Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu State has anointed Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, a member of the House of Representatives from Enugu North Senatorial Zone, as his successor, according to a report from the South-East state.

The 50-year-old Ugwuanyi is representing Igboeze North/Udenu Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives and is the Chairman of the House Committee on Marine Transport.

A report this morning in The Nation said the choice of Ugwuanyi was endorsed by the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at a meeting of stakeholders held Friday night at the instance of Governor Chime. The report quoted a source at the meeting as disclosing that Ugwuanyi would be the only candidate the party would present for the primaries billed to hold November this year.

The stakeholders’ meeting was attended by the political leaders and governorship aspirants from the Enugu North Senatorial Zone to which the state PDP has zoned the governorship position.

“Sources close to the meeting said yesterday that most of the stakeholders at the meeting did not oppose the emergence of the lawmaker as a consensus candidate, a development they said would lessen the enormous political tension that has been building up over who would pick the ticket of the party,” the report said.

It named some of the political leaders from the zone who attended the meeting held at the Enugu Government House to include former National Chairman of PDP, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo; Chairman of the Senate Committee on Works, Senator Ayogu Eze; Senator Fidelis Okoro; Ambassador Fidel Ayogu; State PDP Chairman, Chief Vita Abba; elder stateswoman and former member of the House of Representatives, Chief (Mrs.) Justina Eze; Chairman of the PDP in that zone, Chief Mike Ejinima; all legislators at all levels from the zone, all local council chairmen from the area, among many others.

“There were jubilations in the Igbo-Eze North/Udenu Federal Constituency whose people have voted in Hon. Ugwuanyi for three consecutive times as member representing them in the House of Representatives,” according to The Nation.

The paper, however, reported “disquiet in Enugu and Abuja as other aspirants and stakeholders queried the decision at the Government House, swearing to challenge it at the right time.”

•Photo shows Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi

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