The recent statement credited to a former governor of Abia State and now Senator representing Abia Central, Theodore A Orji, that power should rotate to Abia North, seems to have turned the Ukwa/Ngwa kinsmen of the state governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, against the senator.
Orji was reported to have, in a stakeholders’ meeting of the 17 Local Government Areas in the state held in his house in Umuahia last Sunday, expressed his opinion that power having gone round the three senatorial zones in the state, should go back to Abia North.
However, this did not go down well with Ukwa/Ngwa people, who have continued to say that the area must go for another two terms of eight years, and which their kinsman, Okezie Ikpeazu, is currently occupying.
Though the Abia State Peoples Democratic Party came out with a statement the next day, Monday, saying that it had yet to zone power to anywhere, the Ukwa/Ngwa people, who met after the statement by Orji, came out with a statement that they were “poised to confront whosoever and whatsoever that stand between them and their legitimate aspirations.”
The Press Release dated “8/3/22”, read: “The Ukwa la Ngwa Council of Elders has berated Chief T. A. Orji, the Senator representing Abia Central Senatorial zone at the Senate, for disparaging and insulting their illustrious son and Governor of Abia State, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu.
“A statement signed by the leader and chairman of Ukwa la Ngwa Council of Elders Dr Max Nduaguibe said no amount of intimidation, blackmail and insult from Chief T. A. Orji and his co-conspirators can scuttle the legitimate aspirations of Ukwa la Ngwa of Umunneato from accending the Governorship seat of Abia State come 2023.
“According to the statement, in unison, the Council of Elders, men, women and all the Youths are poised to confront whosoever and whatsoever that may stand between them and their legitimate aspirations, stressing that the people are solidly behind Governor Okezie Ikpeazu who has performed creditably.
They called on the Governor not to be moved by the desperation of Senator T. A. Orji and his cohorts and advised the former Governor not to do what he will regret in due course.
The Ukwa la Ngwa Council of Elders, however, said they will continue to accord Chief T. A. Orji the privileges of a statesman but urged him to realize that he was once a governor of the state. and ought to know the enormous power which a sitting governor wields.
Dr. Nduaguibe, in the statement, pointed out that the same manner in which Dr. Oriji Uzor Kalu anointed Chief T. A. Orji as his successor and Chief T. A. Orji in turn ordained Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu as his successor, nothing will debar Governor Okezie Ikpeazu from having a say and hand in who succeeds him.”
During his tenure as the state governor, Sen. Orji had rightly insisted that power must rotate to Abia South and which earned him the title, “Father of Equity” by the Ukwa/Ngwa people.