A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abia state, Barr. Ekele Nwaohanmuo has called on Gov. Theodore Orji and the state chapter of the party to make open the contest for the governorship position to all Ukwa/Ngwa people.
Nwaohanmuo who was a former Commissioner for Youth Development and deputy chairman of the party in the state, posited that the decision zoning the governorship seat to Abia South in 2015 has polarized the party, insisting that the seat has never been zoned to any senatorial zone in the past. The governorship position has never been zoned to any senatorial zone.
“I m calling on Gov. Theodore Orji and the state PDP to make the governorship contest open to all section of Ukwa/Ngwa bloc. I’m of the opinion that it will enhance and also boost the chances of the PDP to win the election. Gov.Orji in his magnanimity and foresight and in the interest of justice and fair play, has at several fora, said his successor must come from Ukwa/Ngwa zone. I want to ask why the sudden change to say his successor will now come from Abia South. This is unfair.
“Abians are now politically wiser; some of the things that happened in the past may no longer be tolerated by the people. It would be in the interest of the party to rescind the decision excluding some parts of Ukwa/Ngwa bloc. Everybody must be allowed to run, whether they win or lose is not the issue. If they lose in a free and fair primaries; there will be peace but to exclude some aspirants is undemocratic.”
He accused some stakeholders of the party of being behind the decision to zone the position to the Ukwa/ Ngwa people in Abia South in order to exclude their kit and kin from the three local governments in Abia Central zone.
“I want to inform you that it is the Ukwa/Ngwa people who are putting the confusion about which local governments the seat should be zoned to. Our people are behind this; before now they have been campaign for it and fanning the embers of discord among their people due to selfish interests. As far as I’m concerned Gov. Orji has made his promise that what he knows is Ukwa/Ngwa bloc. He has said at many fora. If the governor changed his position, I know that certain interest groups campaigned, piled pressures on stakeholders to exclude the people of Osisioma Ngwa, Isiala Ngwa North and Isiala Ngwa South from the contest. A lot of people have been running around saying,’ let it be Abia south, and let it be Abia South’, why are they excluding the other parts of Ukwa/Ngwa? Is Osisioma Ngwa, Isiala Ngwa North, Isiala Ngwa South no longer part of Ukwa/Ngwa? When the Ukwa/Ngwa people fought for power shift through the ‘Otu Onu’ era in 2003, it was not only the Abia South people that fought it, but the entire Ukwa/Ngwa bloc. People have just forgotten our history because of selfish ambitions. Ngwa people are homogenous; not divided. These are the people Gov. Orji has continued to emphasize that they will produce his successor. As a result of his promise, many groups have based their campaigns on Ukwa/Ngwa. If you travel from Ukwa West to Isiala Ngwa North on the Enugu – Port Harcourt expressway, you will see a lot of billboards commending the governor for insisting that he will hand over to the Ukwa/Ngwa people. There are more than 20 billboards on that expressway, have you seen any billboard that says, thank you for zoning to Abia South? Why the sudden turn around? Who are they afraid of?
“There are aspirants from the three Ngwa local governments in Abia Central who have been making consultations and have contributed immensely to sustaining the party in their localities; now you say they are no longer part of it; it is unfair. There must be participatory democracy for people to decide who they want; not zoning it a particular group which looks they already have a candidate in mind. The earlier they say, this is the person we want the better for the people. The governor has a right to say this is the person I want to succeed me, the people also has a right to say this is the person we want to succeed the governor. So, everyone must be carried along in the Abia project. We want Abia to continue to better; I commend Gov. Orji for his courage in what he has done to bring peace to the state. Let him not allow people with selfish interests to bring chaos and hatred to derail the peace in the state. I tell you that the people who support the exclusion of the three Ngwa local governments do so out of selfish reasons. The party should give a level playing field to all Ukwa/Ngwa people to run; it is undemocratic to limit the governorship position to a certain group.”
He charged aspirants from the entire Ukwa/ Ngwa bloc to work should work together and build bridges of understanding across the state instead of being divided on the issue of zoning.
Nwohanmuo who added that the Ngwa people in Abia Central zone has long been cheated by their Abia South brothers in all appointments zoned to the Ukwa/Ngwa bloc in the past.
“Abia South has produced a Senate President and several deputy governors; the current Minister is also from the area, then where lies the equity we talk about? People of the three Ngwa local governments in Abia South are being cheated. If you talk about political positions in Abia state today, the South has benefitted more than the Ngwa people in Abia Central. What has Gov. Orji done to the three local governments that he didn’t grant even more to our brothers in Abia South? There is no reason to exclude us from this contest. Gov. Orji should remember that the three local governments were the first to urge him to run for the Senate. We have something to give to him unlike our Abia South brothers. It is not proper to exclude us; the governor and the party should reconsider the decision and make the race open to the larger Ukwa/Ngwa bloc. I fault the decision zoning it to Abia South in its entirety. Even if the party wants to back any aspirant, there are ways to actualize it without taking a decision which is capable of causing crisis. We must not underestimate any aspirant; such will not be in the best interest of the PDP.”
CHAI, OUR DEDE NKIRE HAS GROWN SENILE (OPEN LAMENTATION)
How has the mighty fallen? This was my exact exclamation after reading the interview granted by our elder statesman, Dede,Theo Nkire published in different media and online portals.
How did our erudite Dede compromise himself in the blind support of a particular candidate that he is making a mess of his former exalted personality? .
Was it Dede Nkire that granted the interview and made those illogical and senseless statements?
