Without boring you with semantics, no politically aware Abia native will argue the fact that ‘equity’ produced the three governors Abia has had since 1999. Therefore, since there has been no legislation or an alternative measure to sustain, abolish or strengthen the dictates o equity in the state, the contents of that document still privails on Abia political decisions when it comes to zoning the office of governor in the state.
We even can argue that such provision should be extended to all other political or elective office to check the sit tight syndrome witnessed or orchestrated by power drunk politicians. Thanks to Hon. Apugu who has decided not to return to the state House of assembly in order to give room for others.
However, equity prevails that power of governorship should be shared or rotated among the geo-political zones of the state. This means, Abia North, Central and South respectively. Some people have a different narrative to that, saying it should be two but that will be a later discussion because INEC cannot be wrongly confirming elections in wrong districts or the Nigerian constitution wrong the have three districts in other state but refused to have just two in Abia State because it is the only God’s own state when gods give birth to millipedes.
It was a thing of joy and an incline to equity when the government of Senator Orji Uzor Kalu​​ zoned power of the state to Abia Central which produced Senator Theodore Ahamefula Orji. It was still in the spirit of equity that T. A. Orji walked in footsteps of his predecessor, Orji Kalu in the spirit of equity to zone office of governor to Abia South which produced Okezie Ikpeazu Ph.D.
With that rotation, there was no confusion whatsoever witnessed in where the next governor should come from. No two zone were seen to have been zoned to. At this ending of Ikpeazu’s tenure as governor, he has zoned to two senatorial districts, Abia Central and Abia North. This is opposed to the letters and spirit of equity as enshrined in the Abia Charter of Equity.
Ikpeazu had better selfish options to take, he should have come up with the logic that power has completely rotated started from the North, therefore for a new start it has to start from Abia South. With this he would go neutral by giving power to Ukwa Ngwa area of Abia South. Ikpeazu could have also played up another option of zoning solely to Abia Central, and pick his choice candidate from any other ‘origin’ which must not be his, Ngwa.
Abia central senatorial zone is made up of six local government areas of Ikwuano, Umuahia North, Umuahia South, Isiala Ngwa North, Isiala Ngwa South and Osisioma. Three of the local governments are of the Umuahia extraction while the other three are of the Ngwa extraction. It would have been fair for him to choose from the an L.G.A of Umuahia extraction. He had the finest option which is to zone to Abia North which by fairness has not had power in the last sixteen years.
We can not all be agents on confusion. Should the narrative be changed, it has to be unanimously agreed upon. This should not be a matter of who governed better but allowing zones to present their finest sons and daughters to govern the state. After all, there is no zone in Abia where only the natives reside thereof. None. Abia is home for all. Umuahia is home for all. Bende, ohafia, Arochukwu are homes for all.
Let’s give equity a chance for peace and democracy to prevail in Abia.
Abia Rebirth Initiative
