Emmanuel Ugwu in Umuahia
People of old Isuikwuato district comprising the present Isuikwuato and Umunneochi local government areas of Abia State have asked indigenes to start preparing for the next governorship contest at the end of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu’s tenure in 2023.
The call was made at a consultative meeting of stakeholders held at the country home of Senator Emma Nwaka at Amaokwe Amiyi, during which the stakeholders further laid out their strategies for the governorship quest.
“We encourage our illustrious sons and daughters who have the clout, pedigree and reach, to aspire and present themselves for the 2023 gubernatorial contest,” the communiqué said.
In the six-point communiqué made available to journalists in Umuahia, the stakeholders insisted that the old Isuikwuato district “is poised” to produce Ikpeazu’s successor in line with the charter of equity which provides for power rotation.
To actualise the “noble objective,” the stakeholders instituted and empowered Isuikwuato District Welfare Association (IDWA) “to champion, galvanise and co-ordinate all efforts towards realisation of Abia State governor of Isuikwuato District extraction in 2023.”
The issue of which part of Abia should take the reins of power from Ikpeazu has been in the front burner with the people of Abia North Senatorial district, saying the rotation should restart from the zone where it first commenced in 1999.
According to the stakeholders, power rotation in Abia State has gone full cycle with the tenure of Ikpeazu, who is from Abia South Senatorial district hence the next Abia State governor should come from Abia North Senatorial district.
“We strongly appeal to all well-meaning brothers and sisters from the old Bende and Ukwa/Ngwa political blocs to support and work to actualise this just aspiration,” the Isuikwuato stakeholders said.
They urged all registered political parties intending to field gubernatorial candidates in the 2023 elections “to zone and elect their flag bearers from the indigenes of Isuikwuato istrict.”
The stakeholders of Isuikwuato affirmed their stance on the governorship aspiration, saying the cause was justified hence other parts of Abia State should see reason and support them.
“We believe strongly that conceding the 2023 governorship slot to Isuikwuato district will enhance equity, peaceful co-existence, political stability and social harmony in God’s own state,” they argued.
In apparent bid to checkmate possible sabotage of the collective aspiration of the entire Isuikwuato district, the stakeholders barred indigenes from accepting to play second fiddles to governorship candidates from other areas.
“We state categorically that anybody from Isukwuato district who decides to play a spoiler’s game by accepting the deputy governorship position would be declared persona non grata,” the stakeholders warned in the communiqué.
