As the 2023 agitation for power continues to cause ripples in Abia State, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, has declared that he would soon show the way on how his successor would emerge.
The Governor made the declaration while addressing stakeholders of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, from Bende Local Government Area who visited him at the Government House Umuahia.
His words:“Ndi Bende, you have asked me to light the torch. I have bought batteries, and I will deploy the torch in a matter of days.”
The Governor recalled how his predecessors handled their transition and projected how his would go.
“I have witnessed the two transitions in this State. I was here when Governor Orji Uzor Kalu managed his transition. He showed the way, and we all followed.
“My immediate predecessor also played his part during his time and showed the way, and we all followed. The lot is on me now, and I will live up to that obligation. I will show the way, and I know that we will follow.”
Ikpeazu told the PDP stakeholders that he would indicate a leaning soon but would abide by the party’s decision.
Abia political stakeholders are divided over which zone should produce Ikpeazu’s successor in 2023.
While Abia North and others from the Central as well as Ukwa in Abia South insist that power should rotate back to Abia North in 2023 where it started from in 1999 having gone round all three senatorial zones, the Ngwa clan in Abia Central and their kinsmen in Abia South contend that power should be retained by the Ngwa beyond 2023.
According to them, power has resided with the Old Bende for 16 years (the tenures of Gov. Orji Uzor Kalu, and Senator Theodore Orji), and Old Aba for only eight years.
They insist that another Ngwa man from the Ngwa clan in Abia Central should succeed Ikpeazu to complete the balance of the Old Bende tenure in the power equation.
But former Senate President Senator Adolphus Wabara, has warned PDP against allowing Ngwa man to fly the party’s flag in 2023.
Wabara said anything short of ceding the PDP governorship ticket to his Ukwa clan or Abia North senatorial district in 2023 would lead to protest votes against PDP.
But few hours after his remarks, the former Senate President who was the Chairman Governing Council of the Abia State University, Uturu, was sacked, leading to speculations that the rumoured ‘Ngwa self-succession agenda’ might be real.
Senator Orji who was instrumental to power shift to Abia South in 2023, had also warned against any plan to truncate the prevailing zoning arrangement in the state.
The former Governor declared his total support for power shift to Abia North, warning that any attempt to disrupt the Abia Charter of Equity would be vigorously resisted.
