By Isaac Mission 

The political dispute within the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Enugu State has taken a conciliatory turn after Prof. Ene Nwannaji withdrew his legal challenge against the emergence of Sir Chinyeaka Ohaa as the party’s governorship candidate.

Nwannaji withdrew the suit at the Federal High Court in Enugu on Thursday, September 10, 2026, and subsequently declared his support for Ohaa ahead of the 2027 Enugu State governorship election.

The development is expected to ease tensions within the party, with both politicians presenting the reconciliation as an important step towards uniting the NDC ahead of the election.

Speaking to journalists after the court proceedings, Ohaa welcomed the withdrawal of the case, saying it had demonstrated that the party remained united despite the disagreements that had emerged over its governorship ticket.

Ohaa described Nwannaji as his elder brother and said the latter’s decision to withdraw the suit had cleared doubts surrounding the party’s internal cohesion.

He said the NDC was now focused on its campaign and its ambition to take control of the Enugu State Government House in 2027.

Ohaa also appealed to those he accused of fuelling divisions within the party to step back, insisting that members had resolved to work together.

According to him, he and Nwannaji had held discussions and reached an understanding on the way forward. He praised Nwannaji as a person of integrity who had chosen to place the wider interest of Enugu above individual political ambitions.

The NDC governorship candidate said the party had already commenced its campaign, promising that an administration led by him would prioritise the welfare and needs of residents.

Ohaa further highlighted his experience in public administration at both state and federal levels, saying such experience would help his administration effectively handle planning, budgeting, procurement, project execution and supervision.

He described the implementation of government projects as an area in which he had considerable experience and assured residents that an NDC government would deliver projects efficiently.

On whether reconciliation had been extended to other members who were dissatisfied with developments within the party, Ohaa said discussions were still ongoing.

He described reconciliation as a continuous process and expressed confidence that other aggrieved members would eventually return and join the party’s campaign ahead of the 2027 poll.

Nwannaji Explains Decision

For his part, Nwannaji said his decision to abandon the court case and support Ohaa was driven by his desire to see Enugu State benefit from their shared vision for better governance.

Nwannaji, an academic and politician, said he had known Ohaa for several years and recalled that their relationship became stronger when Ohaa served as a Permanent Secretary in the Federal Capital Territory.

He said his interactions with Ohaa convinced him that the NDC candidate shared several of the ideas and aspirations he had for the development of Enugu State.

Nwannaji argued that working together offered a better opportunity to turn those shared ideas into reality than continuing to pursue separate political ambitions.

He consequently declared his full backing for Ohaa, stressing that he was prepared to work alongside him without reservation.

Nwannaji also explained that his earlier decision to obtain the governorship nomination form was motivated by his conviction that he had valuable contributions to make to the development of Enugu.

However, he said that once the party settled on Ohaa as its candidate, he saw no reason to continue pursuing the governorship ticket, particularly because he came to regard the eventual candidate as a political brother who shared his vision.

He rejected claims that his earlier candidacy had been sponsored by unnamed individuals, dismissing such suggestions as unfounded.

Lawyer Hails Reconciliation

Counsel to the NDC, Chimezie Nwodo, described Nwannaji’s withdrawal of the suit as a positive development for the party’s internal democracy.

Nwodo said the decision showed that the two politicians had chosen dialogue and reconciliation over prolonged political disagreement.

He commended Nwannaji and Ohaa for resolving their differences and urged the party to use the development as an opportunity to concentrate on issues affecting Enugu residents and preparations for the 2027 election.

The latest development marks a significant shift in the NDC’s governorship contest in Enugu, with Ohaa now receiving the backing of a former challenger as the party moves to consolidate its ranks ahead of the election.