2019 Politics: Zoning stirs ripples in Abia

Sunny Nwankwo takes a look on some of the issues that might play out in the forthcoming APC’s governorship primary in Abia State following the state chapter’s recent resolve to elect its flagbearers through direct primary

At the return of democracy in 1999, Abia State was among the states where the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took deep roots as its candidate then, Orji Uzor Kalu, became inaugurated as the Executive Governor. Although political intrigues made the state to be momentarily controlled by the Progressives Peoples Alliance (PPA) which Kalu founded as part of his political survival strategy, Abia had ever since remained a PDP-governed state.

Today, Kalu and many other prominent political leaders in the state are leading All Progressives Congress (APC) in the quest to dethrone the ruling PDP in the state.

Described by political analysts as the fastest growing political party in the state, as it now boasts of major political actors like Kalu, Prince Benjamin Apugo, Senator Nkechi Nwaogu, Hon. Obioma Iheanacho, Hon. Donatus Nwankpa, High Chief Ikechi Emenike, Prince Paul Ikonne, Rt. Hon. Stanley Ohajuruka, Rt. Hon. Martins Azubuike, former DIG Azubuike Udah, former CEO/MD of defunct Hallmark Bank; Sir Marc Wabara, Senator Bob Nwannunu, Senator Chris Adighije, Barr. Friday Nwosu, former Deputy Governor of Abia State; Comrade Chris Akomas, Dr. Uche Sampson Ogah, Rt. Hon. Agwu U. Agwu, Comrade Godson Benedict, Hon. Nkiru Onyejiocha; member representing Umunneochi/Isiukwuato Federal Constituency, former Minister of Labour and Productivity, Hon. Emeka Wogu, former Nigeria’s ambassador, Okey Emuchay, and many others, observers of Abia State politics are showing great interest in the party’s governorship primaries.

According to political watchers, there is no better time for APC to make impact or even wrestle power from the PDP-led government in the state than now that they have array of political heavyweights in the state who are tested and experienced politicians and can comfortably win elections in their wards and local government areas.

According to them, the ability of the APC to make serious impact or even clinch the seat of power in the state is going to be determined by the level of seriousness and transparency with which they will be attaching to the primaries of the party in the state and how they are going to deal with people that may be aggrieved from the outcome of the primaries.

Between Abia Charter of Equity and Zoning

Abia State, at the return of democracy in 1999, has been ruled by Kalu who is from Abia North and Sen. Orji from Abia Central respectively for a combined period of 16years while efforts by the likes of Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, Chris Akomas, Max Nduaguibe, Dan Nwankwo, Chief Regan Ufomba, among others, from the Ukwa/Ngwa axis of the Abia South Senatorial District to govern the state had not yielded positive fruits.

Despite their political relevance in terms of voting strength and having the highest number of local government areas in the state, the highest position the people has ever held in the state government was that of deputy governorship position until 2015.

It is also fact that between 1999 and date, the Ukwa/Ngwa has produced the highest number of deputy governors in the state, which include Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, Late Chima Nwafor, Comrade Chris Akomas and Rt. Hon. Acho Eric Nwakanma, brother-in-law to the incumbent governor of the state, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu from Abia South Senatorial Zone.

This led to agitation from different quarters at the twilight of Chief T. A Orji’s administration, calling on him to respect the Abia Charter of Equity by handing over power to an Ukwa/Ngwa son since Abia North and Abia Central of Old Bende have governed the state in the last 16years. This cry yielded fruit in 2015 as the three major political parties in the state; PDP, APC and APGA decided to pick their gubernatorial candidates from Ngwa land. That is Okezie Ikpeazu, Chief Nyerere Anyim and Dr. Alex Otti, respectively. At the end, Ikpeazu of PDP emerged the governor. Almost four years after, the issue is still fresh even in APC, as the party prepares to elect a flagbearer for 2019 elections.

While Ukwa/Ngwa stakeholders in APC are pushing for a guber candidate of Ngwa extraction, the leadership of the party in the state said they would be throwing the ticket of the party open against zoning.

While many have argued that there is no document like the Abia Charter of Equity, others, including Chris Akomas, insist there is one.

Speaking on why the party is throwing open the ticket of the party which others may see to be running against the said Abia Charter of Equity, the Chairman of the party, Hon. Donatus Nwankpa, said “by the provisions of the charter, every zone has tested the governorship of Abia. What we are talking about is who can take Abia to the next level. A man whom Abians will have confidence in and a person that will be marketable to the public and Abia community because of our agenda, manifesto and confidence because there will be no writing of results in Abia come 2019.”

In an expanded Ukwa/Ngwa APC Abia South caucus and stakeholders meeting held in Aba, the commercial nerve of the state, they had insisted that the gubernatorial slot should be retained in Ukwa/Ngwa, this is even as they feared that any plan to move the guber slot from the Ngwa axis would not be in the interest of the party in the state.

