By Chekwube Odoabuchi
A video of the recently sacked governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in Enugu State, Mr Chijioke Edeoga struggling frantically for a photo opportunity with the party’s presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, has sparked outrage on social media in the state.
In the video, which has since gone viral, Edeoga and his running mate, Mr John Nwokeabia are seen shoving and forcefully fencing off others in apparent desperation to pose for exclusive pictures with Obi.
Obi appeared helpless and discomfited, as he was hemmed in by Edeoga and other politicians struggling to snap pictures with him.
Edeoga is seen in the video extending his arm to block another man from coming close to Obi, as his voice is loudly renting the air repeatedly saying “candidates! candidates! I am a candidate”, in the bid to ward off other competitors for Obi’s attention.
With anxiety on his face, Edeoga elbowed and maneuvered his way around Obi, enabling him and his running mate John Nwokeabia to sandwich the popular presidential candidate for the pictures.
The 30 seconds video has sparked an avalanche of blowbacks on social media platforms, with viewers slamming Edeoga as an opportunistic politician desperate to ride on the wave of the Obidient movement to political relevance ahead of the 2023 elections.
Tweeting from his handle, @chukwuemekaMb16, Ability Chukwuemeka wrote: “That’s what you get when someone wants to impose himself on the people, out of greed and personal vendetta!!”
Another tweep, Ajuluchukwu Ezeakor tweeted, “Poor desperate Chijioke Edeoga trying to be noticed by Peter Obi.”, while another tweep, writing from @nnamaniifeanyi squad, “Ewoooo! If it didn’t Dey it didn’t Dey! Man is classless and unpresidential”.
Obi was in Enugu on Sunday, along with former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, leader of Afenifere, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, among other dignitaries, for the celebration of the 70th birthday of former President General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo.
It is always in the public knowledge that Obi had been avoiding being seen in public with Edeoga, allegedly over the negative public image that has trailed his abysmal performance as the Commissioner of Environment in the Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi administration in the state, during which Enugu was taken over by putrid mounds of refuse.
Speculations that Obi was avoiding Edeoga in public became rife in September when Obi sneaked into Enugu for a private visit to Governor Ugwuanyi at the Government House on a day Edeoga was invited to a meeting at the LP national secretariat in Abuja.
The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja had on November 9, 2022 sacked Edeoga as the governorship candidate of the Labour Party in the state, ordering the party to conduct a fresh primary election within 14 days.
Edeoga’s public appearances have been dogged by dramatic scenes and controversies. At the recent Law Week of the Enugu branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Edeoga nearly engaged in a scuffle with the master of ceremonies of the event, Barr. Anene Ojinta, when he refused to yield the microphone after the ten minutes allotted for him to present his manifesto elapsed.
Edeoga had spent the greater part of his allotted time in a tirade against Chief Evarest Nnaji (aka Odengene), his co-contender for the Labour Party governorship ticket, whose petition led to the nullification of Edeoga’s ticket by the court.
Nudged by the MC to stay on the topic, Edeoga retorted that his manifesto was not yet ready, stating that he was waiting for Obi to release his agenda for the South East.
