Leaders, traditional rulers, clergymen, stakeholders and the people of Enugu North Senatorial District trooped out en masse on Sunday to give Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for Enugu North Senatorial District a pat on the back.

They hailed the governor for his remarkable and unprecedented transformational programmes in the district in particular and the state in general, disclosing that they are pleased with the governor.

The people of Enugu North Senatorial District comprising Igbo-Eze North, Igbo-Eze South, Nsukka, Uzo-Uwani, Igbo-Etiti and Udenu local government areas unanimously vowed to massively vote Governor Ugwuanyi for Senate, the PDP governorship candidate, Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah and his running mate, Barr. Ifeanyi Ossai for governor and deputy governor respectively, and other PDP candidates in the forthcoming general election, stressing that it is PDP all the way.

They said that Governor Ugwuanyi deserves their commendation and maximum support at the polls in recognition of his rare and sterling contributions to the transformation of Nsukka zone after decades of neglect.

The thrilled people of Enugu North Senatorial District added that the governor has changed the narrative by giving the district a facelift, a name and identity through the conceptualisation and establishment of the State University of Medical and Applied Sciences (SUMAS) Igbo-Eno, Enugu State; attraction of a federal polytechnic to Ohodo, Igbo-Etiti LGA; construction of an ultra-modern township stadium in Nsukka; massive construction of roads in the district, including the state-of-the-art 13km Opi-Nsukka dual carriageway with underground drainage system and fitted with street and traffic lights for the first time in the history of Nsukka zone, the 31km Udenu Ring Road, among other road projects both in the university town of Nsukka and rural communities within the zone and beyond.

They expressed their profound gratitude during the Enugu North Senatorial District mega rally for PDP candidates in the forthcoming elections, held at the newly constructed Nsukka Township Stadium, which was attended by Governor Ugwuanyi, his wife, Mrs. Monica Ugochi Ugwuanyi, Mbah, Ossai, and other PDP candidates in the state.

Speaking at the well-attended rally, the Chairman of the Planning Committee and former Deputy Governor of Enugu State, Ezenwata Okechukwu Itanyi, maintained that Governor Ugwuanyi’s achievements in Enugu North Senatorial District in spite of the state’s lean resources and nation’s economic, security and public health challenges are remarkable and visible.

Itanyi stated that anybody who is sharing a contrary view should visit the projects executed by the governor in Nsukka zone including the Nsukka Township Stadium, the medical university (SUMAS), the Type-3 Hospital in Igbo-Etiti and other health facilities in the zone, the roads, among others to see for himself or herself.

Backing Governor Ugwuanyi and other PDP candidates, the traditional rulers led by the Deputy Chairman, Enugu State Council of Traditional Rulers, HRH Igwe Barr. R.S.N Eze, said: “On behalf of the traditional rulers, we are all raising our hands up blessing you people, asking God to lead you people, all of us will vote for you to go to where you desire, all of us are supporting you. We are blessing all of you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, amen.”

In his speech, an elder statesman and a revered stakeholder of Enugu State, Chief Maxi Ukuta, pointed out that God used Governor Ugwuanyi to show Nsukka people the light they had been yearning for, saying: “You (Ugwuanyi) touched hearts, infrastructure, people in the 17 local government areas of Enugu State but there are envious people and you will be wondering why all their plotting doesn’t normally get to you.

“The reason is that all these people plotting against you are the people you have offered a great help, people you have bettered their lives. God will not allow their evil plot to get to you.”

In their solidarity speeches, the Secretary of the Planning Committee and lawmaker, representing Nsukka/Igbo-Eze South Federal Constituency, Rt. Hon. Dr. Pat Asadu; the lawmaker, representing Igbo-Etiti/Uzo-Uwani Federal Constituency and PDP candidate, Rt. Hon. Dr. Martins Oke, accompanied by PDP candidates for Nsukka/Igbo-Eze South and Igbo-Eze North/Udenu federal constituencies, Engr. Vita Abba and Engr. Simon Atigwe respectively; the lawmakers representing Igbo-Etiti East and Nsukka East constituencies, Rt. Hon. Ezenta Ezeani and Rt. Hon. Dr. Chinedu Nwamba respectively; Chairman of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), Enugu State Chapter, Hon. Solomon Onah, explained that the event was a reaffirmation of the earlier declaration by the people of Nsukka zone in 2021 in support of Governor Ugwuanyi and the PDP, the governor’s choice of successor and his political decisions in respect of the 2023 general election.

