Abia Monarchs Rally Community Leaders to Affirm Emenike’s Endorsement
Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia
The traditional rulers counil of Ikwuano/Umuahia political bloc in Abia State yesterday affirmed their decision to endorse the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ikechi Emenike.
The affirmation took place at the expanded meeting of the royal fathers held at Abam, Ubakala in Umuahia South local government where they also brought on board all the other levels of leaderships in their various domains to support the governorship project of Emenike.
It was at the close of last year that the Ikwuano/Umuahia royal fathers adopted the governorship candidate of Abia APC at a meeting held at Ajata na Igu in Ikwuano Local Government. In keeping to their resolution, they went back and mobilised other levels of leaderships in their domains to affirm their choice of Emenike.
At the expanded meeting of the Council of Ndi Eze yesterday at Abam, Ubakala, 69 royal fathers were in attendance. They were joined by 120 village heads and all the President-Generals of the town unions in Ikwuano/Umuahia communities.
The Ugoezes (league of wives of traditional rulers) were also present in their full numbers to lend support to their royal husbands and also to assure them of their readiness to fully mobilise the women of Ikwuano/Umuahia to play their role in making a new Abia possible with their ballots.
It was the largest gathering of stakeholders so far to endorse the Rescue and Develop Abia(RADA) agenda of the Abia APC governorship flag bearer and further stamp the Ajata na Igu declaring of December 31, 2022 in which the royal fathers adopted and endorsed Emenike, and told him “we want you to go for us”.
At the meeting, stakeholders solidified the stance of the royal fathers. They affirmed their unflinching support for the 2023 governorship project of “our worthy son”.
Those that spoke on behalf of the various groups boldly declared their choice of Emenike as the only candidate they believe has the capacity, courage, commitment and the needed political will to shake Abia out of its present inertia to accelerated development.
According to them, the other 17 governorship candidates presented by other political parties have been scrutinised and found wanting in the task of building a new Abia after “the disappointing and regrettable long years the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been in control of Abia.
In his address, Emenike reiterated his burning desire to lift Abia out of the pit it was plunged into by successive inept leaders foisted on the state by the ruling party.
He said that Abia cannot do without having building blocks of development in order to create a sustainable environment of job opportunities, flourishing of commercial and industrial activities and expanded and steady flow of revenue to the coffees of government.
The APC governorship hopeful urged all eligible voters in Abia to ensure they collected their permanent voters’ cards(PVCs) and use them to vote out the old order of retrogression and usher in a new Abia that would take its rightful place as well governed developed state in Nigeria.
He said that the electorate should drop the old held belief that “our votes don’t count” and come out en masse to perform their civic duty of electing the right crop of leaders in 2023 for their own interest and for the interest of the children as well as the coming generations.
According to him, voters should concern with casting their ballots without entertaining any fear about the possibility of anti-democratic forces stealing their votes as had always happened in the past polls.
Emenike assured Abia voters that strategies have been put in place to ensure that in the 2023 general election votes must count and nobody would be allowed to steal another person’s mandate.
“Do your own by casting your votes for me and I will do my own by defending the votes. God will do the rest,” he said, adding that the 2023 general election in Abia is a battle that must be fought and won for the state to experience good governance.
