By Enugu North Future Leaders Forum
Conjectures were hurriedly conjured to paint the image of Chimaroke and by extension, his reign in Enugu in bad light.
However, their target was far from being that of the senator representing the people of Enugu East district. Their armour and armories were geared towards the direction of Barrister Peter Mbah, the governor-elect who vied for the position under the umbrella of PDP.
Naysayers who obviously had the premonition of Mbah's electoral triumph unrelentingly attacked him and accused him of belonging to the Ebeano political family which was the brainchild of Chimaroke Nnamani when he held sway as the governor of the state. This, though not unconnected to the fact that Barrister Mbah served as an appointee in the government of Nnamani.
The Ebeano political family was demonized and made to appear distasteful before the people of Enugu. The opposition party, chiefly the Labour Party members seized every opportunity to lambast the name 'Ebeano' and ceaselessly hammered on the alleged misdeeds of Chimaroke Nnamani and his political appointees.
The bandwagon effect of misconception and distortion of facts by the opposition parties however did not deter ndi Enugu from voting en mass during the March 18 governorship election that produced Barrister Mbah as the duly elected governor of the state. To the dismay of naysayers who were basking in the euphoria of sailing under the acceptance of Peter Obi, Mbah emphatically emerged triumphant and unscathed at the polls.
While the electioneering season and castigation of the famed Ebeano family lasted, Chijioke Edoga was politically canonized and exonerated from the supposed blemishes of the Ebeano camp. Edoga's supporters shouted to high heaven, how he has no attachment or entanglement with Chimaroke Nnamani and the once famous Ebeano political family. They espoused an impression that anyone who has had anything to do with Nnamani and Ebeano must have soiled his or her hands.
Post election events have however disabused the erroneous misconception hovering over the political sphere of the state. An unfavorable outing at the polls by Chimaroke Nnamani who has since become an internet sensation has derobed the hitherto saintly tag on Chijioke Edoga. Series of tweets by Nnamani who has since, literally relocated to Tweeter following his loss in his bid to return to the Red Chambers of the Senate have unearthed an age-long relationship between him and Edoga.
A trending recently taken picture of Edoga wearing smiles as he hobnob with Nnamani has since surfaced online following an apology issued by the later to the former. In the said apology 'post' made available on the verified Twitter account of the distinguished senator, he went down memory lane on how Edoga has been a good fellow.
However, Edoga's supporters in disbelief, have continued to disown the picture, saying that it was taken several years ago.
Not that identifying with Nnamani has any negative connotation, but the stance of Edoga's followers before and after election should be best described as a hogwash. Demonizing the Ebeano political family before election and rushing back to commingle with the progenitor typically examplifies the dynamism and unpredictability of a typical politician.
Chijioke Edoga is no saint after all neither is Chimaroke Nnamani and by extension, Ebeano political family a taboo as hitherto stated by the opposition. We as a group have always maintained that election has come and gone and it now behoves on Ndi Enugu to support the incoming government of Peter Mbah for a smooth sailing of his administration.
(Enugu North Future Leaders Forum)
