Despite the promise by Gov. Theodore Orji to hand over power to the Ukwa\/
\nNgwa zone in 2015, rumours are rife that the now retired Chief of Army
\nStaff, Lt. Gen Azubuike Onyeabo Ihejirika may throw his hat into the ring
\nfor the Abia governorship contest in 2015. The rumours which was discussed
\nin hushed tones when Ihejirika was still in service, has now spread like
\nwild fire since the ex Army chief retired.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
His retirement as the Chief of Army Staff appears to have upped the stakes
\nin the race for the gubernatorial election in Abia state in 2015. Reason
\nis that rumours have been rife that the ex Army Chief is interested in the
\ngovernorship position of the state. In fact, in the last two weeks,
\nrumours of an alleged pact with Gov. Orji to hand over to Ihejirika for
\nhis support particularly during the era of kidnapping, has dominated
\npolitical discourse in Abia state.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Another issue is that Ihejirika\u2019s people in Isiukwuato Local Government
\nArea of the state have been agitating that 2015 is their turn as they have
\nnot produced a governor of the state since it was created. The Isiukwuato
\npeople are laying claims to the Abia Charter of Equity on the ground that
\nit favours them to produce an Abia governor in 2015. They contend that the
\nacronym, \u2018ABIA\u2019, means Afikpo, Bende, Isiukwuato and Aba and Isiukwuato
\nmust take their turn before the Aba zone.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
According to a PDP chieftain from the area who did not want his name in
\nprint, \u201cAbia Charter of Equity as a document goes that after the Afikpo
\npeople took their turn through Chief Ogbonnaya Onu, the Bende people
\nthrough Chief Orji Uzor Kalu and Gov. Theodore Orji, it is now the turn of
\nthe Isiukwuato bloc in 2015 before we hand over to Aba zone. Isiukwuato is
\na clan different from Bende, we are on own\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Though Ihejirika is yet to declare his interest for the seat, a section of
\nthe Abia political class believe that it is a matter of time before he
\nmakes a statement. Such people readily point to the fact that the former
\nsoldier has the ears of the presidency as well as Gov. Orji arising from
\nthe loyalty and support he gave the duo during his tenure as Army Chief.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
There appears to be a plot by Ihejirika\u2019s Isiukwuato people to throw a
\nspanner into the promise by Gov. Orji to support a successor from the
\nUkwa\/ Ngwa zone. The plot said to be a secret shared among the retired
\nsoldiers from the area led by Gen. Ike Nwachukwu, is to use all their
\ncontacts to ensure Ihejirika becomes governor in 2015.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Beside Ihejirika\u2019s rumoured ambition, other aspirants from Isiukwuato area
\nhave been scheming to have one of their sons as governor in 2015.
\nProminent among them is the owner of Master Energy Group, Chief Uche Ogah
\nwho has been accused of fronting for the ex Army chief. In the last three
\nmonths, Ogah\u2019s country home at Uturu in Isiukwuato council have played
\nhost to various groups calling on him to join the governorship race of the
\nstate.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The situation appears to have brought tension to the governorship race in
\nthe state as the Ukwa\/ Ngwa people insist it would be a great injustice to
\ndeny them a chance to produce an Abia governor in 2015. Come to think of
\nit, how would Ihejirika or any other person from Isiukwuato and other
\nparts of the Old Bende aspire to succeed Theodore Orji as governor in
\n2015? Is Isiukwuato no longer part of Old Bende zone which would have
\ngoverned the state for 16 years by 2015? Is their \u2018favoured candidate\u2019,
\nIhejirika a member of any political party? Will Abians accept another Old
\nBende after Orji Kalu and Theodore Orji?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The people of the state must be reminded of Isiukwuato has had its fair
\nshare of the governance of the old Imo state as well as Abia state when
\nNdubuisi Kanu and Ike Nwachukwu became Military Governors and later
\ndictated who ruled Abia state during the Muhammadu Buhari, Ibrahim
\nBabangida and Sani Abacha junta. So, why would Ihejirika not put his
\nrumoured ambition on hold for his Ukwa\/ Ngwa brothers who have been
\nmarginalized since the creation of Abia state, to have a shot at the
\nUmuahia Government House in 2015?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Why will Ihejirika who was credited with redressing certain imbalances in
\nthe Nigerian Army during his tenure as Chief of Army Staff, agree to be
\nused to cause harm to peaceful co-existence and brotherly love in Abia
\nstate? Having conquered the world in his eventful military career, will
\nIhejirika now turn to a local champion? These are questions begging for
\nanswers.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Close watchers of the Abia politics insist that there is no justification
\nfor the Isiukwuato people to lay claim to the governorship position in
\n2015. Such people adduce reasons that on the basis of senatorial zones
\nwhich have now assumed the new power sharing formula, Isiukwuato falls
\nunder Abia North senatorial zone which has taken its turn through Orji
\nUzor Kalu.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Across the state, majority opinion is in favour of the Ukwa\/ Ngwa clan to
\nproduce a governor in 2015. Again, every factor counts against the
\nambition of Ihejirika and his kinsmen to produce a governor. The Ukwa\/
\nNgwa people comprising nine local governments boasts of a huge population.
