Ekweremadu To Contest Enugu Governorship After 19 Years In Senate

Former Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, yesterday declared his intention to run for the governorship election in Enugu State, insisting that there is no such thing as zoning in the political landscape of Enugu State.

Mr Ekweremadu, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), represents Enugu-West District in the Senate.

Elected in 2003, he has spent more than 19 years in the Senate.

Ahead of the 2023 governorship elections in the state, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) where he belongs, has been at loggerheads over the question of zoning of the ticket with senator representing Enugu East, Chimaroke Nnamani reported to be rallying key leaders of the party to zone the ticket to Enugu East.

Nnamani, who was governor between 1999 to 2007, insisted that the demand for the zoning of the ticket to Enugu East was based on a subsisting rotational zoning arrangement put in place in 1999.

The former governor who represents Enugu East at the Senate has severally been quoted as saying that since the three senatorial districts had taken turns to produce the governor, the ticket ought to return to his constituency in 2023 for a fresh rotation start.

While declaring his intention to contest in the governorship election, yesterday, Ekweremadu who represents Enugu West Senatorial District at the National Assembly, said that there was never any discussion concerning zoning of the governorship ticket in the state.

“Whoever said that there is anything such as zoning Enugu State should come out and say where the discussion was held,” he said.

He noted that contrary to reports, Chimaroke himself was not a product of zoning when he came into power in 1999, adding that it is treachery of politics for anybody to talk about zoning now that he is coming out with the intention to lead the people of Enugu State.

He maintained that rather than focus on zoning, it should be a question of who will do the job better, a question of capacity.

“I don’t want to be a zonal governor but the governor of Enugu State,” he said. “Whoever is talking about zoning has interest and candidates that they want to put in power.”

He explained that he is organising a series of meetings because people who seek to serve should be able to table their agenda before the public for interrogation.

He said that as an aspirant, he is prepared to do things differently to achieve a new Enugu State by investing in water, road, health, power and educational infrastructure in the state

“It is time to focus on Enugu State and the people of Enugu,” he said, adding “My emergence as governor will offer me a better platform to serve the people better, utilise my experience, partnership and global content acquired through years of public service and restore their faith in governance.”

Ekweremadu explained that top among his priority will be the decentralisation of the policing sector so that the state can train its own police based on its peculiar security challenges as well as work hand in hand with national security.

“We will have a database that will contain the information of everybody resident in the state so we can know when there is a security threat and where it is coming from,” he said.

He noted that his administration will also focus on the tourism sector in the state by instituting festivals that will attract both national and international visitors, adding that water scarcity will also become a thing of the past.

He maintained that he will also ensure that the judiciary is completely independent to carry out its function of administering justice to the people.

“We will also build two industries per local government in the state as a way of upgrading rural areas to deal with rural urban migration,” he said.