Onyebuchi Ememanka, chief press secretary to Abia State governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, has debunked the rumour making the round the governor was behind purported plans to impeach his deputy, Udo Oko Chukwu.
Chukwu on April 1, 2022, officially declared his intention to contest for the governor of Abia State, in the 2023 general elections, on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
Ememanka in a statement made available to BusinessDay, Monday, appealed to Ndi-Abia and other residents in the state, to disregard such a rumour, which he described as false and a distraction.
He stated that there was no substance in such rumour, as Ikpeazu has no such plans and has never discussed any such issue with anyone.
“Our attention has been drawn to the rumors gaining ground that Governor Okezie Ikpeazu is behind some plan to impeach the deputy governor, Ude Oko Chukwu.
Nothing could be further from the truth. There is no substance in such rumour. Governor Okezie Ikpeazu has no such plans and has never discussed any such issue with anyone.
Governor Ikpeazu’s credentials as an apostle of peace and stability are beyond disputation. He holds the distinction of being the only governor in the history of Abia State, who has spent almost 7 years in office with the same deputy governor.
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Governor Ikpeazu intends to keep that credential intact. The records of the fate of past deputy governors in the state are in the public domain.
While the natural expectation of Governor Ikpeazu at this time was that his deputy, would have stood by him in steadying the ship of the state, as we head towards a political transition period, instead of being distracted by his personal political ambitions, the governor, however, as a true democrat, believes that such ambition is not enough to warrant any plans to impeach the deputy governor.
This is why the deputy governor continues to be actively involved in the business of governance.
He remains the chairman of the state committee on internally generated revenue, in addition to managing several other areas of government business.
Ikpeazu’s disposition towards his deputy has reflected in the great relationship he shares with the people of Nkporo in Ohafia local government area, the hometown of the deputy governor.
This relationship has manifested in the construction of the all-important but long-abandoned Abiriba-Nkporo Road, the new cottage hospital at Nkporo and some other projects that have transformed the infrastructural landscape of the community as well as the welfare of the people.
The issues that occupy the mind of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu at this time are to continue to deliver dividends of democracy to the people of Abia State, tie up ongoing projects and guide our people to a smooth transition by next year.”
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