By Chinelo Obogo
Enugu State Renewal Movement (ESRM), has advised Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State to be careful with the choice of his successor, otherwise he could pick someone who will come after him when he leaves office.
In a statement signed by the group’s president, Prof. Geoffrey Ejiofor and secretary, Emeka Ogbu, it warned Governor Ugwuanyi against electoral complacency and said he should learn from Imo and Anambra state where voters revolted against the ruling party.
It recalled that in Imo State voters rejected Governor Rochas Okorocha’s nomination of his son in law, Uche Nwosu, in the 2019 gubernatorial election and the Anambra voters rebelled against the imposition of candidates by the All progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the last general elections, despite sweeping the polls in each of the 21 local government areas (LGAs) in the state in the 2017 governorship election.
“This warning has become necessary because there is an aspirant in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who is being prodded on in the race by a former governor well known for intolerance. If this aspirant is nominated as the PDP gubernatorial candidate and goes on to win in the 2023 general elections, the godfather will be the one dictating the tune.
“There is no guarantee that a revolt cannot occur in our state if our people perceive that there is an attempt to return the state to the years of the locust which saw the houses of persons like the human rights activists, Nana Ogbodo and Sam Mba, demolished for being allies who later merely disagreed with the government of the day because of its predilection towards violence,” the group said.
The ESMR asked the governor to work for the emergence of a “truly governorship material who will bring honour, respect and rapid development to Enugu State.”
