2023: Abia North Settles for Bishop Onuoha as Consensus Candidate

Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia

In a  bid to enhance its chances of producing the next Abia governor come 2023, the Abia North Senatorial zone yesterday  announced that it has adopted a consensus governorship candidate for the zone in the forthcoming poll.

Director General of Abia North Political Projects, Dr Uduma Nnate said that the governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress(ADC), Bishop Sunday Onuoha has been chosen as the consensus flag bearer for the Abia North.

He said the need to settle for a single candidate has become imperative for Abia North following its quest to have one of its own to succeed Governor Okezie Ikpeazu in the spirit of Abia Charter of Equity.

“After the primaries, we discovered that 10 out of the 18 (active) political parties gave their governorship tickets to Abia North son or daughter,” he said.

Nnate said that it was reasoned that with Abia North accounting for 56 per cent of the 2023 governorship candidates “it became obvious that as a people, we cannot go for the governorship election . . . and expect to win or miracle to happen”.

He said that a screening committee was set up with members drawn from the five local governments that make up Abia North to screen and select a consensus candidate from among the governorship hopefuls from Abia North.

Dr Nnate, who is also the team lead of the  Abia North Consensus Governorship Candidate Screening committee, said that six out of 10 governorship candidates from Abia North were screened.

Those screened include Arc. Ndukwo Anagha(APM), Chief Kalu Ijomah(NRaM), Bishop Sunday Onuoha(ADC), Chief Mascot Uzor Kalu(APP), Dr Ngozika Gladys Ogbuneke, and Prof Greg Ibe(APGA).

According to the screening committee chairman, the key considerations used for the screening were capacity, credibility, competence, sound health, political party and knowledge of good governance.

“It is important to note that all our governorship candidates in all the parties are qualified and met our selection criteria but we must present (only) one person,” he said, adding that other groups were also narrowing down and adopting consensus candidate.

“We were fair to all,” Nnate insisted, adding that the screening committee members did not betray the confidence reposed in them as they adhered strictly to the template for the screening.

The DG of Abia North Political Project urged all other governorship candidates from the zone not chosen as consensus “to rally round the chosen one (Bishop Onuoha) “to ensure victory for God’s own state.”