As the battle over who succeeds Governor Okezie Ikpeazu hots up, Ibeku Professionals have cautioned against any attempt to disrupt the existing charter of equity in the State.
DAILY POST reports that both the Abia State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the South-East zone of the party, have also at different meetings, warned all the members to abide by the existing zoning arrangement.
However, this has not gone down well with some politicians in the State.
But speaking at a press briefing in Enugu on Monday, addressed by the National President of Ibeku Egwu Asaa Professionals, Prof. Ogbonna Nnabugwu and the Secretary-General, Pham. Chukwueze Elekwachi, advised all the politicians in the State to tread with caution.
They said in the statement that having assessed the political development in Abia, regarding the unfolding scenario which will help to stabilize the peaceful co-existence between the two political blocs in Abia, they agreed to “pitch tents and support any arrangement for competence, experience, and track record of achievements that will play a leading role in the process of getting a worthy successor to Governor Okezie Ikpeazu in 2023.”
They noted that “Ibeku people are peaceful people and would not allow any desperate politician whose stock-in-trade entails blackmailing to hijack the process.
“We are enthusiastic to know that former Abia ex-deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor, Chief Charles Ogbonna, was complaining about a government in which he was part of since 2015 and served as former commissioner and Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor.
“Chief Ogbonna was instrumental in shutting down Ibeku experts and professionals from contributing towards the advancement of Abia State. He and his co-travelers were the major obstacle against the common good for the Ibeku people”.
They declared that they were in support of any nominee “that will emerge through a transparent and credible electoral process.
“We restated that competence, experience, and hard work will be the guiding principles for the emergency of the next PDP governorship candidate which favors Abia Central of Ngwa extraction.
“Charles Ogbonna does not understand the clauses in Abia charter of Equity enshrined in documents by the founding fathers, which stipulated that power must rotate between old Bende and Old Aba divisions.
“Old Bende, which includes Abia North and Abia Central of Umuahia extraction had held power for 16 years in (Orji Kalu and Theodore Orji). Nobody will pitch the Ibeku people against the Old Aba division,” the professionals declared.
