Chimaroke’s return to PDP sets Enugu on “fire”

From: Madu Ezenoha, Enugu

 There was wild jubilation and excitement in Enugu on Tuesday following the return of former Governor of Enugu State Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after many months of speculation.

Many of Nnamani’s supporters who spoke anonymously said they were happy that their boss has returned to base to shore up support for PDP in Enugu East senatorial district of the state that recently witnessed high profile defections from PDP to All Progressives Congress (APC).

Nnamani on Monday, finally returned to the PDP after about a decade of exiting the party that helped him get to higher glory in Enugu State.

Being the first governor of the state, after the return of democracy in 1999, he, it was that built the PDP which remains the ruling party in the state through his “Ebeano” political dynasty.

Chimaroke’s return to the PDP appears to have been made possible by the exit from the party of some heavy weights, including governor of the old Anambra state,  Sen Jim Nwobodo,  former President of the Senate, Ken Nnamani,  and his predecessor and immediate past Enugu State Governor, Sullivan Chime, who moved to the APC.

Nnamani was the state’s governor from 1999 to 2007 and represented Enugu East senatorial district at the National Assembly between 2007 and 2011 on the platform of the PDP.

Nnamani’s return to PDP is generating tension and excitement in the state almost in equal proportion to the defection of Chime to APC.

However, following a misunderstanding between him and his successor, Chime, Chimaraoke dumped PDP in 2011 and joined the People for Democratic Change (PDC), a party he founded.

Nnamani had in 2011 and 2015 contested the senatorial position under the platform of the PDC and on those two occasions he lost to a PDP candidate, incumbent Senator Gilbert Nnaji.

It is widely believed within political circles in the state that,  several come back bids of Nnamani to the PDP during the administration of Chime,  were frustrated by him.

But soon after Chime left the PDP, branded it dead and buried and joined the APC, Nnamani returned to his former party, after registering at his ward in Agbani, Nkanu West local government area.