The recent zoning of the governorship ticket by the leadership of the
ruling Peoples Democratic Party in Abia State, ahead of 2015 to
Abia-South senatorial district has torn the Ukwa/ Ngwa political bloc
apart.
Investigations by journalists revealed that while Ukwa/ Ngwa people from
Abia-South hailed the decision, governorship aspirants from Ukwa/ Ngwa
extraction in Abia-Central senatorial zone bicker.Continue after the
Break...
The PDP had after its caucus meeting in Umuahia, two
weeks ago, formally zoned its governorship ticket to Abia-South,
declaring that the decision was “final and irreversible.”The caucus,
however, noted that any aspirant from outside the zone who felt like
joining the race was free to contest.
Speaking with our correspondent in Umuahia, a former governorship
aspirant from Abia-South, Chief Sampson Esochaighi, called on all
aspirants outside the zone to shelve their ambition and abide by the
party’s decision which he said was based on equity and justice.
He argued that while other senatorial zones had taken their turns on the
seat of power, “common sense demands that Abia-South should be given a
chance in 2015.”However, governorship aspirants from other Ukwa/ Ngwa communities have expressed displeasure over the zoning formula, contending that Ukwa/ Ngwa people are one.
According to them, no aspirant from Ukwa/ Ngwa should be stopped from contesting as the people have the same ancestral origin.
Ukwa/ Ngwa political bloc comprises nine out of the 17 councils in the
state, but only six councils are in Abia-South while three councils-
Osisioma, Isiala Ngwa-South, and Isiala Ngwa-North fall within
Abia-Central.
Sources close to one of the affected aspirants, Senator Nkechi Nwogu
representing Abia-Central, told our correspondent that the senator would
not shelve her gubernatorial ambition as a result of the zoning.