Dede Nkire in the interview stated that “fair is fair” yet he believes that fairness will be achieved by excluding 3 Local Governments of Ngwa Land. He leads an association called Ukwa-Ngwa professionals. Does this association include our people from Isiala Ngwa North and South and Osisioma LGAs? Perhaps, time has come for the name to be changed to Abia South/Ukwa professionals. It cannot be Ukwa –Ngwa with exclusion of the crown prince of Ngwa land.
Dede, in relation to the governorship agitation of the Ugwa-Ngwa people said in one breath “yes, very much so, it will remain on course until the battle is won, until an Ukwa-Ngwa son or daughter is governor in 2015. In the other breath he advocates that “ideally Isiala Ngwa should take first. This is why we plead with our older brothers from Isiala Ngwa that they should show magnanimity and candour that only first sons are blessed with to their younger brothers in Abia South”.
Chai Dede, because you are supporting a particular candidate, you are preaching that the first son should sell his birthright?. What manner of advice! There is God oh!!.
It would have been understandable if Dede had argued that the candidates from Abia South have greater qualifications and experience. He has not said that. He is also not canvassing for his preferred candidate from Abia South on the grounds of competence. Rather, he wants other sons of Ngwa land to sell their birth rights to give undue advantage to his candidate of choice.
Going through his appraisal of the candidates, it is clear that he willfully and cunningly excluded other candidates from Isiala Ngwa including the front runner and the most competent of them all.
At least, we now know the candidate he considers a threat to his personal ambition. Little wonder, an elder like him is giving the unelderly advice, unheard of in Igbo land, asking the first son to abdicate his rights. Will he equally advocate that in fairness, Kolanut should be broken by our wife who is “beautiful in body and soul and very intelligent too?. How come you acknowledge the beauty of her body before you acknowledge her intelligence” Hmmm. She is your brother’s wife oh.
Dede, to address you directly, there is something you are not telling our people. You said “It is painful to my brothers from Abia Central to tell them that Ochendo has taken their slot; but that is the gospel truth”. The gospel according to you is that Isiala Ngwa and Osisioma are no longer Ngwa land on grounds of political expediency. You in effect have excised these three Local Government areas of Ngwa land.” Ochendo has taken their slot; ..” An Umuahia man has taken the slot of Ngwa man. Eze Njemanze once told the Military Governor of the then Imo State, thus “ Amadi, na kwa echiki” Dede Theo “nakwa echeki”. Isiala Ngwa, the first son of Ngwa, has no further right because his portion has been sold by you to an Umuahia man. That is what you said.
What then did you not say? That Isiala Ngwa will never produce Governor, because the Umuahia man has taken his turn. In future, if power rotates and comes back to the Abia Central, will the Ohuhu man not tell the Isiala Ngwa man that, no, you sold your birthright to the Ibeku man and also that your younger brother has collected the other slot on behalf of your family. When will it be the turn of Umunneato?. Tell us. Can we produce the deputy Governor like Abia South has monopolized in the past? Can we produce the Speaker?. Which one can we produce?.
Dede, have you ever considered that it will have been more honourable to continue this fight as Ukwa/Ngwa as always and secretly support your candidate like you are doing. That way the battle could have been fought and won fair and square. But in your blind hatred for a particular son of Ngwa land and fear that he will win, you have sold your soul to the devil.
Dede, we are not fooled. We know your plans. You are consistent in deceit. Have you told Ngwa people the deal you made to support a particular Ukwa man? Come out openly and say so because we know. It is no longer a secret that you agreed with Ochendo to support an Ukwa man for Governor while assuring him of support for his ambition to be senator.
Confess to the Ngwa people where your real support lie. You are partisan. We know you hate Enyinaya Abaribe and will never support him. We know that you were told to support Ikpeazu. The man you shamelessly described as having done a brilliant job in Aba as ASEPA Chief. Obviously he cleaned your compound in Aba not Aba township. Dede, you indeed must have grown senile. You are the only one who can say that Ikpeazu did a brilliant job in Aba.
You have not told us what gives you the confidence that Senator Nkechi Nwaogu will back your candidate. Have you told the Governor that the deal you are offering to Senator Nkechi Nwogu . Is he aware that you are encouraging her to go back to the senate?. Did you tell Ochendo that you have gone to see Nkechi.?. Did you give full disclosure of what transpired? You argued with confidence that she will agree to step down because told her that Chime Sullivan will upstage Ekweremadu from going back to senate and that she will naturally become the Deputy Senate President as a high ranking senator.
Since you acknowledge that she is brilliant, do you think she will fall for that? If that happens; what about your promise to the Governor Ochendo?. Will two senators represent Abia central?.
You nicodemously went to Isiala Ngwa to see another candidate. Tell us what you collected?.
Dede, remove the hand of the monkey from the plate before it becomes a human hand.
God crowns kings not individuals like you, who can sell their birth right for a plate of porridge.
Your Shenanigans and blinded desire to be relevant in the next regime by positing as the king maker will be your albatross. You will soon run away to America like you did before.
It is common knowledge that you offered Ochendo the support of Ngwa for his senatorial ambition while dangling the same senatorial support to Nkechi for your preferred governorship candidate. How will you achieve this?
Should an Ngwa man fail to win PDP primaries, the curse will be upon your head. Should an Ukwa/Ngwa man fail to be the Governor of Abia come 2015.
Theo, you will be held accountable. Obasanjo said “I dey laugh”, me too I dey laugh”, you think others are not interested in governorship of Abia. Ugwa/Ngwa mistake is that they never allowed anybody to run without fielding a candidate. There will be justifiable reasons for any other person from any other clan to successfully snatch the ticket. Keep playing games. Strong candidates from other Zones will soon take the position.
Think again.