2023 and return of peace to Enugu PDP

BY OKIBE HYGINUS BANKO

The book of Ecclesiastes opens its deeply philosophical and elucidating conversation with an enticing axiom, “there is time for everything under the sun”. For every good reason, this is the time that PDP Enugu state has made a vow to work together as a family and to clinch victory for all its candidates in Enugu state in the forthcoming 2023 general elections in Nigeria. The time has actually come to celebrate, exchange soothing banters and be happy. It is no more a time for blame game, abrasive posturing, irked publications and mudslinging; instead, it is time to surrender to peace and love, to showcase the uniqueness and strength of PDP and the root of its cohesiveness and intersecting animation that characterize the membership and tend to lure the oppositions to submit to the willpower of the party.

This is to formally appreciate the humility and sincerity of all the aspirants for various elective positions in PDP Enugu state, starting from the national assembly aspirants, the state assembly aspirants and the governorship aspirants, who have shown the culture of democracy, exemplary political orientation and the discernible volition to keep the system alive after the hustle and bustle of high political temperature and weird networking that pervaded the nerves of the political fabrics during the primary campaigns and the elections.

It is exciting to see the level of maturity we have individually and collectively exhibited to douse political tension and the potential threat posed by any furtherance of acrimonious relationship among the aspirants in the elections and their mammoth followership. Most outstanding is the realization that PDP is one family and we have no iota of reason to engage in infighting over any misgiving, which can always be resolved internally to deepen the fruitful results of consensus through dialogue and the benefits of friendship, collaboration and delivery of democracy dividends for the masses. Most superb also is the realization that we are better in this business when we are together united as one indivisible family, who have erected to partake in the project of defining our missions, the route and the destination.

Indeed, the recent congratulatory messages from each aspirant (either extended privately or declared publicly), wishing success to the candidates of the party at each category of the PDP primary election and promising to collapse every parallel support groups to the mainstream campaign structure, are quite impressive and worthy of commendation. Deeply concerned about this singular acts of humility, passion for peace, unity and progress, there is no doubt that none of the candidates will take this gesture for granted after emerging victorious in the 2023 general elections. The path that leads to peacebuilding is generally very tortuous and we salute those who have found reason to take this difficult path for the good of PDP family and Enugu state populace. It is a win-win for all of us and the rewards are bountiful.

In this context, we salute the fidelity of the gubernatorial aspirants for living up to their promise of harmonizing their interests and forming a greater alliance after the primary elections. Very special in these solidarity movements are many distinguished and respected aspirants in PDP, including Hon. Barr. Chijioke Edeoga, Captain Evarest Odengene, Hon. Josef Ken Onoh, Prof. Barth Nnaji, Pastor Beloved Dan Anike, Senator Gilbert Emeka Nnaji, His Excellency, Rev. Raphael Nwoye, Dr. GOC Ajah, and Hon. Barr. Nwabueze Ugwu, Engr. Erasmus Anike, Sir Christian Chinyeaka Ohaa, Dr. Kingsley Ude, Chief Chikwado Chukwunta, Prof. Hillary Edeoga, Dr. Abraham Chukwudi Nneji and Prof Jehu Nnaji, etc.

These aspirants have first set the pace for reconciliation and peace process either before or shortly after the declaration of Barr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah as the governorship candidate of PDP in Enugu state. We owe much gratitude, respect and appreciation to these political icons, for their doggedness, strength of character in respecting the memorandum of action and peace accord and for embracing the winner of the PDP governorship primary election, Barr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, without listening to dissenting voices and ranting outbursts from diverse interests. As great ambassadors of democracy, your wisdom has earned each of you accolade and the price is too huge to ignore.

In a very special way, we salute the courage of distinguished Senator Ike Ekweremadu to extend hands of fellowship to Barr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, the gubernatorial candidate of PDP Enugu state. It is not an easy decision to defy side influences, the pressure to keep on the warpath without retreating, the antics of those who wish PDP failure in Enugu state and those that had planned to hide under his banner and unleash terror and violence on the innocent people of Enugu state. Indeed, Enugu state shall be great again and the people shall rejoice over what God has done by uniting the orchestra masters under the large umbrella of PDP.

