The 2023 governorship project of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in Abia, High Chief Ikechi Emenike received a major boost at the weekend following his endorsement by 67 traditional rulers of Ikwuano/Umuahia political bloc.
The royal fathers, who converged at the palace of the traditional ruler of Ajata na Igu autonomous community, King Larry Ogbonnaya Agwu, declared their unflinching support for Emenike, whom they warmly received and prayed to God to grant him success.
“Our collective desire and prayer is for God to lead you to government house Umuahia in 2023. We know your capacity and we strongly believe that you will work for Abia and make the people smile,” the Royal fathers told Emenike.
They charged him to “go for us” assuring the governorship hopeful that they would rally their subjects across the three local governments – Ikwuano, Umuahia North, Umuahia South – where they hold sway to support him at the poll.
Explaining the reason for throwing their weight behind the APC governorship flag bearer, the royal fathers whose domains constitute Ikwuano/Umuahia federal constituency, said that they were appalled at the stagnation of Abia and want Emenike to save the situation.
All the traditional rulers that spoke at the meeting noted that time has come for them to speak out and take a stand against the way Abia was being run down. They stated that they have nothing to fear over their decision to join hands in efforts to rescue the state from further degeneration.
In his remarks the minister of state for science, technology and innovation, Hon Henry Ikoh, commended the royal fathers for their wisdom in adopting Emenike as their candidate of choice, saying that he is the best prepared to fix Abia.
He described the development economist as “a strong man” who has the ideas, will power, passion and the know-how to fix Abia and bring the state to the greatness envisaged by the founding fathers.
Ikoh reiterated his unflinching support for Chief Emenike, saying that his people of Ikwuano already knew his stand and have joined him in efforts to deliver Emenike and other APC candidates in the forthcoming polls.
Emenike, who was accompanied by his wife and Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United States of America, Dr Uzoma Emenike, told the Royal fathers that he entered the governorship race purely to rescue and develop Abia.
He said that he was not seeking power just for the sake of it as some people are wont to do, but to use it to turn around the dwindling fortunes of God’s own state and reset it for holistic development.
The Abia APC flag bearer said that Abia “is in serious problem” owing to the bad management of its resources, adding that the royal fathers should partner with him to rescue and develop Abia.
“Abia has reached the stage where we must come together and say, enough is enough,” he said, adding that he was at Ikwuano to bring good news to the royal fathers that he would surely rescue and develope Abia.