From Maurice Okafor,Enugu.
Enugu West senatorial district is one area where the Labour party was successful in the National assembly election. Engr. Chijioke Okereke who contested on the platform of labour party will be stepping into the green chambers of the 10th National assembly,which begins from May 29,this year to represent Aninri/Awgu/Oji River Federal constituency of Enugu West senatorial district.
He is among the 34 newly elected Nigerian federal lawmakers on the platform of Labour party(LP),which by implication will form the ‘third force’in the green house after APC and PDP.
Engr.Chijioke Okere will be taking after Hon Toby Okechukwu(PDP) who is currently on third tenure as Federal law maker of Aninri/Awgu/Oji River Federal constituency culturally referred as ‘Greater Awgu’axis of Enugu West zone.
Engr Okereke,who celebrated his 42 years of age a fortnight ago is product of the ‘Obedient Movement’ which stirred a political tsunami and gingered a new direction in the Enugu state democratic process,based on the results of the February 25 Presidential and National assembly elections.
Engr. Okereke is promising to consolidate socio economic development of rural communities within Aniinri/Awgu/Oji River federal constituency,as he takes the stage after Hon Toby Okechukwu. He is also promising to expand frontiers of generating employment opportunities for unemployed youths of his constituency.
A political analyst in Enugu West senatorial district described the emergence of Engr.Okereke as a good development that has balanced rotation of political power among the three local government areas of Aninri, Awgu and Oji River local governments.
He narrated that prior to the various parties primaries, there were agitations that it is the turn of Oji River council area to produce the next Federal law maker of Aninri/Awgu/Oji River Federal constituency.
He said the election of Engr.Okereke satisfied the zoning principle and sub zoning that the federal law maker should be produced by Achi- Agu community,at any moment it is zoned to Oji River local government.
His words,’We are happy with the election of Engr. Chijioke Okereke as next federal law maker of Greater. This is based on the fact that our stakeholders irrespective of party of affiliation reached an agreement on how political positions will be shared among our communities.
“By that agreement it is the turn of Oji River and the sub zoning favours Achi Agu community. We made so much noise about it.We are a happy it is now complished with the election of Engr. Okereke There is unity, there is peace. I assure you that the entire Greater Awgu communities and wards,will support him.
Checks revealed that the secret of Labour party success in the February 25,National Assembly election was gingered by the current revolution-like dynamism endeared in Nigeria’s democratic process popularly known as”Obedient Movement”with Mr Peter Obi,the Labour party presidential candidate as the arrow head.
Precisely in Enugu state, Labour party had an overwhelming victory in the February 25,presidential and National assembly elections with Mr Peter Obi scoring the highest eligible vote cast in all the 17 local government areas of Enugu state.
The labour party went further to win seven out of the eight federal seats which initially were occupied and dominated by PDP. The political revolution stirred by labour party in Enugu state in the National assembly election won it the Enugu North senatorial seat and Enugu East district on March 18. The PDP retained Enugu West senatorial seat .