We have successfully got to our usual rallying point, following the resolve of these political actors and stakeholders, based on personal convictions, to publicly declare for ceasefire. Senator Ike Ekweremadu has congratulated Barr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, the governorship candidate of PDP, promised to introduce his programme and action plans for integration as part of the articulated blueprints for sustainable transformation of Enugu state and solicited for accommodation of his support groups in the campaign organizations to be formed for the different layers of the election. This is a practical demonstration of leadership, evidence of loyalty, mark of responsibility and extraordinary footsteps for peacebuilding.

Those who expressed concern that Senator Ike Ekweremadu was going to join another political party and thereby endanger the chances of PDP in the 2023 general elections in Enugu state are now confronted with the reality of family politics. Some of the fears, anxieties and permutations are mainly peddled by the people who do not know much about the senator and his political antecedents. The truth is that the senator could not build a house, spend resources to furnish it and contemplate abandoning the entire building because of minor friction arising from internal contradictions.

Senator Ike Ekweremadu is a loyal party man and apostle of participatory democracy. He believes in PDP, he has fought battles for PDP; he has spent his resources on PDP and also made numerous daring sacrifices to keep PDP in motion. Ekweremadu has been an advocate of peace, unity and inclusiveness in PDP leadership and governance. Worthy of note is the fact that he diplomatically ran for the PDP governorship primary election in Enugu state without openly engaging anyone in altercation. It has culminated to his final acceptance and submission to the will of the people, and the need to close ranks with the candidate of the party Barr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah. The essence is to pursue the all important goal of moving Enugu state forward and creating a bright future for our people.

Democracy allows individuals to express political interests without inhibition. Although it observes minority opinion in the midst of majority strength, the beauty is that it gives voice to everyone without discrimination. Generally, democracy vests sovereignty in the people and recognizes that they possessed the power to choose their leader and the liberty to uphold political differences without either undermining the rights of others or being hunted. The powers inherent in democracy is understood when we have incisive recourse to autocracy.

The Peoples Democratic Party, having been founded in the wake of military transition to civil governance in Nigeria in 1999 and following its people oriented manifestoes and principles that profess the centrality of the people in political participation and inclusiveness in decision making, has remained focused on building capacity and institutional culture that keeps it and the members committed to its basic philosophies, visions, goals and objectives. Since 1999, Enugu state has continuously been predominantly PDP state, producing political leadership at all levels of government. Despite the fact that every phase of its internal party primary election has witnessed conflict of interests, especially the influx of crisscrossing ambitions in a ruling party, it has remained indissoluble and more determined.

There are reasons that PDP has remained very reputable and strong in Enugu state. Topmost are the spirit of oneness, the consciousness of holding steadfast to its throne of dominance and leadership, the ability to reconcile differences and resolve conflicts of interests, the abiding love, peace and shared understanding that pervade its folds, the realization that justice, fairness and inclusiveness are the driving force in human motivation, the democratization of its leadership and followership and of course, the obedience to the rules that guide the conducts of the family members and ensure cohesiveness in everything that concerns the party. These features lack in opposition parties and they are part of the very reasons that these opposition parties easily collapsed to PDP in Enugu state to build a better, stronger, resilient, service driven, goal conscious and accommodating Enugu state that meets the vision of its founders. This is our collective marital vows with the party in Enugu state.

It is a bad tiding for the opposition parties that have always hoped to absorb those that feel aggrieved from this process and thereby woo them to their folds for political racketeering. Enugu state is PDP state and we call on other political parties to join PDP in providing good governance. This is the major affiliation and attachment with the party and Enugu populace. We are first Enugu people before we joined different political parties to pursue individual ambitions. On that note, the interests of Enugu residents should always play leading role in prioritizing our programs and actions; hence, the need to refrain from promoting violence but in keeping peace. This is the central message being preached by Barr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah.