The political situation in the South East is very exciting. Loyalty is the word. The fear of the leader is the beginning of wisdom. The geo-political zone is a conquered territory for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). Forget that Anambra and Imo States are currently under the leadership two different parties other than PDP.
In Enugu, Ebonyi and Abia where PDP has taken root, any politician who must amount to anything in that line must religiously queue behind the powers that be. But whether or not the party has, indeed, favoured the people is a different story entirely.
Abia, created on August 27, 1991 has 17 local government areas. They are Aba North, Aba South, Arochukwu, Bende, Ikwuano, Isiala Ngwa North, Isiala Ngwa South, Isiukwuato, Obi Ngwa, Ohafia, Osisioma Ngwa, Ugwunagbo, Ukwa East, Ukwa West, Umuahia North, Umuahia South and Umu Nneochi.
Since the creation of the state, power has remained in the old Bende axis of the state made up of eight local governments namely: Bende LGA, Arochukwu LGA, Ohafia LGA, Isikwuato LGA, Umunneochi LGA, Ikwuano LGA, Umuahia North LGA and Umuahia South LGA. The Ukwa/Ngwa axis comprising nine local government areas has not produced a governor.
For years, particularly since the return of the country to civil rule, several groups of the Ukwa/Ngwa extraction have continued to make case for equity as it pertains to occupation of the governorship seat in Abia State by an Ukwa/Ngwa seed.
For instance, a group called Ukwa/Ngwa Grassroots Youth Forum (UGYF) urged political stakeholders in the state to uphold the tenets of the Abia Charter of Equity as envisioned by the state’s founding fathers.
Okey Nwachukwu, the group’s national president, advised stakeholders particularly from the Old Bende bloc to uphold the principles of the charter drawn up at creation by the founding fathers of the state.
Nwachukwu said that upholding the rotation of power between Old Bende and the Old Aba divisions in the state would sustain peace, equity, justice and fair play in the state.
“We, the youth group of Ukwa/Ngwa land hereby demand that it was time for Old Bende to reciprocate our good and long standing gesture of patience by supporting our governor’s stand in having Ukwa/Ngwa person become governor come 2015. While appealing to well meaning Abians to support the spirit of Abia Charter of Equity to give the Ukwa/Ngwa and Ochendo our governor who is eager to break this jinx a chance for equity to thrive in Abia State”, he said.
In order to redress the situation, Governor Theodore Orji on July 1, 2014, while inaugurating the new transition chairmen of the 17 local councils of the state at the Michael Okpara Auditorium, had pledged to hand over power to a person from Ukwa/Ngwa bloc.
He restated his commitment when professionals from the area visited him to commend his development efforts in the state and to appreciate his decision.
Orji had said:”I want you to support this project. I have said it, I am not going back. But you people have to support me. I made a promise that it should be Ukwa/Ngwa. You have to work hard and present somebody that is acceptable and the party will support him and he will be voted for. “If there is fairness and equity, there will be no rancour. But if there is no equity and fairness, anarchy may set in. So, what I said and we are pursuing will bring peace to Abia. I know that some people will be fighting to thwart this, but God will fight for us. I believe that it is the right and proper thing to do,” Orji said.
The governor, who said he was walking in accordance with the roadmap of the founding fathers of the state in fashioning Abia Charter of Equity, said though it was not law, it was made to bring justice and equity to all the peoples of the state.
“I prayed God to guide me and I decided that for fairness and equity, it will be good for an Ukwa/Ngwa person to be the next governor. You did not lobby me; I did not discuss with any person, only God. This is what I feel God said I should say and do. I think that it is the fairest thing to do. “When I did it I discovered that it is the in-thing. If you go to Enugu, Ebonyi, Cross River, and Akwa Ibom, it is the same. Abia State has come of age, it is now age of reasoning, not intimidation,” the governor said.
Despite Orji’s promise, some politicians of the Abia Central Senatorial zone, who are not of the Ukwa/Ngwa stock are said to be kicking.
In Abia, Isiala Ngwa South and Isiala Ngwa North, the two core Ngwa councils, fall into Abia Central and it is the zone that produced the current governor. This created a problem of interpretation when the governor said the slot had been zoned to Abia South.
Under Ukwa/Ngwa bloc, there are nine local government areas; only two are in Ukwa (Ukwa East and Ukwa West). It is on this premise that the Ngwa people are insisting that the slot should naturally be theirs this time around since they have been contributing massive votes in the interest of the PDP during elections.
A commentator observed that “many politicians of the Ngwa stock from the Central were also re-theorising the balance of power and equity to adduce that it must be any Ngwa. The seeming ambiguity also created the room for very suicidal ambition which saw people of non-Ngwa stock, who, by dint of long residence in the Ngwa area suddenly realised that they could latch on that confusion to claim the Ngwa birthright”.
That it has been agreed in principle that the slot should go to the Ngwa people is not in contention, what appears to be a subject of controversy is the person to go for them.
BD SUNDAY reliably gathered that although many aspirants have since declared their interest, none has been bold enough to hit the ground running since they are not sure who of the aspirants already has the governor’s blessings or will get it.
An insider source, who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity, said every aspirant was treading cautiously not to spend their money in vain.
“Yes, the governor has said the slot is for the Ukwa/Ngwa bloc, and has also advised the people to cooperate among themselves to pick a credible person, but you and I know that in the game of politics, the king can never be neutral. He must have a choice to make. In politics, it is not usual for a governor to shut his eyes when an issue as huge as picking his successor is concerned. What we know of them, they always go for someone loyal who protect their interest in government,” the source said.
The source also added that there are no defined supporters as yet, until the governor must have announced his anointed.
“If you move around the state, supporters are also skeptical now. Nobody wants to be openly identified with aspirants that will not fly at the end of the day. The aspirants themselves are cautious; nobody wants to spend his money in vain. For those aspiring on the platforms of other parties, they are busy selling themselves, but the question is, do they have a chance of winning? Abia is a PDP state, at least for now,” he said.
Zebulon Agomuo
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