Leader of the Ukwa/Ngwa Ethnic Nationality of Abia state, Dr. Emmanuel Adaelu has described those opposing the zoning of the state 2015 governorship position to Abia South senatorial zone as enemies of the state.
In a chat with our correspondent, Adaelu who reportedly backed the zoning of the governorship seat to Abia South even before the PDP reached the decision added that the Ukwa/ Ngwa people are grateful to Gov. Theodore Orji and the PDP for insisting on power shift to Abia South zone.
“Any individual or group opposing this governorship aspiration that the Ukwa/ Ngwa people are so confident about, is an enemy of Abia state. The party has just done what is fair and just; those opposing the decision are in the insignificant minority. The governorship of the state was first zoned to Abia North, then Abia Central and now Abia South; there is nothing new about the issue of zoning in Abia state.
“Let our brothers from the other parts of the state and beyond know that there is no controversy on the zoning of the governorship position to Abia South. What the PDP did has been accepted overwhelmingly by the greater population of the Ukwa/Ngwa people across the nine LGAs of the zone. If there are pockets of dissenting voices which I doubt if there are; it is understandable that one or two interest groups because of their selfish interest, may not be comfortable with the decision. If at all there are still people opposing the decision, they are in the negligible minority because what the party has done remains the wish of the Ukwa/Ngwa people,” Adaelu said.
The elder statesman who holds a national honour of Member, Federal Republic (MFR), urged governorship aspirants from the three Ngwa local governments in Abia Central; Osisioma Ngwa, Isiala Ngwa North and Isiala Ngwa South to support their Abia South brothers to produce a governor in the interest of Ukwa/ Ngwa bloc which has never produce one.
“Since the PDP has zoned the governorship seat to Abia South, our people must support the governor and the party to produce an Abia governor in 2015. Abia South is part of Ukwa/ Ngwa bloc; so our brothers from the three Ngwa local governments in Abia Central zone should support their Abia South brothers to produce a governor which the entire Ukwa/ Ngwa bloc has never done before. They should not cause crisis because this is not the first time when something like that has been done. Even Gov. Theodore Orji was a product of zoning. Our people should remain peaceful because there are money bags coming from the other part of the state aspiring for the governorship position. We don’t want to give them a chance to cause division among Ukwa/Ngwa people.”