Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo
Former Governor of Abia State, Senator Theodore Orji has waded into the controversy surrounding the “double zoning” arrangement adopted by the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), saying that it was capable of causing crisis in the state.
The Abia PDP leadership had at the weekend announced that the zoning of its governorship ticket to both Abia North and Abia Central Senatorial districts in order “to be fair to all”.
But in a statement he personally signed yesterday and made available to journalists in Umuahia, Senator Orji, who represents Abia Central in the Senate said that his position on the issue of zoning has not changed. His position is that power should shift to Abia North where it started in 1999 as it has now gone round the three zones.
“Let me state categorically clear that my earlier position on the subject matter remains sacrosanct and unambiguous.
“All those working to set Abia State on fire should toe the path of peace, do a rethink and sustain the peace we have been savouring as God’s State,” he said.
The Abia PDP was plunged into zoning chaos following the clamour by Governor Ikpeazu’s kinsmen to retain power for another eight years at the end of his tenure in 2023.
Apparently to accommodate the interest of the Ngwa bloc, the leadership of the ruling party was said to have been prevailed upon by the governor to go for the double zoning formula in order to be “fair to all”.
The party also added that aspirants from outside the two zones were free to join the race.
The Chairman of Abia PDP, Hon Alwell Asiforo Okere, had in a statement read to newsmen by the state Publicity Secretary, Chief Fabian Nwankwo, said that the decision on double zoning was taken “after wide consultations”.
But a former Senate President, Adolphus Wabara has vehemently faulted the wide consultation claims, saying that it is “absolutely unconstitutional for the party to make a zoning (arrangement) that is confusing and not clear-cut”.
“I don’t know where they got the whole idea from. As far as I am, and many other leaders of this party, are concerned, they did not summon a meeting of the caucus” before taking the decision on double zoning.
“I’m not sure other leaders attended any caucus meeting not to talk of attending any Elders Council meeting where such decisions were reached,” he said.
