Rotational Politics in Enugu State: The Need to Maintain the Political Tranquillity in the State

an unwritten code…

Enugu as a state birthed in August 1991, was not expected by some older states to perform well economically and politically due to the situation of its largely agrarian population.

Critics stated that the only viable area in the whole state was the capital, Enugu city, which was not even an industrial or business city. Enugu city was recognized as an administrative and civil service city having a connection to the great history of the country.

Enugu as a city has great ties with the history of the country. It was the administrative capital of the Eastern region, serving as the political city that administered the present-day South-East and South-South geopolitical zone.

It was also the capital of the defunct country, Biafra. It was the capital of East Central State, Anambra State before it became the capital of the present Enugu State.

People of Enugu and Ebonyi States referred to as Wawa people had long clamoured for their states from the East Central State and then from Anambra State.

The reason why they sought their state was based on the discrimination as they cited. However, people of the old Anambra were sceptical of the ability of the new Enugu State to survive economically and politically, severed from her mother state, Anambra.

At the point that Enugu was made a state, the military was still in charge, and there was no talk about the kind of power change and politics that was to be played at that point.

However, with the introduction of a transition process to civilian rule, an election was to be organized and the matter came up. The natter was what kind of politics and power rotation would the state play or follow?

Rechecking the old Anambra State, the kind of politics played in the old larger state was inclusive. In the second republic (1979–1983), while Alex Ekwueme from the Anambra area was chosen by Shehu Shagari as his vice president, the state political fathers decided that in all fairness and equity, someone from the Enugu area had to be chosen to be the governor, and this was how Jim Nwobodo from Nkanu side of Enugu was chosen.

In the same Anambra politics, C. C. Onoh from the Udi side was chosen to be the governor in the same matter of fairness.

This is the genesis of the rotational politics played in Enugu. It was an unwritten code that was carried on from the old Anambra State. Although most times it is not the consensus of the people as the chosen person and which zone is going is largely determined by political fathers; nevertheless, gradually, it has to come to define the political structure of the state.

Political and Cultural Structure of Enugu State

Enugu State is made of seventeen local government areas. These areas are divided into three senatorial and political zones: Enugu North, Enugu West, and Enugu East. The towns or names representing these zones or what they are known for are Nsukka for Enugu North, Udi for Enugu West, and Nkanu for Enugu East.

These senatorial zones are not only just mere political zones, sometimes they are considered cultural zones, even though the cultural zones overflow from one political zone to another. The cultural zones and political zones are divided as:

1. Ndi Agbaja is for Enugu West. The primary town or popular name is Udi.

2. Ndi Nkanu is for Enugu East. The popular name for them is Nkanu, most parts of the Enugu city are incorporated here.

3. Ndi Nsukka is for Enugu North. Nsukka is the major town and what the zone is known as.

Sometimes the members of a cultural zone are severed from their mother zone and put in another political zone. Most people from Isi Uzo local government consider themselves to be part of the Nsukka cultural zone as they have close ties with most parts of Nsukka. The local government is still considered part of Nsukka Catholic and Anglican dioceses. Most of them also prefer to go to Nsukka to seek modern facilities.

However, they have become part of the Enugu East political zone, and due to this can vie for any political position under the senatorial zone. Enugu East has produced two former governors of old Anambra State and present-day Enugu State, and both of them are from the Nkanu area: Chimaroke Nnamani and Jim Nwobodo.

Enugu North has produced Okwesilieze Nwodo whose tenure was short-lived and the present governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.

Enugu West has produced C. C. Onoh and Sullivan Chime.

After Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, it is expected that someone from Enugu East should take over according to the other rotation among the zone. Since 1999, the rotational policy has been obeyed as the baton of leadership is passed from one zone to another.

The political fathers and majority of the people are insisting that the power rotational policy of the state must continue to be for the political tranquillity of the state to remain intact.

Power Struggle and Rotation of Power since 1999 in Enugu State

Chimaroke Nnamani (1999–2007)

The power of governing the country and the states were given to the civilians in 1999. At that point, there was still a consideration that the rotational policy and the unwritten rotation of power had to continue to be in place. The last democratically elected governor of the state was Okwesilieze Nwodo, so it was considered that someone from Enugu East should go for fairness and equity.

Jim Nwobo facilitated the choice of Chimaroke Nnamani to become the governor of the state. Chimaroke Nnamani is from Enugu East senatorial zone, Nkanu area to be precise. His selection did not stop other interested candidates to contest, and they did and failed. Nnamani was elected as the governorship candidate of PDP, and he was also elected as the governor in 1999. He assumed office in 1999.

In 2003, when he was seeking re-election, he sought re-election and the desire to complete his constitutional 8 years in office did not stop other individuals from contesting against him.

Fidel Ayogu, Peter Okonkwo, and Godsmark Ugwu, all from Enugu North senatorial zone, contested against him. He still won and led the state for another four years.

