From Solomon Ugbabe
The 2023 Enugu Governorship election had come and gone, but expectedly the echoes have continued to reverberate in some quarters. This is due to the defeat, shock and trauma being suffered by the losers, especially the Labour Party governorship candidate, Barr. Chijioke Edeoga, that has made him and his cohorts to continue to apportion blames, fabricate and peddle falsehoods and lies against some Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) bigwigs in Enugu North Senatorial zone over his loss.
It would be recalled that prominent among the PDP bigwigs from Enugu North Senatorial zone that Edeoga accused of electoral malpractice that include snatching of ballot boxes and financial inducement in the governorship election on a live television programme on Afia television Enugu, were the former PDP state chairman and Director General of Peter Mbah Campaign Organization, Chief Ikeje Asogwa and former Member representing Igbo Eze South/ Nsukka Federal Constituency, Dr. Pat Asadu.
Edeoga libelously and unfoundedly levelled the allegations against the duo on a live television programme immediately after the election without any evidence or weighing the consequences of his infantile and puerile action.
It was disclosed that not happy with the development and the dent Edeoga’s unfounded allegations brought on his personality, Chief Asogwa quickly and through his counsel wrote Edeoga to urgently retract the allegation or statement with public apology or be ready to face legal action for impugning and demeaning his character without evidence.
Hearing the legal moves by Ikeje against Edeoga, some prominent Enugu political leaders mainly from Enugu North Senatorial zone quickly reached out to, prevailed and pressured Ikeje to shelve the legal action, allow peace to reign and not to add more salt to Edeoga’s injury and deflated ego by instituting legal action against him. Ikeje in his usual magnanimity, spirit of brotherhood and camaraderie acceded to pleas and interventions of the reverred political leaders.
The political leaders even tried to arrange peace and reconciliatory meeting between Edeoga and Ikeje after Governor Peter Mbah’s Supreme Court victory against Edeoga, which the latter declined for political reasons and to avoid being misunderstood.
Recently after the burial of Senator Ayogu Eze, the duo of Edeoga and Ikeje among other political stakeholders who attended Senator Eze’s burial were at Engr. Festus Oshaba (Ferotex) house at Enugu Ezike, Igbo-Eze North LGA.
Edeoga while exchanging greetings, pleasantries and banters with dignitaries got where Ikeje was seated. Ikeje made it very clear to him that he was not happy with him. Edeoga responded arrogantly as usual and Ikeje became angry and mild drama ensued. It was Hon. Chidi Mark Obetta, Member representing Igbo Eze South/ Nsukka Federal Constituency that quickly intervened and took Barr. Edeoga away from Ikeje.
After some minutes, Barr. Edeoga came back and apologized to Ikeje and further told him publicly that he will still contest governorship in 2027. Ikeje swiftly responded to him, Chief Edeoga don’t waste your money, energy and time buying governorship form in 2027 again, because there will be no vacancy in Enugu Lion Building then.
It is this kind of preposterous and uncanny attitude of Barr. Edeoga and his delusion such as thinking and planning to contest governorship election in 2027 that is giving some of his misinformed, hypotenised and conquered loyalists and apologists erroneous impressions and temerity to be manufacturing and purveying propaganda and falsehoods against loyal PDP leaders and members from Enugu North Senatorial zone on social media platforms and mainstream media to see if they can pitch them against Governor Mbah and his government ahead of 2027 elections.
