Abia 2023: Finally, Greg Ibe dumps PDP, joins APGA
* Says plot to deny Abia North PDP ticket reason for action
By Steve Oko
After weeks of speculations, a leading Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship aspirant in Abia State, Professor Greg Ibe, has finally dumped the big umbrella for the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA.
The Chancellor Gregory University Uturu who disclosed this in a well-publicised address to the people of the state, said the action was informed by a plot by the PDP to deny Abia North the party’s governorship ticket in 2023, which he said was at variance with Abia Charter of Equity.
He said that he had to drop his governorship ambition in 2015 to support power move to Abia South, and expressed disappointment that PDP failed to zone its party ticket to Abia North in 2023 as was the case in 2015 when it was specifically ceded to Abia South.
His words: “In the last few days, I have been inundated with passionate calls and solidarity visits by Abians from the South, North and
Central Senatorial zones charging me to champion the fight for the realization of the
aspirations of our revered founding fathers and thereby actualize the dying wish of
Ezeogo Anagha Ezeikpe, who on my last visit to him extracted a promise from me to
ensure rotation of power to Abia North in 2023, and a pledge to see to the
legalization of rotation among the different zones of the state.
“Going forward, I believe that our state needs the services of a vastly exposed and
widely experienced technocrat who will think out of the box, while leveraging
abundantly available natural resources to stimulate our economy.
“Contrary to the retrogressive style of forcefully foisting on Abians reluctant and unprepared wannabes, the time has come to evolve a leadership recruitment process that
encourages the emergence of the BEST and MOST COMPETENT people for the office of Governor.
“Umunnem Ndi Abia my pedigree is not in doubt. Even before politics I have been a
key player in the task of developing our dear state.
“Without sounding immodest in my
early twenties, I was privileged to be among the professionals that built Abia State
University Uturu (ABSU), Imo Airport and Abia State University Teaching Hospital
Complex Aba.
“Many years ago, my desire to support the teaching of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, encouraged me to donate laboratory equipment worth millions of Naira to secondary schools in Abia state.”
Professor Ibe recalled how he shelved his ambition in 2015 to support the emergence of the incumbent Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu from Abia South based on the promise and agreement by stakeholders that power would return to Abia North in 2023.
“You will recall that it is my bid to leverage the vast experience and extensive global
contacts I acquired over the years as lead consultant to the World Bank, ECOWAS
Commission, UNESCO and many MDAs to fast- track development in our state, that
motivated my desire to run for governor of our state in 2015 under the platform of
the PDP.
“After drawing up a comprehensive blueprint aimed at achieving the desired
objective of speedily transforming Abia, I preceded to procure both expression of
interest and nomination forms.
“Subsequently, when my campaign organization commenced state wide consultation in preparation for party primaries, I was prevailed upon by Abia elders, to step down on the premise that it was the turn of
Abia South to be Governor. Convinced by the arguments put forward by our former
Governor, Sen. T. A Orji, on the need to implement the content of ‘The Abia Charter
of Equity’ document, I not only stepped down but also deployed my resources and
organizing acumen to ensure the emergence of a PDP aspirant from Abia South in
the person of Dr Okezie Ikpeazu as the candidate, and subsequently campaigned
vigorously for him to become Governor of our State in 2015.
“In 2019, when the Governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu was to go for a re-election, he sent a
delegation of political leaders and elders of Ukwa La Ngwa, led by the duo of Sen.
Adolph Wabara and Elder Emmanuel Adaelu, to secure the support of Abia North.
“At a meeting hosted by me right here in my country home, it was unanimously agreed
that if Governor Okezie gets re-elected to complete his second term, at the expiration
of that tenure, power will return to Abia North.
“In the same vein, the traditional
rulers of Ukwa La Ngwa met with their counterparts of old Bende extraction and
made a similar promise that if Dr Okezie is re-elected to complete his second term,
power will return to Abia North.
“The aftermath of these meetings led me and Ndi Abia North, to mobilize men and materials to ensure that Governor Ikpeazu was
reelected in the 2019 Governorship elections, despite all odds.
“During the recent PDP congress in Abia, all positions held by Abia North Senatorial
Zone were moved to Abia Central Senatorial Zone. Similarly positions held by Abia
Central Senatorial Zone were moved to Abia South Senatorial Zone, just as those
domiciled in Abia South Senatorial Zone were rotated to Abia North Senatorial
Zone.
“This is the zoning arrangement that produced the present state chairmen of PDP and other members of the State Working Committee. One therefore wonders why the position of Governor was not zoned at the same time but left in limbo.
“Fast forward to 2022 and every keen observer of developments in Abia PDP will
definitely be worried. Shortly after I confirmed my intention to contest the 2023
governorship election on 9th March 2022 and subsequently commenced
consultation visits, the PDP reneged on both stipulations of the Charter of Equity
document and the earlier mentioned political agreement of 2019 by zoning the seat
of Governor, first to Abia Central and secondly, as an after thought, to Abia North.
“Subsequently, signals began to emerge of sinister moves to deny Abia North the
opportunity of a fair contest through the ingenious strategy of anointing a preferred
aspirant from Abia Central, with the plan of delivering him to Umuahia Government
House deploying the infamous power of incumbency.
“Sensing the looming danger, such critical stakeholders as Sen. Adolph
Wabara, Sen. T. A Orji, Dr Eme Okoro and many Civil Society Organizations, outrightly condemned what they saw as a complete departure from the recommendations of the Founding Fathers of Abia, which the likes of our revered Ezeogo Dr Anagha Ezeikpe lived and died for.
” Unfortunately, their passionate calls
for reversal of the obnoxious zoning policy was unheeded as we were insulted with
the assertion that “Abia North enweghi mmadu”.
“My brothers and sisters, ndi nwem, our elders say that when your co hunter begins to
mistake your legs for the feet of an antelope, then it is time to change your position.
“We also say that it is the tree that remains static even in the face of threats to hew it
down. Faced with this challenge, I decided to embark on another round of
consultation round the state in order to feel the pulse of our people.
” Having therefore, conferred extensively with Abians at home and abroad, I want to reassert that my resolve to champion the speedy development and hence fast track the turnaround transformation of our state is unshakeable.”
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