Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia
Stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) across Abia State have begun to rally ‘quality people’ for the liberation of the state from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) come 2023.
The quest manifested at an expanded stakeholders meeting involving all the 184 wards in Abia held at the Umukabia Okpuala country home of Chief Ikechi Emenike, a chieftain of Abia APC.
Chief Emenike in his address urged the stakeholders to recognise that the battle to liberate Abia from bad governance was still raving and good people must join forces to save Abia.
He said that any Abian that had the interest of the state at heart should not be pandering to sectional interests at the expense of the collective interest of Abia anchored on the yearnings for rapid development of the state.
“I don’t believe in blocs; I believe in Abia,” Chief Emenike said, adding, “We are going to accommodate those that believe in our agenda for the liberation and development of Abia State.”
The development economist stated that having seen their beloved state stagnated for long, all well-meaning Abians should come together, identify and support the person with the capacity to lift the state from underdevelopment.
“We cannot be great as individuals if Abia is allowed to continue to wallow in this pitiable condition,” he said.
According to him, if all the quality people in Abia should come out and work with unity of purpose, the people holding the state down would be overwhelmed and forced to lose their vicious grip on God’s own state.
Former governorship aspirant of APC, Mr. Friday Nwosu, who brought his support groups to team up with Emenike’s structure, noted that “Emenike is the man to change Abia for good”.
“We want Emenike to come out and build Abia,” he said, adding that he has seen in Emenike “a man who can take the state to great level of development.”
Though Chief Emenike, who is the secretary of APC contact/strategy committee, was noncommittal to the call to prepare for the 2023 governorship race, the party stakeholders echoed and reechoed the call.
Chief Nnamdi Iroha Orji, who was the APC candidate for Arochukwu/ Ohafia federal constituency in 2019, pointedly stated that Emenike should heed the call to throw his hat in the ring as 2023 looks bright for him to achieve his dream of a better Abia.
Earlier, the party chairman, Enyinnaya Harbour and leader of the elders forum, Mr. Chris Okpeche, enjoined the party faithful to remain committed to the goal of making APC formidable enough to take control of Abia come 2023.