\nIf only they could pull their resources together, Isiukwato which is only
\na local government stands no chance.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Speaking on the rumours making the rounds that Ihejirika may soon declare
\nfor the governorship, a political analyst, Steve Adindu posited the
\nIsiukwuato clan should wait for when the seat rotates to Abia North zone
\nagain after Abia South zone might taken its turn.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
According to him, Abia is divided into three zones; North, Central and
\nSouth. The North and Central has taken their turns while it remains the
\nSouth. So, in 2015 it is only right that they be supported to produce a
\ngovernor. If you look at the Abia Charter of Equity, I think it Hs been
\novertaken by events. The senatorial zone has become the basis for sharing
\npolitical positions in the states. If the Abia Charter of Equity is still
\nworking, after his eight years tenure, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu would not have
\nhanded over power to Gov. Theodore Orji who is from the same old Bende
\nzone. Abia South should be supported to produce the next governor to
\nensure the peaceful coexistence of the component units of Abia state,\u201d he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Reacting to the agitation by the Ukwa\/ Ngwa people to emerge governor in
\n2015, legal practitioner and frontline governorship aspirant in Abia
\nstate, Chief Friday Nwosu described it as an act of grave injustice to
\ndeny the Ukwa\/ Ngwa the chance produce a governor of the state in 2015.
\n\u201cIf the Ukwa\/Ngwa people become governor in 2015, it will be in line with
\nthe dreams of the founding fathers of the state who initiated the Abia
\ncharter of Equity to promote unity among the component units in the state.
\nWe had a slogan,\u201d Onye aghala Nwanne ya\u201d (Be your Brother\u2019s Keeper); but
\nit seems some brothers have forgotten the slogan in political positioning
\nof the state. So, if an indigene of the Ukwa\/ Ngwa zone emerges Abia state
\ngovernor in 2015, it would go a long way to correct the imbalance in the
\npolitical structure of the state. Most importantly, Gov. Orji has
\ndeclared that after him, a person from the Ukwa\/Ngwa zone, particularly
\nAbia South will be the next governor. He has told people at several fora.
\nI have read it in the newspapers that after him and as a man from Abia
\nCentral, his successor will come from Abia South. The governor is a man of
\nhis words. We have not seen any form of deceit in that statement,\u201d Nwosu
\nsaid.
\nThe legal practitioner said he was convinced on the grounds of equity,
\nfairness and good conscience that since Abia North have put in eight
\nyears, and Abia central by 2015, must have put in their eight years, Abia
\nsouth should be allowed to put in their own eight years.<\/p>\n
It is evident that the ex Army chief may meet a stone wall if he decides
\nto run for governor in 2015. Granted that power is not given but taken,
\nIhejirika or anybody from the Isiukwuato area is highly disadvantaged by
\nthe fact that the local government remains a part of Abia North which has
\ntaken its turn from through former Gov. Kalu 1999 to 2007. Even If the PDP
\ndelivers its platform to Ihejirika to contest the governorship election,
\nthe chances of protest votes from Abians, particularly the Ukwa\/ Ngwa clan
\nis sure to make the PDP in Abia an endangered specie in 2015.<\/p>\n
As a time tested General well versed in strategy, Ihejirika is too
\npolished and wise to engage in a fight he cannot win.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Despite the promise by Gov. Theodore Orji to hand over power to the Ukwa\/ Ngwa zone in 2015, rumours are rife that the now retired Chief of Army Staff, Lt.…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":21729,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21728","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exclusive"],"yoast_head":"\n