“Many an object is not seen, though it falls within the range of our visual ray, because it does not come within the range of our intellectual ray, i.e., we are not looking for it. So, in the largest sense, we find only the world we look for.” – Thoreau
The just concluded February 23 state wide local government area elections in Enugu was able to expose the peaceful political ambience of the state under the present regime of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi. It is no longer news that the Peoples Democratic party (PDP) cleared all the positions. But the underpinnings of that exercise is worth exploring here.
The campaign train of the PDP set out for what could be safely themed a tour of peace and reconciliation across the 17 Local Government Areas of the state as it solicited for votes from the people in favor of the party”s Chairmanship and Councilorship candidates who will be standing for the scheduled election.
The captain of the train who led the entire crew was no less a personality than the people’s governor, His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi himself. He had always led his people from the front. A popular nugget in ancient Europe agreed that “a good soldier fights not because he hates what is infront, but because he loves what is behind him.”
As a quintessential grassroot political leader, Gov. Ugwuanyi is a warrior not aiming to destroy his ‘enemies’ (if any) but to protect his people who loved him and whom he owe the obligation of protecting their inteststs These includes the so-called opposition politicians who are actually a creation of few mischievous elements in the media.
Upon arrival in each Local government during the campaign, His Excellency demonstrated his selflessness in the art of governance. He adorned the garb of fatherhood of our state’s corporate entity. At each station, he extends hands of fellowship across the divides. He would alight from his car, walk towards every stakeholder in the state’s polity and embrace him/her with a warm affection. Long before the election, many had predicted a landslide victory for PDP courtesy of Gov. Ugwuanyi’s good will that had resonated across the party spheres.
It was therefore no magic that the Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC) has declared candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) winners of all the 17 chairmanship and 260 councillorship seats in the state; and issued Certificates of Return to the Chairmen-elect.
No one is disgruntled. The people have spoken. Everyone is happy at the outcome of the exercise.
Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has amassed a transgenerational good will for himself and the PDP. This must have been the reason many stakeholders in the south east are routing for his presidency. As a faithful party man, he is believed to be a reliable candidate to fly the party’s flag in the 2023 presidential election. He enjoys sufficient electoral credibility at home and abroad.
If there is still anyone in doubt of this, then he must have belonged to the class of people described by the wisdom of Thoreau in the opening quote of this discourse. They vehemently refused to see what they are supposed to see in the state’s progress under Gov. Ugwuanyi’s innovative leadership.
Enugu is in the hand of God!
Written by
Hon. Mrs Bibian Anekwe
The Senior Special Assistant on mobilization and Empowerment to Enugu State Governor
Director General ENUGU DI N’AKACHUKWU MOVEMENT
