Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia
The ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abia has been challenged to come out and clear the air on the whereabouts of its governorship candidate, Prof Uche Ikonne, and stop playing hide and seek with the people of the state.
A group known as the Abia Transformation Agenda Network (TAN) put the Abia PDP leadership to task in a statement signed by its national coordinator, Thomas Okoro, raising a number of posers concerning the health status of the governorship candidate.
Ikonne, a former Vice-chancellor of the Abia State University Uturu (ABSU) disappeared from the political scene after he allegedly slump during the flag off of his campaign at Umuahia Township Stadium on November 24, 2022.
TAN, in the statement made available to the media, decried Ikonne’s, “continued absence and lack of information about his health condition” adding that it was “tantamount to Abia PDP playing hide and seek with the collective destiny of Abians.”
The group noted that Ikonne’s absence and lack of information about him was already generating tension in the ruling party as vested interests dig in to profit from the uncertain situation should there be need to replace the candidate.
TAN, which noted that it had been following the development with keen interest and how the PDP, “has refused, neglected or ignored to disclose the whereabouts” of its governorship candidate.
“In Abia, there are varying speculations regarding where the 70 year old former Vice Chancellor is attending to his health since he allegedly collapsed at the Umuahia Township Stadium venue of the Abia PDP Campaign Flag off.
“We noticed that a faction of PDP who feel they would benefit if a swap happens, has been holding series of meetings on how to scale through the hurdle of replacement of candidate placed by the Electoral Act,” the group said.
TAN warned the Abia PDP to stop foot dragging on making full disclosure concerning Ikonne’s condition so that necessary action could be taken given that Section 31 of the Electoral Act provides for 90 days’ notice of withdrawal before the poll for a nominated candidate.
“It is obvious that given the limitation of time and by statutes, the PDP in Abia State has no governorship candidate. Those who are benefitting from this quagmire are busy receiving millions of naira daily for campaigning for a candidate who cannot be found anyway.
“We want to bring to the notice of Abians that members of the PDP who are the architects of this game plan want to go into the elections with an absentee Ikonne so that it will be very easy for them to have unfettered access to the State Treasury in the unlikely event that Ikonne wins.”
The ruling party has largely kept sealed lips on Ikonne’s disappearance with the media section of its campaign council dismissing any suggestion that the health of the governorship candidate was impaired.
In interpreting ruling party’s opacity on Ikonne’s whereabouts, TAN said, “it is that vacuum of not having a functional governor that is inspiring them to behave as if all (Abians) do not have sense.”
Few days ago, the state governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu eventually admitted during a radio programme that Ikonne, “is lately indisposed,” after months of speculations, adding that
he was recovering gradually and progressively.
But TAN Ikpeazu has not helped matters since, according to the group, “Ikpeazu was to later add salt to injury by confessing that, ‘Prof. Ikonne will return sooner or later” after saying initially that the PDP gubernatorial hopeful ‘will return in the future’.
