporters in the state not oppose the emergence of Ugwuanyi.
Ugwuanyi, who has been in the National Assembly since 2003 as a member representing Igbo Eze North/ Udenu Federal Constitution, is said to have a cosy relationship with Ekweremadu.
Pundits have seen the move by the Governor Chime to pick somebody from the the National Assembly, where most of intra-party opposition is coming from, as his successor as the master stroke that put other camps in disarray.
some politicians who had hitherto positioned themselves in other camps have realised the futility of their hanging on to those camps, when the political ship of the state has picked a clear direction.
Not of a few them are said to be already re-negotiating their ways to Chime/ Ugwuanyi camp.
Besides, opposition from other aspirants who had openly disagreed with the choice of Orba-born federal lawmaker as the consensus candidate of the mainstream PDP appears to be waning.
After the press conference in which Senator Ayogu Eze representing Enugu-North senatorial district rejected the choice of Ugwuanyi as the consensus and vowed to challenge the choice in the party’s primaries not much has been heard from him.
For the Speaker, Enugu State House of Assembly, Mr. Eugene Odo who had initially promised to reject Ugwuanyi as the product of a crooked process, his misalignment with the mainstream political persuasion in the state would have cost him his position in the Assembly.
He has since fallen silent after some threat of impeachment in the House of Assembly.
People who are close to the Ugwuanyi say that his humility, generosity and care and concern for the poor and less privileged are qualities hard to find in most politicians in the country.
They hailed Chime for his ability to see through human facade to pick the man that has the ability to take the state to the next level after Chime, who is not after vainglory.
Ugwuanyi billbboards thanking Enugu people for their support are already hoisted around major streets of Enugu and Nsukka.
The inscription “Ndi Enugu (People of Enugu), Thank you all” on the billboards, is a seen as strong message by the Chime camp to show that the deal is sealed.
Attempts to reach Ekweremadu to confirm his current disposition to the consensus choice were not successful
