Ikpeazu’s Kinsmen Ready for Succession Battle as Ex-ABSU VC Emerges as Ngwa Consensus Candidate

Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia

The plot by Governor Okezie Ikpeazu’s kinsmen to retain power at the end of his tenure next year has received a major boost with the adoption of the former Vice-chancellor of Abia State University Uturu (ABSU), Prof. Uche Ikonne as the consensus candidate for the Ngwa bloc.

Ikonne, who has picked his nomination form, was drafted into the race after a high powered delegation drawn from different organisations in Ukwa/Ngwa under the aegis of Old Aba Divisional Forum visited his home at Umuahia and told him that he had been chosen to take over from Ikpeazu.  

Leader of the delegation, Chief Theo Nkire said that their mission was to tell Prof. Ikonne that he is “the chosen one” to fly the governorship flag of Ukwa/Ngwa under the platform of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The elder statesman and first attorney general of Abia, said that Ikonne was chosen as a consensus candidate, adding that they would pay for his expression of interest and nomination form.

He said that Ikonne “has been tried and tested and we’ve found him worthy of the assignment,” he said.

On the morality of planning for an Ngwa person to succeed Governor Ikpeazu in 2023 amidst the clamour for power shift to Abia North zone, Nkire insisted that there was nothing wrong with an Ngwa person occupying Government House after Ikpeazu’s exit.

“There is no reason for anybody to clamour for the governorship unless he is from old Aba,” he said, adding that the Abia Charter of Equity was signed on August 2, 1981 stipulating power rotation between old Bende and old Aba Divisions and not the present senatorial districts.

Nkire further stated that the adoption of Ikonne transcends every political platform as far as Ukwa/Ngwa is concerned, adding that all aspirants from Ukwa/Ngwa extraction that had already purchased nomination forms irrsspective of political parties would be asked to step down.

Those that spoke at the event all harped on the good qualities of the former ABSU VC, saying that he would do Abia State proud.

Deputy Chief of Staff in the office of Deputy Governor, Chief Don Ubani assured that Ukwa/Ngwa was ready to support Ikonne “whatever it takes” to make him the next governor after Ikpeazu.

He said that the worst thing that chosen candidate would do “is to refuse” the collective request of Ukwa/Ngwa clan to enter the 2023 governorship race.

Chief Ubani’s predecessor, Chief John Nwangborogwu, described Ikonne as “the right choice (hence) it is the proper thing for us to ask him to join the governorship race.”

“We will do the battle,” he said.