Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State, weekend elected a new chairman, Dr. Kingsley Ononogbu at a special state congress in Umuahia and filled the void created by its late chairman.
The national leadership of APC had given the nod for the special congress to be conducted in order to fill the chairmanship position which became vacant following the death of Mr. Enyinnaya Harbour last month. Harbour was elected at the state congress in October 2021 but was snatched away by the cold hands of death barely two months after.
But in a seamless special state congress, Ononogbu, a former General Manager, Risk Management, at Spring Bank Plc, was democratically chosen to take the reins of leadership as Abia APC continues to wax stronger ahead of 2023 poll.
Hon. Babatunde Kolawole, who headed the Special Congress Committee, announced that Dr. Ononogbu, who was a sole contestant polled 1,067 votes out of 1,075 votes cast, meaning that he was endorsed by 99.3 per cent of the delegates.
He said that 1,085 delegates attended the special congress out of which 1,080 were accredited and eight void votes were recorded after the ballots were counted.
Kolawole, who is a former two-term federal lawmaker from Ondo State, while fielding questions from journalists after announcing the outcome of the congress, said the exercise was fair, transparent and in the spirit of internal democracy.
Ononogbu, in his acceptance speech thanked the delegates and the entire Abia APC family for considering him worthy and capable of piloting the affairs of the main opposition party in God’s own state, with the general election already looming large.
He acknowledged that he was saddled with enormous responsibility given that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party has not hidden its intention to maintain its stranglehold on Abia in 2023 despite its colossal failure to uplift the state after 24 years in government.
The new chairman, who was a Chief Inspector, Citizens Bank Plc, solicited the support of the APC members and urged Abia people and residents to get ready to change the narrative of the state.
“The time for the needed change in the state has begun in earnest,” he said.
Ononogbu paid tributes to the memory of his predecessor, describing him as a very honest, committed and sincere leader, adding that the Abia APC faithful owe their deceased chairman a duty to win Abia and reset the state to sustained growth.
Chieftains of the party, who spoke at the special congress, including the Deputy Chief Whip of the House of Representatives, Hon. Nkiruka Onyejeocha and Mr. Friday Nwosu, all exhorted party members to remain committed to the goals of the party in the forthcoming general election.
The officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from both the national headquarters, Abuja and the state office were in han to observe the special congress while security was provided by various security agencies.
