Major political crisis seems to be brewing in Abia State ahead of the 2023 poll as agitation for power shift begins to set political blocs against each other.

 

Indications to this emerged as Ukwa la Ngwa political bloc comprising six local government areas in Abia South and three in Abia Central, has insisted that the governorship seat would remain in the area.

 

The incumbebt Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu is from the bloc but they argued that Abia State is made up of two political blocks – Old Bende, and Old Aba Division.

 

Stakeholders from the bloc who met at Ovu Ndi Eze in Isialangwa-North Local Government Area under the auspices of Ukwa La Ngwa Elders’ Council, advised governoship aspirants from outside the zone to shelve their ambition until after another two unbroken terms of eight years by Ukwa la Ngwa.

 

They argued that two former governors of the state – Gov. Orji Uzo Kalu; and Senator Theodore Orji, who governed for eight years respectively are all from Old Bende, thus making the bloc to be in power for 16 years.

 

Ukwa la Ngwa stakeholders, therefore, insisted that after Ikpeazu’s eight years, power would be retained in the bloc for yet another eight years to complete their own turn.

 

But in a swift reaction, the Vice Chairman of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party PDP, Chief Amah Abraham, told Ukwa/Ngwa people that they could not armtwist the state into retaining power beyond 2023 through threat.

 

He insisted that critical stakeholders in the state must be consulted in the decision on which zone power would shift to in 2023.

 

The former Special Adviser to Govs. Orji Uzo Kalu; Theodore Orj; and Okezie Ikpeazu, insisted that no one political bloc could unilaterally decide on power shift without due consultations with critical stakeholders from other zones.

 

His words: “Abia North PDP sincerely regrets the current threat to the office of the Executive Governor requiring him to hand over power to a section of the state by 2023.

 

” Abia South did not secure the governorship slot in 2015 and 2019 on the basis of threats but rather on wide consultation amongst critical stateholders.

 

“Abia North wishes to state clearly that no section of the state can secure the slot of the Governor come 2023 on cheap threats and propaganda.

 

” Let’s consult and respect each other as a way of moving forward. God bless Abia State and God bless OVI”, Amah wrote on his Facebook page.

 

This is as the Minister of State for Mines and Solid Minerals, Dr. Uchechukwu Ogah, has advised that God should be allowed to decide who becomes the next Governor of the state.

 

The All Progressive Congress APC governorship candidate in the 2019 poll told our Correspondent that time had come for Abia to rejoice, and that God not politicians should be allowed to decide for the people.

 

” The next governor should come from where God decides to choose someone. The same people came up with otu onu (one turn). Well, God should give Abia the best for the time to favour Abia has come”, Ogah said.

 

In a reaction also, the 2019 Governorship candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance APGA, and now a chieftain of the APC, Dr. Alex Otti, said competence and capacity should be the yardsticks to determine who succedes Gov. Ikpeazu in 2023.

 

Otti who spoke through his Media Aide, Ferdinand Ekeoma, said advocates of zoning do so out of selfish interests and quest for continued relevance in power.

 

“I think power should go to those who have capacity to provide quality governance to Abians, because in times of pressing emergencies like we have now, our best hands must be deployed to profer solution to our protracted leadership crisis.

 

“Our position has always been that the leadership challenges bedevilling Abia require someone with vision, proven capacity and network of contacts to tackle, and I don’t think such challenges should be trivialized using the self serving Zoning rhetoric that has always served the interest of the privileged few.”

 

The Ukwa/Ngwa stakeholders in 11-point communique issued after their meeting, resolved that for the sake of equity, Ikpeazu would hand over to a successor from any of the three Ukwa la Ngwa LGAs in Abia Central otherwise known as Umunneato.

 

They also barred anybody from Ukwa la Ngwa from accepting Deputy Governorship position in 2023, while urging all political parties in the state to zone their governoship slot to the three Ngwa LGAs in Abia Central.

 

The communique read in part: “That the People of Ukwa La Ngwa remain conscious of the indisputable fact and truth that Abia State is basically made up of two different geo-political zones, Old Aba Division and Old Bende Division.

 

“That the good people of Ukwa La Ngwa, in pursuit of Justice, Equity and Fairness, knowing that the People of Old Bende have governed the State for an unbroken Sixteen Years, 1999 to 2015, unequivocally demand and insist that they will also Govern for Sixteen Consecutive Years, that is from 2015 to 2031.

 

“That, by virtue of Justice, Equity and Fairness, the People of Ukwa La Ngwa will collectively and ceaselessly work for the democratic enthronement of Abia State Governor of Ukwa La Ngwa Extraction, from any of the Three Ukwa La Ngwa Local Government Areas of Isialangwa-North, Isialangwa-South and Osisioma, otherwise known as Umunne Ato Ngwa in Abia Central Senatorial District, in 2023.

 

“That No Ukwa La Ngwa Son, Daughter or Wife will dare accept the position of a Governorship Running-Mate in any Political Party for 2023 election.

 

“That all Sons, Daughters and Wives of Ukwa La Ngwa are, by this Communique, called upon and mandated to do everything democratically possible to make sure that this collective objective of the People of Ukwa La Ngwa is seamlessly concretized and achieved.”

 

Some of the signatories of the communique include: Dr Max Nduaguibe,

Leader; former Deputy Governor, Chief Acho Nwakanma; Chief Victor Ubani (Aba-North)

; Chief Chinwe Nwanganga; and Chief Simon Eme (Aba-South).

 

Others include: Rt Hon. Christopher Enweremadu (Isialangwa-North); St Moses Ogbonna (Isialangwa-South); Chief Rowland Nwosu (Obingwa); Hon. Ngozi Ulunwa; and Hon K O Mgberahuru (Osisioma).

 

Abia North particularly Isuikwuato Division which claims it is the letter “I” in the Abia acronym, has consistently argued that it is its turn to produce the next governor come 2023.