Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia
The strong man of Abia politics, Ochiagha Benjamin Benedict Apugo has finally broken his silence on the 2023 governorship race in Abia, by endorsing the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Ikechi Emenike.
His endorsement of Emenike came on the heels of a series of endorsements the governorship flag bearer has continued to enjoy across the state in the run up to the March 11, 2023 governorship poll.
It was gathered that the longstanding politician, popularly known as BB, endorsed Emenike on Thursday when Prince Apugo received the APC governorship flag bearer and his entourage at his county home in Nkata Ibeku, Umuahia North Local Government Area.
Apugo, who is a member of APC Board of Trustees (BoT) and Caucus, was excited to receive Emenike, whom he repeatedly referred to as “my brother” noting that he has long been admiring his doggedness, forthrightness and unquenchable desire to develop Abia State.
He said that he shared Emenike’s vision for Abia and his action plan to take the state to the desired level of accelerated development, adding that it was unfortunate that Abia “has been left in the hands of fraudsters” for so long.
Apugo vowed to do everything in his power to ensure the success of the APC gubernatorial candidate at the forthcoming poll, explaining that his choice of Emenike was purely based on his outstanding quality and capacity to do great things.
“You will succeed in this election and I can assure you that you will have all the votes in areas under my authority,” he assured the APC governorship hopeful.
The party chieftain took time tracing his long years in politics dating back to the Second Republic with relevant photographs to back his claims. He lamented the stunted growth of Abia State due to bad governance, adding that even Umuahia, the capital city has not witnessed development befitting its status.
Nevertheless, the vastly experienced Abia politician said that there is now a renewed hope for Abia with the candidacy of Emenike, whom he said “has the political will to shake things up and reset Abia for developmental strides.”
Emenike in his response said that he was delighted to know that Prince Apugo, like other well-meaning Abians, were thinking on the same wavelength like him on how to move Abia forward and have keyed into his agenda to rescue and develop Abia (RADA).
“Let us work together and liberate Abia for the benefit of the entire people and residents of the state,” he urged Apugo.
The APC governorship hopeful said that Abia has become the backwater state of the South-east zone due to successive foisting of inept, visionless leaders on the state by the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
But he assured Apugo and other stakeholders in the Abia project that he was committed to his goal of changing the sad narrative of God’s Own State, adding that his manifesto has been tailored for accelerated, holistic development of the state.
