By Jonas Asadu
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It was around 2019 that I began to dream of a time when Enugu would wake up. Ugwuanyi had had an uninspired and crime-infested first tenure. The story of Enugu was, and remains, that of a state which saw a little promise and then, misfortune struck. The misfortune is Ifeanyi Ugwaunyi and his corrupt and visionless government. It is a notorious fact that he has set the state light years backwards. In terms of infrastructure, Enugu is now nearly inferior to any state in Nigeria. This is a notorious fact. It is therefore not the subject matter of this short remark. It would be like raking over the ashes.
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For me, there was the misfortune which felt heavier than the absence of governance and the brazen criminality of the ruling People’s Democratic Party: It was the seeming inertia and the unwillingness of our people to embrace change. Far worse than the decay in infrastructure, the lack of such fundamental necessities as water, and the immoral nrashi ideology which Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi was propagating as a convenient excuse for the bold stealing of public money was the fraud; “Enugu is PDP”, a deception the ruling party tried to practice on the people. In my private moment I grieved heavily. I knew that the people needed to wake up but I didn’t know how. It was a painful experience as I felt alone in the whole world. The possibility of change was remote. I kept figuring how the cat could be belled. I was worried to the point of despair.
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Barr. Chijioke Jonathan Edeoga, the flagbearer of the Labour Party for the Enugu governorship election has effectively dispelled my fear. His momentum has made it glaringly clear that the Enugu people are awake and that the deception practiced on them by the PDP all these years has finally expired. The grand fraud has fallen like a house of cards. It is true: no lie lives forever. I must confess now that I misread the mood of the people. It was not that Enugu people did not want change. They did not as well lack the energy to drive it. The problem was that there was no man available cast well enough to be in the vanguard and lead the charge. This is no longer the case. By a special conspiracy of circumstances, Edeoga, a phenomenon, is born. The man Enugu had waited for all these years is finally here and they have recognized him.
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I was at the Labour Party rally which took place at Nsukka High School football field on the 5th of November. I could not believe my eyes. It was a thick crowd of genuine and zealous supporters. The unique thing about the crowd is that every member of it was there on their own conviction. There was no form of financial inducement or duress. They participated at the risk of persecution too. The paranoid ruling party left no stone unturned as they tried to frustrate the rally. They went from threatening violence and persecution to planning a counter rally. Hell or high water, the people were determined to troop out and demonstrate their solidarity to the new glimmer of hope. When all their antics failed, they watched in dismay as the new sheriff, lovingly called Nwa-Edeoga by the electrified crowd, rode into town, as if it was a triumphant entry.
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As Edeoga stood, clad in his signature white trad and the Igbo red cap, characteristically charismatic, exuding disarming charm, the massive crowd paused. His speech was affecting. Chief Edeoga spoke of his covenant with the heartbroken and longsuffering Enugu people. It felt different. It was not the usual political sloganeering. It was not the overtrodden path of reeling out threadbare, windy political promises. It was utterly sincere and soul-deep. The people felt the overflowing sincerity. Most of them were moved to tears. And when a man who has been in public life before the return of democracy, and yet remains modest and blameless from every allegation of corruption, tells you to hold him accountable, you will have no reason to doubt him. When a man whose fidelity to his words made him prefer “Okaome” for a title tells you that he will do something, you can take his words to the bank. When a man, most of whose suffering had been caused by his stubborn advocacy for a better society and his blunt refusal to cooperate with the forces of evil against the common people, stands in the vanguard of a liberation movement, there is no reason to doubt him. Chijioke Edeoga is a battle-tested fighter for the common people. A man of unimpeachable integrity.
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It is now beyond doubt. The Labour Party will win Enugu on an epic landslide. Despite the mindboggling amount of money being poured into the PDP guber campaign, it has refused to pick fire. The campaign has become, for them, like a woman with a broken waist. They have no idea on how to carry it. The reason is not far-fetched. The Enugu people are tired of deception. The barefaced pillaging of their common patrimony has gone on for far too long than they can ignore. The PDP is dead. What we don’t know is how ostentatious Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi intends to make the funeral.
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I thought we had no hope. Now my depression is gone. Barr. Chijioke Edeoga is our hope. He is the people’s choice. Let us drink to a new dawn!

With the type of momentum Labour party has built in Enugu, voters are sure to abandon PDP this election cycle, Chijioke Edeoga may enter the lion building next year.

To be honest with you I don't see anything inspiring about this edeoga. he also part of failed ugwuanyi team. even though the euphoria of labour party could sweep off PDP in Enugu. edeoga is not different from ugwuanyi. had it been Prof Barth nnaji took the gubernatorial ticket which was presented to him on a platter of gold. the excitement would have been much.

okeysoninv:
To be honest with you I don't see anything inspiring about this edeoga. he also part of failed ugwuanyi team. even though the euphoria of labour party could sweep off PDP in Enugu. edeoga is not different from ugwuanyi. had it been Prof Barth nnaji took the gubernatorial ticket which was presented to him on a platter of gold. the excitement would have been much.

Is Peter Mba not part of the murderous Chimaroke regime? Between Edeoga and Mba, many will vote Edeoga on the basis of credibility. PDP has outlived it's usefulness in Enugu state.

PresidObi:


Is Peter Mba not part of the murderous Chimaroke regime? Between Edeoga and Mba, many will vote Edeoga on the basis of credibility. PDP has outlived it's usefulness in Enugu state.

Both edeoga and MBA are part of PDP. but mba is the most successful among his peers in PDP embezzlement regimes. Chimaroke tenure is even better than ugwuanyi to compare with. what track record does Edeoga have.

okeysoninv:
Both edeoga and MBA are part of PDP. but mba is the most successful among his peers in PDP embezzlement regimes. Chimaroke tenure is even better than ugwuanyi to compare with. what track record does Edeoga have.

et me not reveal top secrets here. Dunno who's reading.

okeysoninv:
To be honest with you I don't see anything inspiring about this edeoga. he also part of failed ugwuanyi team. even though the euphoria of labour party could sweep off PDP in Enugu. edeoga is not different from ugwuanyi. had it been Prof Barth nnaji took the gubernatorial ticket which was presented to him on a platter of gold. the excitement would have been much.

I agree with you totally.
Edeoga is only inspiring in the fact that he is fighting to win against the loathsome Ugwuanyi and the Ebeano clique. He might win, not because he's Edeoga, but because he's leading the opposition against Ugwuanyi and Chimaroke.
BTW, I will vote for him.

OnyeAshuaUru:

I agree with you totally.
Edeoga is only inspiring in the fact that he is fighting to win against the loathsome Ugwuanyi and the Ebeano clique. He might win, not because he's Edeoga, but because he's leading the opposition against Ugwuanyi and Chimaroke.
BTW, I will vote for him.

I pray he brings much needed change in Enugu. The state is retrogressing rapidly. basic and thing like water has been a rocket science for the 3 consecutive PDP Governors. GDP is of the lowest in the southern Nigeria, 34 in the federation. roads are nothing to write about.

okeysoninv:
I pray he brings much needed change in Enugu. The state is retrogressing rapidly. basic and thing like water has been a rocket science for the 3 consecutive PDP Governors. GDP is of the lowest in the southern Nigeria, 34 in the federation. roads are nothing to write about.

He will have no option than to perform if elected.
If the masses successfully jump all stumbling blocks to vote him in, it will be stupid of him to even imagine that he will be able to get away with things that previous administrations got away with.
His election will return the power to hire and fire back to the hands of Enugu people, away from the domineering PDP clique. That, in my opinion, is the biggest import of electing Chijioke Edeoga.