Ekweremadu, Rejected By APC, May Head Back To Senate Under PDP

By Uche Mbah

Not a few people were shocked when the State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Enugu State Chapter, Chief Agballa, revealed that former Deputy Senate Ike Ekweremadu, made a bid to join the Party, but was rejected.  He said Ekweremadu was rejected because even before he was admitted to the party, he was already asking for the Governorship ticket.

Agballa dismissed Ekweremadu as greedy, and in a most disrespectful manner, threatened to slap him if he ever came to the APC to ask for accommodation. A subsequent visit to the APC National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, in company with Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma, did not yield much fruits.

The shock stemmed from the fact that having been a strong member of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, since 1999, and occupied a number of positions, including a two-term occupier of the office of Deputy Senate President, nobody expected him to dump the party just because he was not given the Governorship ticket.

However, now, having realised that “East or West, North or South”, home is the best,  Senator Ekweremadu has made a u-turn back to the PDP.

With his return, he appears set to return to the red chamber after hovering about in political limbo.

Ekweremadu was schemed out from the Peoples Democratic Party Primaries through, according to him, an alleged manipulation of delegates’ list. It was alleged that his former boss, Senator Chimaroke Nnamani, teamed up with Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and Senator Jim Nwobodo to draw a delegates’ list  said to be inimical to Ekweremadu’s political interest.

To avoid humiliation at the polls, he pulled out of the Party, and consequently the PDP Governorship primaries.

He then  began  running from pillar to post trying to find a new platform to realize his ambition. He was rumored to have approached the Labor party for consideration, but his spokesperson, Uche Anichukwu, debunked the allegation. He said there was no truth in the rumor.

But reports indicate he was not accepted since “Labour has their candidates already, who will not step down for Ekweremadu”.

Unconfirmed sources said he made a full return to the PDP in the hope that he could be considered for the position of the running mate to Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, a position he, also, yearned for in 2019 but failed. It was given to Peter Obi, a two-term Anambra Governor, and now a Presidential candidate under the  Labour Party.

But it appears he has lost lost as his name has not featured on the list of those under consideration.

Another opportunity has presented itself to him with the cancellation of the PDP Senatorial Primaries in Enugu West which is likely to pave way for his return to the Senate.

The PDP, in a statement signed by the National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, said  the Party has  cancelled  the Enugu West PDP Senatorial primary election.

The statement said in part:

“Furthermore, Kaduna Central Senatorial District of Kaduna State, Enugu West Senatorial Districts of Enugu State as well as Boki/Ikom Federal Constituency and Yakuur II State Constituency, both of Cross River State earlier scheduled for Saturday June 4, 2022 have been cancelled.

“All Party members in the affected States should please take note.”

With this, Ekweremadu may return to the Senate since the candidate who won the PDP primaries was allegedly sponsored by him.

The questions, however, are: Did he purchase the Senatorial form or will the PDP give him a waver? And, how does that seat with the Independent National Electoral Commission which had already approved and published the names of candidates for Senatorial Primaries? Will Ekweremadu be accommodated?