Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, says there will be no imposition of candidates preparatory to the 2023 general elections.
Ugwuanyi disclosed this on Thursday in Enugu during a peaceful protest by some stakeholders from Udi North State Constituency in Udi Local Government Area of the state.
The governor, who addressed the protesters in Igbo language, said he remains neutral in the quest for all elective positions from the local government level to the choice of who would succeed him.
He said that his interest is to ensure the sustenance of the peaceful atmosphere pervading in the state.
He urged the protesters to return to their constituency and engage their larger stakeholders on how to resolve the issue of who would represent them in the State House of Assembly.
Ugwuanyi said he would only intervene if they fail to reach a compromise at their micro level.
Earlier, the Coordinator of the group, Mr Chidi Wilfred, said that the peaceful protest followed what he called “intra constituency marginalisation in their area”.
Wilfred said that it is worrisome that only one ward has been representing the constituency in the state assembly in the last 12 years.
“The same ward wants to go for the fourth time, whereas, some wards in the constituency have not gone even once,” he said.
Wilfred, also the coordinator of Intellectual Young Leaders of Nigeria, Abuja Chapter, said: “We came to register our grievances and hopelessness as it seems the government is playing on us or making light of our cry.
“We expect the government, like every other sensible and sensitive government, to respond to our call for fairness and equity,” he said.
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Wilfred said that they expect the state government to address the issues of marginalisation in the area in order to give them a sense of belonging.