But a public affairs analyst, Mr. Obinna Okoro, who agreed with Nwankpa that the said Abia Charter of Equity didn’t specify the number of years each zone would govern the state, however stated that while the Old Bende has governed the state for 16 years, it is morally right that the Ngwa nation is given the chance to govern the state for another four years.

Okoro feared that if the APC fails to produce a guber candidate of Ngwa extraction, it might lead to what he described as protest vote against any candidate that may be presented to the Abia electorate.

According to Okoro, if APC wants to wrestle power from the PDP, they must select the best aspirants among the party men from the Ngwa extraction. Anything short of that means that they risk losing this opportunity that is lying on their doorsteps.

However, what I will tell the Ukwa/Ngwa APC stakeholders is for them to engage their Abia North counterparts. There should be an undertaking that they must strictly adher to; that anyone coming in must hand over power to the Abia North in 2023 because I can tell you that the fears in Abia North is the sincerity of the governor to hand over power in 2023.

“Meanwhile, the Ukwa/Ngwa should know that power is taken and not given. If we will go by the argument raised in some quarters, the said Abia Charter of Equity doesn’t specify the number of term power should rotate among the zones in the state. The point is that power as we speak has gone round the zones.”

Between Direct and Indirect Primaries

Another factor that may play out during the APC party primaries in Abia State is the disagreement over direct and indirect primaries’ module.

While some members of the party, including some aspirants, have agreed to the direct primaries procedure, some others have kicked against it.

Investigation shows that those who are kicking against it are expressing the fear that it was a ploy to deny the Ukwa/Ngwa people in APC the opportunity to produce an APC governor.

In a recent interview, one of the aspirants, Akomas, said “as far as I am concerned, that meeting in Umuahia is inconclusive.

“A number of us; stakeholders and aspirants were not present at that meeting. I am for indirect primaries because we don’t have all that is needed to make the direct what it should be.

“If we do direct, there is the possibility that a number of people that just joined us will be disenfranchised because their names are not in the register that we have for now and if we keep it open, the chances are that violence will erupt because you cannot be sure of who is who again and when violence erupts, that will mess up the primaries. So, it is better for us to go for indirect.

“But whether direct, indirect or consensus, I am prepared for it. I am fully prepared for any method that they may choose. It is just that I wouldn’t want the state to boil. I wouldn’t like things that are avoidable to happen because if in the process people become unruly and there is crisis, only God knows what will happen.

“For the stability, peace and interest of the party in the state, what I would say is that we should go for indirect.

“A lot of logistics is involved in organising direct primaries. We are talking about having all the party members from each ward, as many as they are. You have to verify and accredit them in order to confirm that they are truly party members.

“Like Abia, where we have 184 wards, you have to do the same in all the wards. You have to take care of people that will be coming from Abuja, including providing security.

“Just that the peace and stability of the party in the state for me, may be in jeopardy and I wouldn’t want anybody hurt just because we are conducting primaries when we have an option that would have provided us the opportunity to control people better.

“People are afraid that if you do indirect, some persons will buy over the people. If someone buys through indirect, they will also buy people through the direct. Look at what happened in Ekiti and Anambra states where people were bought by the money bags during the general elections. If that could happen, that could also happen in this one.

“It is time for people to begin to work on their consciences. Even if they collected money, let them vote for that which is good for them and their children. Tomorrow must be in our considerations,” he said.

Speaking on APC quest to wrestle power from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state and what may likely play out in the APC primaries, a political analyst, Okorie Sochima, described the situation of things in the party in the state as dicey.

According to Sochima, “the truth is that APC, whether anybody likes it or not, is a party that is the closest to wrestle power from the PDP in Abia State. A party that was nowhere in 2015, today look at where they are. Abia APC for me is the fastest growing party.

“Apart from the controversy that is still hanging on Chief Ikechi Emenike and Donatus Nwankpa, which I believe the party leadership will soon settle, I think that for them to have the who is who in Abia politics is a plus to them.

“I can tell you that most persons in Abia APC today are all election winners.

“Yes, there may be concerns over the recent agreement of the party to adopt direct primaries, which of course should be the most democratic and participatory process to use in their primaries later this year, I think it has not gotten to the level that it cannot be equally managed.

“For people of Ukwa/Ngwa extraction, they are right in their own sense. I haven’t seen the charter of equity, but I think that it is morally right that you treat everybody equally. When we talk about party funding as it was the case in the past, people don’t seem to understand why we have been shouting at the top of our voices. Nigeria should outgrow the process of a party being funded by an individual. Party is not one man’s business, but a collective one and should be funded by its members. That will stop money bags coming in to hijack the structure of the party,” he said.