Meanwhile, Chimaroke Nnamani’s tenure as a governor benefited the Nkanu people. He built the major campus of the Enugu State University of Technology there, the Nigerian Law School, the Airforce Secondary School, and a whole lot of other infrastructure he built for them. As he rounded off as the governor, he facilitated the emergence of Sullivan Chime who is from the Enugu West senatorial zone.

Sullivan Chime (2007–2015)

Sullivan Chime was chosen at a time when some individuals of Enugu North were protesting the perceived exclusion of the zone from the centre of administration.

During Chimaroke Nnamani’s 8 years in office, no major project was done in Nsukka, concentration was on Enugu and Nkanu. The zone felt cheated, and some individuals from the zone contested heavily to challenge Sullivan Chime for Enugu West.

Fidel Ayogu, Okechukwu Itanyi, and Okey Ezea, all from Enugu North senatorial and political zone, contested for the position of the governor. They lost, and Sullivan Chime was chosen as the flag bearer of PDP for the governorship position in the state. He won the general election.

In the 2011 election, Sullivan Chime contested for re-election and all his major contenders were still from the Nsukka zone. They were Ikeje Asogwa, Dr Dan Shere, and Okey Ezea. Of course, the former governor was re-elected. At this point, their emotions were set at a high point that Nsukka was being neglected in development like Enugu and other areas.

Chime focused primarily on Enugu city and little of Udi. The growth of other towns scattered in the state stagnated for some time. This must be part of the major factor in leading Nsukka politicians to keep contesting. Little was done in Nsukka by the two former governors.

As 2015 approached, the debate began on who was going to succeed Chime and from which zone. Some politicians insisted on making the contest open and not leaving it to one zone.

This did not work out as the rotation had to be adhered to, Sullivan Chime facilitated the election of Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi as the PDP governorship candidate in the 2015 governorship election.

Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (2015 to date)

Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi being elected as the governor of Enugu State in 2015 came at a point when the state fell from majority or member of the ruling party to the opposition party. There was apprehension and suspense in the state whether Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi would scale through, but he did.

His major contender was Ayogu Eze, the former senator representing Enugu North senatorial zone. Ugwuanyi won, but Ayogu Eze did not trust the primary election, and so he took the case to court. The case was concluded with Ugwuanyi winning the case.

Ugwuanyi’s major point of administration was rural development. He shifted the attention of the state government from Enugu city, instead, he focused on rural towns and other towns.

For the first time since 1999, the Nsukka zone felt the state government’s presence in the zone. However, another problem came out as the people in Enugu city and other areas close to the city stated that the government had abandoned the city.

In 2019, Ugwuanyi was elected unchallenged in PDP. His major contender was Ayogu Eze again, who decamped to APC and won the APC governorship ticket. Ugwuanyi won the election with a very massive gap, 95% of the total votes cast. He has seen be sworn in again to continue as the governor of Enugu State.

As 2023 draws close, several politicians are beginning to make moves and ascertain who the next governor would be and from which zone. Capitalizing on Ugwuanyi’s calm disposition, they had begun to push the competence over zoning narrative.

If Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi finishes as the governor of Enugu State it is expected, as it used to be, that someone from the Enugu East senatorial zone would take over. With the recent heated polity, what would happen to power rotation and zoning in Enugu State?

Why Power Rotation and Zoning must be upheld in Enugu State?

Aside from Enugu, few other states do not play politics of bitterness and rancour in Nigeria. The three political and cultural zones have been leaving in complete harmony since the creation of the state and return to democracy.

Every citizen of the state knows that power would continue to rotate and expect who would be the next governor. This, of course, removes the politics of bitterness, rancour, and disappointment among the citizens of the state and against the people in power.

There is also a spread of development in the state when the state focuses on power rotation and zoning. Right from the time of Okwesilieze Nwodo, the different governors have often given more attention to their zones.

What this implies is that as the seat of power continues to rotate among the zones and in different local governments, the development will continue to spread in the state. No particular government can work on all parts of the state at the same time. Rotation and power shift are needed to deepen the spread of development in the state.

Competency can be found in all the political zones in the state. No certain zone has the exclusive right of competency. The leadership of the state rotating among the zones will lead to competition among zones to outperform each other and be the best.

The earlier governors had set the pace, no coming governor would love to perform beyond par. This competition will breed competency and effectiveness.

Enugu State’s politics has always been centred on zoning and rotation of power among the political zones in the country, and it should not change now. There will be a great misunderstanding if this unwritten code is jeopardized.

Although there is no legally binding document for this, and that it is an agreement between members of PDP in the state, maintaining the statuesque would lead to continuous tranquillity and development in the state.

Written by Chinweokwu Ukwueze

Originally published at http://discoverenugu042.wordpress.com on April 12, 2021.