They thanked the people of Nsukka zone for reconfirming their support for the governor and the PDP, urging them to translate their support fully by coming out en masse to vote for candidates of the PDP at the polls.

In his remarks, the PDP Deputy governorship candidate, Barr. Ossai, expressed gratitude to the crowd for their wonderful solidarity and support, assuring the people that Dr. Mbah’s administration, if elected, will complete any ongoing project of the present administration of Governor Ugwuanyi.

“We have pleaded for your support for the forthcoming elections of February 25 and March 11 and we are grateful that you promised to vote for the PDP. The coming elections will be PDP all the way.”

Expressing extreme delight to see a cream of leaders, political stalwarts, traditional rulers, clergymen and people of Enugu North Senatorial District gathered in their numbers to endorse the PDP candidates, the party’s governorship candidate, Dr. Mbah, stated that the event “assures us that massive victory awaits PDP all the way in a few days time.”

Dr. Mbah who first thanked God for the success of the rally, said: “After God I want to give a big thank you and my profound gratitude to the first citizen of Enugu State and the first son of Enugu North Senatorial District, His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, the man God used to bring us all here today and who has made our aspirations in the state accomplished.”

The PDP governorship candidate declared that Governor Ugwuanyi has created a conjugal relationship between Enugu North Senatorial District and Enugu East Senatorial District,” adding: “that marriage that you have created is one that is going to last forever, generations of our children’s children would of course acknowledge that act of yours.”

According to him, “When the history of Enugu State will be read out, posterity will reward you (Ugwuanyi) and posterity will reserve a noble seat for you for this conjugal relationship you have created between Ndi Enugu North and Enugu East.

“You have cemented that by your action we are seeing here today. We have no doubt in our mind Your Excellency that the support we are getting from our people, in a few days time they are going to express that at the polling units.

“I would like to assure the people of Enugu North Senatorial District that what you are going to witness under our administration is a continuity of the great work that you have that His Excellency has begun. We are going to ensure that the people of Enugu North feel the impact of our developmental mileage. The fact that enabled this dream means that we are going to ensure a manifest regard to them from the role they have played; in the consequential role they have played to our emergence.”

Overwhelmed with delight at the thrills of the mammoth crowd and the inspiring speeches, Governor Ugwuanyi recalled that the Enugu North Zonal Rally of November 21, 2020 was an occasion for a quasi-referendum on his administration’s stewardship, stating that Nsukka people’s generous plaudits for his administration’s modest achievements, votes of confidence in his leadership, reaffirmation of the support and solidarity, “and commitment to our brotherhood and loyal friendship, on that occasion, were highly motivating.”

The governor further stated that the warmth of the people’s reception and their happy faces at the event of yesterday showed stronger sentiments.

He said: “I am reassured that we have delivered the goals in tandem with your expectation. I, therefore, avail myself this opportunity to convey my profound gratitude for your love and reiterate my fidelity to you, in all respect, for charity indeed begins at home. I am proudly and happily your son and would never wish for anything else.

“Your non-partisan endorsement of all our candidates in the 2023 general election signposts the acceptability of our party and the propriety of the choices of our candidates for all the elections.”

Governor Ugwuanyi, who expressed confidence that the people have collected their Permanent Voters Cards, urged them to go out en masse and do the needful on February 25 and March 11, 2023 respectively, saying: “Vote wisely, vote umbrella. I enjoin you to stay the course of peace and civilised conduct which characterise us as a people.”

Governor Ugwuanyi, therefore, thanked all the leaders, traditional rulers, clergymen, stakeholders and all the good people of Enugu North Senatorial District for putting the event together and appreciated “all my staff, friends, associates, well-wishers and gentlemen of the press who are here with us.”