Abia guber: Ikpeazu moves to lobby PDP stakeholders on preferred successor
The hide and seek game over the successor of the Abia State governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, may finally come to an end this week as the governor meets with members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) State Working Committee (SWC) and wards executives on Wednesday.
Sunday Sun gathered that Governor Ikpeazu has asked the state PDP Chairman, Allwell Asiforo Okere, to call a meeting with the chairman, secretary, deputy chairman, youth leader and women leader from all wards in Abia State and members of the SWC on Wednesday. The ward leaders are automatic delegates who will select the PDP candidate in a primary election.
Sources revealed that Governor Ikpeazu may want to use the meeting to lobby and persuade SWC members and the wards executive to support his plan to pick a preferred governorship candidate from Isiala Ngwa North Local Government Area.
Ikpeazu’s kinsmen from Abia South and part of Abia Central Senatorial Districts have been drawn in a battle with Abia North Senatorial zone over which zone should produce the next governor of the state. While the governor is believed to prefer a successor from Ngwaland, stakeholders in Abia North say it is their turn to produce the next governor.
It was gathered that Governor Ikpeazu’s earlier intention was to meet wards delegates alone today or tomorrow to get their understanding before announcing his preferred candidate, believed to be a prominent member of Elite Club of Ngwaland.
The meeting, it was learnt, was shifted to Wednesday when party leaders told the governor that it was improper for him to meet wards executives before giving the SWC members such privilege first.
The governor, it was gathered, agreed to meet with the SWC members first today or tomorrow before the enlarged meeting with them and wards executives on Wednesday.
Contention over which zone to produce next governor started when Governor Ikpeazu was accused of planning to disrupt the power rotation arrangement by supporting an aspirant from Isiala Ngwa to succeed him. The governor is from Obingwa, in Ngwa nation.
Former governor of Abia State and senator representing Abia Central, Theodore Orji, last week announced his support for power shift to Abia North, instead of any other part of the state.
Senator Orji told stakeholders from the 17 local government areas of the state, in a meeting, that in the spirit of equity and justice, the next governor should come from Abia North.
Elders of Ngwaland and Ukwa in the state had attacked Senator Orji, saying they are in support of Governor Ikpeazu to pick a successor from Ngwaland.
Meanwhile, Abia PDP will this week make reconciliation effort to mend broken fences ahead of selection of candidate for next year’s election.
It was gathered that the state party executives are going to meet elders of the party in the state. Those to be met are former Senate President, Adolphus Wabara; Governor Ikpeazu, Senator Orji; former governorship candidate of PDP in 2007, and Chief Onyema Ugochukwu, among others. (Sunday Sun)
