As the tussle on which zone should produce the next Abia State Governor come 2023 begins, a group, Abia North Citizens Forum has insisted that it’s their turn to produce the next governor.
The group which harped on equity, said it will be a violation of rotational agreement of Abia governorship seat if Southern or Central zone of the state produce the next Abia governor in 2023.
The group in a communique issued at the end of their meeting on Saturday obtained by ABNTV said the two other senatorial zones, Abia Central and South have had their own shots of the governorship which was part of the rotational agreement, hence the need to respect the rotational agreement.
According to the group, the use of intimidation to deter others from exercising their right to contest for the top job in the state will not be allowed.
The full communique reads…
“That Abia State constitutionally has 3 Senatorial Zones and so,is structured on a tripod.
“That any attempt at returning to the regional arrangement amounts to a deformation of the Tripod and this is unreasonable and so, objectionable.
“That the various critical meetings held by well meaning Abians that led to the ceding of Abia governorship seat to Abia South in 2015 and 2019 was a product of concession and consensus based on an agreement that the rotation principle was irrevocable.
“That it is preposterous for any zone to renage on the said agreement.
“That any attempt being conceived in whatever form by any party to the agreement is not only a betrayal of trust, a dog eating its trust or tantamounts to changing the goal post at the middle of the March which is unethical and unprofessional.
That it is only natural, fit and proper for the ration principle to take a natural course by returning to Abia North, now that the circle would be completed by 2023.
“That the use of threat and intimidation to stop some people from pairing with some others as deputy governorship aspirants is cheap and cowardly, if not unimaginable.
“That insisting the flag bearers of all the political parties in the 2023 governorship election must come from particular local government councils is a mundane propaganda and does not have a place in modern democracy.
“That it sounds confrontational, if not afrontal that people in apparently sound minds take ambition to such height as positing that all political parties must zone the governorship ticket to not just a specific zone but short of zeroing it to a name of a candidate, for an election that would hold about two years hence, as if the political parties are the limited liability companies of theirs. This is taking ambition too far, if not playing God.”
Signed:
1. Amb. E. O. Philip [Leader]
2. Hon Uche Maduako
3. Chief B. A. Meregini
4. Chief J. U. Udensi
5. Mrs Charity Achinivu
6. Okafor. L. Okechukwu
7. Chief Ogba Nwokoro
8. Dr Silas Eke
9. Chief John Okocha
