Consensus candidacy is democratic – Gov. Chime

Enugu – Gov. Sullivan Chime of Enugu State said on Sunday in Enugu that consensus candidacy was democratic in politics if the people approved the arrangement.

He spoke while addressing journalists on the recent emergence of Mr Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi as the consensus governorship candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2015 elections.

“I do not see why any party at any level should be against negotiation. It cannot, under any circumstance, be described as undemocratic.

“This is the most democratic thing, this is what lobbying is all about. We are not running contrary to the rules of the party; we are doing what the party encourages — dialogue.

“In Enugu, we do not anoint candidates, we allow the people to speak. What we did was a feat. We achieved a feat,’’ he said.

The governor said that Ugwuanyi would, nonetheless, go through party primaries to validate his choice as a consensus candidate.

He said that he recently convened the meeting of stakeholders from the Enugu North Senatorial zone where PDP zoned the gubernatorial slot to.

He explained further that when Ugwuanyi was nominated, there was no dissenting voice.

The governor said that all the stakeholders from the zone, including retired and serving public servants, attended the meeting, where Ugwuanyi was endorsed.

“Everybody was given the opportunity to speak and the two people who moved and supported the motion to endorse Ugwuanyi were aspirants as well,’’ he said.

The governor said in spite of the development, other aspirants would not be prevented from purchasing forms for the primary elections of the party.

Chime urged the people to support the endorsement of Ugwuanyi in the interest of peace and unity of the state.

Ugwuanyi is a member of the House of Representatives, representing Igbo-Eze North/Udenu Federal constituency. (NAN)