Senator Theodore Ahamefula Orji, the immediate-past Governor of Abia State and Senator representing Abia Central, has vowed that Abia North political bloc will produce the next State Governor come 2023.
The lawmaker was reacting to growing tension across the state over which zone will produce the next governor as some individuals, groups and various political blocs are making case for the number one seat.
According to Vanguard reports, Senator Orji, invited some key political stakeholders from the 17 Local Government Areas in the state to his Umuahia-country home on Sunday “where he told them in a plain language” that power has to rotate back to Abia North in 2023 in keeping with Abia Charter of Equity.
A source present at the meeting, told Vanguard that the former Governor expressed rage at those opposed to the prevailing zoning arrangement in the state, saying they are on a dangerous voyage.
The former Governor who was instrumental in the power shift to Abia South in 2015 was said to have expressed fury over moves by the Ngwa bloc to retain power beyond 2023, vowing that such injustice should not be allowed.
He reportedly told the gathering to return to their various communities with the unambiguous message that power must return to Abia North in 2023.
The position of the former Governor received a thunderous ovation by the crowd of political players present at the meeting as echoes of ‘father of equity rented the atmosphere’.
According to a source present at the meeting, what the former Governor did “is exactly what we had expected the incumbent Governor to do so as to reduce the unnecessary tension in the polity but for reasons best known to him he has not boldly come out to declare his stand”.
”We appreciate Papa Ukwu for speaking out when others are too cold to talk. He has made it clear that zoning has come to stay no matter what anybody thinks.
”This is the same man who has also told anyone that cares to know that he would not be seeking a return ticket to the Senate in 2023 so that the Ngwa bloc in Abia Central will take their turn. How I wish our politicians will learn from him”.
The declaration has also put paid to speculations that Orji’s son and the Speaker of Abia State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Chinedum Orji has been positioned to take over as Governor in 2023.
A source close to the family said blackmailers were behind such speculation to portray the family as greedy, saying that the Speaker has never at any time schemed to be governor in 2023.
