The agitation for power shift to Abia North senatorial district in 2023 may have hit the rocks as the stakeholders of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Abia, have disowned a communique purportedly issued after the meeting of Ikwuano/Umuahia stakeholders last week.
In the purported communique, stakeholders from Ikwuano/Umuahia federal constituency were said to have endorsed a power shift to Abia North in 2023.
But Ikwuano PDP stakeholders who said they were in the said meeting distanced themselves from the purported Governorship zoning which according to them was never mentioned at the meeting.
Addressing newsmen Monday in Umuahia, the stakeholders who said there was no official communique emanating from the meeting dismissed it as ” fake and obnoxious”.
In a communique signed by former Leader of Abia State House of Assembly, Hon. Wisdom Ogbonna; Hon. Clement Onukwue; and read by the Chairman Ikwuano PDP stakeholders, Rear Admiral Ralph Osondu (retd.); the stakeholders urged members of the public to discountenance the said communique.
It read in part: ” The attention of Ikwuano PDP stakeholders has been drawn to the circulation of a fake communique arising from a well-attended meeting of the PDP political stakeholders of Ikwuano/Umuahia held on Tuesday, February 15, at the residence of Hon. Jerry Uzosike.”
Ikwuano PDP stakeholders rather clarified that contrary to the claims of the purported communique, below was the resolution at the meeting:
“That the good people of Ikwuano/Umuahia of Abia Central Senatorial Zone are eminently qualified and will contest for the governorship of Abia State, come 2023.
“That our sons and daughters who want to contest are free to enter the race and will receive maximum support of our people.
” That it is the turn of Ngwa extraction (Umunneato) to run for Abia Central Senatorial seat and should be left as such.
Therefore, sons and daughters of Ikwuano/Umuahia extraction are not encouraged to run for the Senate.”
The communique which further read: “We, the PDP Stakeholders of Ikwuano do hereby state as follows:
“That at no point, during deliberations, was the issue of zoning of governorship position mentioned or discussed since this is the exclusive prerogative of the Party. It was not part of the motions moved, supported and adopted.
“That, in respect of that meeting, no communique has, so far, been released officially by the Ikwuano/Umuahia Forum.
“That any communique, being circulated and containing the support for zoning of governorship position to any zone does not have the endorsement of Ikwuano PDP Stakeholders.
” That Ikwuano PDP Stakeholders hereby STRONGLY DISSOCIATE _ itself from the obnoxious communique in circulation.”
The stakeholders restated their loyalty to Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu, and the leadership of Abia PDP.
Other signatories of the communique were Chief BC Mgbaramuko, Chief Chinkwe Ndimele, and Secretary to the forum, Pastor Ekeleme Ikeji.
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