The youth wing of the Ndoki Peoples Freedom Movement, Port Harcourt branch, has accused Adolphus Wabara, a former Senate President, of planning to impose his brother, as the preferred candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ukwa East.
This is as political parties prepare for the local government (chairmanship and councillorship) election in Abia State, scheduled for December 18, 2020.
The group in a letter dated September 29, 2020, made available to BusinessDay, in Aba, Thursday, alleged that the former Senate President is intimidating people with tales that Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, has already settled him with the PDP Chairmanship ticket of Ukwa East.
They urged Governor Ikpeazu, to stop Wabara, from his plan to impose his younger brother, Chucks Wabara, as the candidate of PDP, in the forthcoming Local Government election in the State.
The youths told Ikpeazu that if he supports what they tagged “evil and insensitive plan” being orchestrated by Wabara, to materialize, Ukwa East LGA would become a family business of the former Senate President.
“We would have kept quiet for this to happen to quicken the final burial of PDP in Ukwa East LGA, even before 2023, but because of the adverse effect it will have on us-the youths and our people, we have decided to warn against it”, they stated.
The youths urged Ikpeazu to stop the alleged political settlement of Wabara, stressing that he has been politically settled enough and should not be allowed to keep standing on the growth of other younger persons with better aspirations.
“You and your party have settled Wabara enough with the position of Pro-Chancellor of Abia State University, Uturu; Secretary Board of Trustees of PDP, at the National level and the Abia State Chairmanship of PDP, at the State level.
“He also served as a Senator for 8 years, as well as President of the Senate.
“Before going to the Senate, Wabara represented us at the House of Representatives and at the local level, as our LGA Chairman.
“He has also served as the Supervisory Councilor of our LGA. He’s healthy and doing well.
“Allowing him to impose his younger brother on the people of Ukwa East, as elected Chairman will be a source of discouragement to youths, like us and invitation for violence.
“We’ll oppose this with our blood. Even our forefathers will not forgive anyone who supports this”.
The youths told Ikpeazu that the Abia PDP where he and Wabara are stakeholders already have a well-structured zoning formula that will be truncated, should Wabara’s brother become the party’s candidate for the election.
“You must have been told about what your PDP calls zoning because as a Governor, you are a product of zoning.
“By that zoning arrangement, as agreed by your party, it was agreed that in each Zone, the Chairman can only come from any ward that has never produced an elected Chairman before.
“Wabara is from Ikwueke East Ward and his ward is in Zone-B and he had served, as an elected Chairman before. The two remaining wards that have not produced elected Chairmen, are Obohia and Ikwuriator Westwards.
“They are the only two wards qualified to contest for Chairmanship. This is according to Wabara’s PDP zoning arrangement.
They continued, “Please do not allow him to change the rules in the middle of the game.
“Also your party said in their zoning arrangement that if Zone-A produces the House of Assembly Member, Zone-B should produce the LGA Chairman. The current House of Assembly Member, Paul Taribo is from the same village, Ohambele, as Wabara.
“If he succeeds in the planned imposition of his younger brother, it then means that both the House of Assembly Member and the LGA Chairman of Ukwa East, will come from the same village, Ohambele and the same electoral ward, Ikwueke East”.
The youths urged Ikpeazu not to allow Wabara’s plans to succeed to avoid violence. “We’re for peace and equity, but if Wabara pushes us, the youths, and the entire people of Ukwa East, to the wall, we may not guarantee this peace”.
They urged the Governor and the PDP to support any other person that has indicated interest to contest the council election from any of the two wards of Obohia and Ikwuriator, who according to them, are the only people qualified to contest.
