LATEST UPDATE:
Plots against Chime, Nwobodo uncoveredAs the 2015 general elections draw closer, some desperate political office seekers in Enugu State have begun to hatch campaigns of calumny aimed at smearing the image of Governor Sullivan Chime and some of his aides.
The smear plot, it was alleged, is intended to present Chime as an uncompromising leader who unilaterally chooses those who will seek elective positions in the state. The plot, according to government sources, is being sponsored by some National Assembly members and aspirants from the state.
Chime had come under persistent media attacks since the July 26, 2014 meeting of the state caucus of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) when it was overwhelmingly canvassed that National Assembly members in their second and third terms should abide by an agreement they reached prior to the 2011 elections to step aside for other persons.
At the meeting, former President of the Senate, Chief Ken Nnamani, Senators Fidelis Okolo, Dubem Onyia, Ben-Collins Ndu among others, supported the arrangement and called on the lawmakers to respect the gentleman agreement reached.
But the affected politicians are not ready to relinquish their seats, arguing that although, such an agreement was reached, it was not constitutional and, therefore, not binding on them.
This conflict is at the root of the current media focus on Enugu with Chime and his chief of staff, Mrs. Ifeoma Nwobodo mostly at the receiving end. The objective of the sponsors of the smear campaigns, it was learnt, is to portray Chime as a dictator and an uncompromising leader.
“It has come to our knowledge,” says our source, “that some of our brothers in the National Assembly and few others who have their eyes on some legislative seats have set up media groups to fabricate lies and distort well-known facts in order to smear the image of Governor Chime and some of his aides.
“This is quite unfortunate and uncalled for. It also shows how desperate some people can get. Till today, how many of them (National Assembly members) have come out to publicly say that no such agreement was reached in 2011?
“The governor did not bar anybody from re-contesting
elections. At that (July 26) meeting, he appealed to them, in the interest of
our party, the PDP, to respect the agreements reached. Other persons spoke in
the same vein. So, it is lamentable that all they do today is to create an
impression that the governor is the problem when, in reality, they are the ones
trying to heat up the polity by renouncing agreements they reached as
gentlemen.”
Such smear intrigues were at play during the recent
impeachment saga that culminated in the ouster of Chime’s ex-deputy, Mr. Sunday
Onyebuchi following allegations of gross misconduct leveled against him by the
state House of Assembly.
To the Abuja-based politicians from the state under the leadership of Chief Ike Ekweremadu, the Deputy President of the Senate, it was yet another opportunity to paint the false picture both in the national secretariat of the party and in the media that Chime was the instigator.
The truth of his insubordination had since been unveiled, especially because as Chime told the caucus meeting, “there’s no way you can allow someone as important as your deputy stand behind you when he is obviously working against you; not at this time that we’re going into (electoral) battles,” an election in which the governor has stoutly reaffirmed his total commitment to ensure landslide victories for President Goodluck
Jonathan and other PDP candidates.
The case of Mrs. Nwobodo is even more pathetic. Her only sin is her dedication to duty and loyalty to her boss. She too has been at the receiving end of false narratives over her rumoured interest in the senatorial seat for Enugu East District, a position presently occupied by Senator Gil Nnaji.
Nnaji is completing his third term in the National Assembly, having served two terms in the House of Representatives. Prior to this period, he was also a chairman in his Enugu East Council. Frank Nweke (Jnr), erstwhile Minister of Information during the Obasanjo presidency is also interested in the senatorial seat of which he said that he is banking on the influence of his former boss to sway votes in his favour during the primaries and the general polls.
Asides, Daily Sun also learnt that a special team of seasoned media consultants has been put together with the sole charge to mount smear campaigns against Mrs. Nwobodo, using different platforms between now and when the party primaries hold.
The goal is to paint her as being power-hungry and create so much negative publicity about her, enough to diminish her chances by creating the false impression that her candidacy had become very controversial.
With the party primaries now imminent and the general elections five months away, it remains to be seen how these other schemers aim to achieve their goals, especially with the entire party structure in the entire state under the firm grips of Governor Chime.
The post Plots against Chime, Nwobodo uncovered appeared first on The Sun News.
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