Abia guber race: APC Ukwa/Ngwa insist on Ngwa Gov

Stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Ukwa/Ngwa caucus have resolved to ensure that the governorship candidate of the party in 2019 general election emerges from the Ngwa extraction.

The resolution came at the end of an extended caucus meeting of stakeholders of the party which took place at the Banquet hall of Hotel De La Pair in Aba, the commercial nerve of Abia State.

The caucus members in a motion moved by Hon. Humphrey Azubuike, and seconded by Onyema Tons-Nwamara also agreed that while their Ngwa brothers produce the governorship aspirant, the Ukwa people should produce aspirant for the Abia South Senatorial seat.

Many speakers at the meeting including Dr. Brightman Onyendi noted that there are many gubernatorial aspirants among them which could hamper their mission and therefore harped on the need for the caucus to look inwards and present to them an aspirant that is credible and who can deliver democratic dividend to the people of the state who he said have over the years been denied quality representation and good governance.

The speakers noted that there is need for the Ukwa/Ngwa nation in APC to come together and unite to speak with one voice and avoid anything that would bring disagreement of any kind among them, stressing that selfish interest of both governorship and senatorial aspirants from the area may truncate their efforts.

The State Deputy chairman of the party and representative of the State chairman, Hon. Donatus Nwankpa, Chief Ogumka Adiele in his speech asked the caucus to ensure that they put their house in order. This is as he disclosed that the party might decide to adopt direct primaries as was the case in Osun.

Adiele who reiterated that the party would ensure a level playing ground for all aspirants ahead of the party’s primaries scheduled for later this year, also reminded that power is not gotten on a platter of gold; that they must work for it.

The state deputy chairman while calling on APC in Old Aba zone to be more united also urged them to go back to their areas and mobilize support for the party and to also encourage people to take advantage of the extended PVC registration exercise to obtain their permanent voters card.

Speaking to journalists at the end of the meeting which attracted the presence of Rt. Hon. Martins Azubuike, Chief Okey Adiaso, Chief Emeka Onugha, Comrade Benedict Godson, Hon. CC. Nwogu, Dr. Green Amakwe, Dr. Brightman Onyedi among others, Chief Marc Wabara (chairman Ukwa/Ngwa APC caucus) said that the essence of the meeting was for them to have a united front ahead of the 2019 general election in the state.

According to Wabara, the caucus as part of its mandate would engage APC stakeholders in the Old Bende region in a roundtable to see how they can be able to have an understanding with them in order to ensure that the Old Bende supports the idea of having an Ngwa governorship candidate of APC in the state come 2019.

On fears that the absence of gubernatorial and senatorial aspirants truncating the plans of the caucus, Wabara posited “The reason why you have many aspirants coming out from Ukwa Ngwa is arising from the general politics of Abia State regardless of the party platform. You will understand that in the last general election, even though we were not talking of APC then, that the governorship was zoned to Abia South and some of us were one of those who put heads together with our other Ukwa/Ngwa brothers and we insisted that for equity, fairness and justice, that they should zone the governorship to Abia South and it was done.

“That is why today under PDP, we have an Ukwa/Ngwa son as a governor. So in APC, we are saying that the Ukwa/Ngwa bloc should produce the next governor of the state. And that is why you have many aspirants coming out from Ukwa/Ngwa. But within the Ukwa/Ngwa bloc, we have also taken harder decision that the Ngwa brothers should complete the governorship and that is why we have about six aspirants among us and we setup a screening committee and the essence of the screening committee is to screen those who have indicated interest so that at the end of the screening, using some variables and yardsticks, we can present the best from the in both the governorship and senatorial seats respectively.

“The most important and fundamental issue is that within the Ukwa/Ngwa blox, we have agreed that Ngwa brothers should produce the governor while the Ukwa, the oil producing area should produce the senate.

“The aspirants joined in nominating members of the screening committee. They participated in setting up the guidelines and the terms of reference. They have also realized that at the end of the day, no matter the number, only one of them will eventually emerge. So they have confidence in the screening committee. They have confidence in the Ukwa/Ngwa APC caucus which I am presently the chairman. At the end of the day, when we finish with the screening and when we have the result, we will sit together with the aspirants who have also committed that whatever the results are, that they will comply with it.

Any person from Ukwa who says that he wants to run for governor is not going in accordance with the agreement.”

Also speaking, Martins Azubuike said “This meeting is necessary against the background that in a few days from now, the party will be entering into electioneering and campaign activities that will lead to the emergence of candidates for at our party at various levels of election.

“As a group, we hold the view that the governorship ticket of our great party should remain in Ukwu/Ngwa to enable us field an Ukwa/Ngwa candidate that would contest alongside the incumbent who is also an Ukwa/Ngwa son even though of the PDP. We feel that that would put the party in a very good stead because it will be a case of Ukwa/Ngwa nation looking at their sons who hold the tickets and maybe decide on which of them that they want to go with. Then, the other divide; the old Bende would make the difference in the election.

“Abia stands on two legs; old Bende Division made up of 8 local governments and the Ukwa-Ngwa Division made up of 9 local governments. The governorship is in Ukwa-Ngwa today and that is what gives me the confidence. Apart from the issues of capability and competence/capacity, looking at where I come from, the Ukwa-Ngwa bloc, I believe that I am in a very right footing to aspire because I am from Ukwa/Ngwa.”