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The recently
reached truce between the two factions of the Enugu state People’s
Democratic Party will be put to test as the party will later today
elect its flag bearers for the Enugu State House of Assembly election
at a party primaries.

The deal was
reached between the two factions; Sullivan Chime’s, the governor and
Okwesilieze Nwodo’s, the party’s national chairman in Abuja,last week
Tuesday at a peace meeting mediated by President Goodluck Jonathan and
his Vice.Both factions reached a power sharing deal which gave Mr Nwodo
some level of influence in the state’s party executive while letting
the governor hold the major control. The one week old peace may,
however,collapse today as its foundation will be tested by the outcome
of the congress.

NEXT gathered that
though the governor’s faction retained the chairmanship of the party,it
also plans to ensure that most of the candidates emerge from its camp.
The governor’s faction controls most of the current political office
holders in the state including the deputy Senate President, Ike
Ekweremadu and the Senate spokesman, Ayogu Eze.

While the leading
faction favour a “return to office” (continuity) policy that guarantees
a return ticket for most members of the faction, Mr Nwodo’s faction
wants the primaries open to all interested aspirants,apparently to
inject new loyalists into the state power brokers’ cadre.“If any of the
factions accepts defeat, then there will be peace in the party, but
that will be difficult,” Clement Ogbonna, a neutral member of the party
said.

Controlled democracy

Mr Ogbonna said
although the governor has warmed himself into the hearts of the people
since 2007, he is still finding it difficult to hold sway with
emergence of Mr Nwodo as the party’s national chairman and his
subsequent increasing interest in the state’s party politics.

“You don’t expect to have a party national chairman from your state and he will not have any say in the party,” Mr Ogbonna said.

Patrick Eze, a
member of Make Your Votes Count, an NGO advocating for true democracy
in the state, however said the power tussle in the state is an
indication that the party is still very far from practicing internal
democracy and that PDP still practices godfatherism.

“If at all there is
voting in the congress, the delegates can only vote those either
faction have approved and that way, we still can’t get the best hands
in government,” Mr Eze said.