By Benjamin Nworie in Abakaliki
The people of Izzi clan in Ebonyi State may have finally settled for peace and unity to forge a common front in the pursuit of the senatorial position which was wrestled from the clan in 2015.
The clan made up of three local governments boasted that they would wrest the position from the incumbent, Senator Sam Egwu, acclaimed to have come out from a minority of one of the council areas.
An indication to this effect emerged on Wednesday in a meeting held in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, as the Forum of Ebonyi North Stakeholders solely adopted the former minister of state for power and steel, Chief Godwin Ogbaga, to represent the zone in the upper chambers in 2019.
The adoption threw up wild jubilations within the majority clan in the zone as the group noted that the choice of the ex-minister would balance the political inequality in the zone.
THISDAY gathered that Ogbaga’s unanimous adoption was meant to placate him for stepping down for the former governor, Senator Egwu in 2015.
Though Egwu may be battle ready to slug it out with the ex-minister, the general impression in the zone was that the former governor had not offered effective representation to his zone.
The group recalled that the Ebonyi Local Government Area where the former minister hails from was the only council out of the four council areas in the zone that has not produced a senator for the zone.
Mr. JOJ Utobo from Ohaukwu Local Government Area noted that the former minister was compelled by stakeholders of the zone to step down for the former governor Egwu in 2015, adding that it is for the interest of equity and party loyalty that the former minister will be allowed to represent the zone in 2019.
He emphasised that it was the turn of Ebonyi Local Government Area given that Abakaliki, Izzi and Ohaukwu have all gone to the Senate twice each.
In a formal motion moved by Chief Joseph Ubochi and seconded by Mr. Nwebonyi Moses, the group endorsed the former clerk of Ebonyi State House of Assembly to represent them in 2019.
Responding, Ogbaga said that he has the needed capacity, experience and energy to represent Ebonyi zone in 2019.
He appealed to all the people of the zone to give him support, promising to offer quality and effective representation in the Senate.
Ogbaga further pledged to look into the communal crisis in some parts of the zone when elected as well as secure federal jobs to the jobless graduates from the zone.
