Written by Ikenna Nwogbaga

In the creation accounts of Ebonyi State, the name of Samuel Ominyi Egwu never featured. This was true even though he was already a fully-grown man at the last lap of the creation struggle. Manipulating his Arochukwu background, this selfish son of a court messenger became the pioneer Ebonyi Commissioner for Education under Commander Walter Feghabour's administration. On getting this close to the seat of power, shrewd Sam Egwu hacked into the libidinous need of the new administrator and his coterie of power-brokers and formed the first prostitution ring led by one of the daughters of a former parliamentarian whom Egwu had adopted as uncle.

At the advent of democracy in Ebonyi State, it was on the laps of those women of easy virture that the strange decision to make Sam Egwu the pioneer civilian governor of Ebonyi State in breach of the only power rotation agreement of Ebonyi founding fathers and to spite my people of Izhii Nnodo who should choose first in Ebonyi North senatorial district was taken. Thus, Sam Egwu became the cause of the confusion, violence, killings, divisions and manipulations which have bedeviled Ebonyi politics from foundation till now.

As a serial opportunist and sworn enemy of Unwuekumenyi, Sam Egwu used his administration to create confusion and divisions in the major tribes of Unwuekumenyi. He created the perennial Igbojima - Unwuerwa dichotomy in my Izhii Nnodo land. When he could not divide Ezza Ezekuna people like Izhii Nnodo along kindred lines, he created artificial groups known as Ezza Ezekuna Consultative Forum and Ezza Ezekuna General Assembly and empowered them with government patrionages to fight each other. Politically-motivated assassinations like the Ishielu 4 and that of Mr. Nwodo in Eke Imoha park, arson, large-scale destruction of valuable properties and full-blown wars began in Ebonyi State during Egwu's first tenure. At the peak of that Egwu-induced confusion among Unwuekumenyi, Egwu pulled a second term victory in 2003 and began the final onslaught against Unwuekumenyi. In Egwu's second term, divide-and-rule became an official policy in matters of Unwuekumenyi interest. Real developments were not done even in his adopted Umuebe village, Ezzamgbo community and Ohaukwu local government area. He concentrated in servicing the military clique which foisted him on Ebonyi State.

In 2006, he pitched every section of Unwuekumenyi against another with conflicting and contradictory offers of the gubernatorial ticket of the ruling party. As Unwuekumenyi families demystified, fought and killed one another over the illusive gubernatorial ticket, Sam Egwu allegedly prepared his wife's gigolo, a handsome medical doctor from one of the Orring communities in Ishielu local government area to take over from him. This evil plan of Egwu was ruptured by Izhii Nnodo foremost son inlaw, Chief Martin Elechi, who utilized his relationship with the matriarch of the first family of the defunct East Central State of Nigeria, Mrs. Ukpabi Asika, to snatch the baton of power in Ebonyi State. Sam Egwu using the kindred dichotomy, ensured that the senatorial ticket of Ebonyi North was moved away from my people of Izhii Nnodo which to his adopted brother, Sen. Agbo, against democratic conventions. Within the same dispensation, Sam Egwu equally became the minister for Education. My people of Izhii Nnodo were wheedled into celebrating their "position" (?) as the "inlaw of the governor"!

By 2015, the same Sam Egwu, using the kindred dichotomy he created in my Izhii Nnodo land, became Ebonyi North senator pleading that he would serve only for one tenure. In 2019, Egwu returned to the Senate. In December 2019, Egwu launched his 2023 third tenure senatorial ambition cajoling my Izzi Nnodo people that the charter of equity which the self-same Egwu had breached in 1999 will avail Izhii Nnodo the 2023 governorship position of Ebonyi State. Against all warnings, Izhii Nnodo people took Egwu's political kite hook, line and sinker; and using an underground group which later metamorphosed into G15, began to mobilize for Egwu's return to the Senate for the third time by 2023.

The revelations of what happened in Ebonyi State chapter of PDP on 29th May 2022, when against all expectations, Egwu manipulated the 2023 PDP primaries to deliver the Ebonyi North PDP senatorial ticket to him; and Ebonyi State PDP gubernatorial ticket to Isu Okoma - born Ifeanyi Odii have shown Egwu as a mere opportunist and the real enemy of Unwuekumenyi and Izhii Nnodo clan in particular. It was in pursuit of his misanthropic mindset against Izhii people that he divided us, pitched us one against another in irreconcilable kindred dichotomy, diverted both the 2023 guber and senatorial tickets to Ebonyi South and Ezzamgbo respectively before the PDP National Working Committee announced the cancellation of all primaries in Ebonyi State. With the window of another PDP primaries in Ebonyi State, this pretending adversary of Unwuekumenyi and Izhii Nnodo people in particular should paid back in his coin through political retirement.

By Kaanayo Nwachukwu

Today, Rt. Hon. Anayo Edwin (Anatex), PDP, Chairman (Federal) House Committee on Reformatory Institutions, officially declared he's contesting for the office of the governor of Ebonyi State.

Rt. Hon. Edwin made this declaration while opening his campaign office in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital.

Rt. Hon. Edwin listed some of the ills plaguing Ebonyi State (such as insecurity of lives and property, high rate of unemployment, lack of basic amenities, quality healthcare and affordable world-class education, as well as technological innovations) and promised to reverse the trends should he become the state governor come 2023.

"I am on a mission to rescue, rebuild and restore Ebonyi State," Rt. Hon. Anayo Edwin vouched.

Rt. Hon. Edwin's declaration speech was met with thunderous applause and cheers from Ebonyians from all walks of life.

An estimated 30 thousand people gathered to hear the lawmaker representing Ezza North and Ishielu federal constituency make his speech.