By Vincent Kalu
A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abia State, Mr. Ndubisi Etugo Ogah, has criticised Governor Okezie Ikpeazu for ignoring the power rotation agreement in Abia State, which he said was causing confusion in the state.
Ogah, who threw more light on why he is in court to stop the PDP from fielding Prof. Uche Ikonne as the governorship candidate of the party in the 2023 election in the state, explained that his mission at the Federal High Court, Umuahia, was to ensure equity and political stability in Abia State.
Ogah, in case no FHC/UM/CS/63/2022, is praying the court to disqualify Ikonne from participating in 2023 governorship election in the state on the ground that an agreement on power rotation known as Abia Charter of Equity (ACE) signed by the founding fathers of Abia State shows that it is not the turn of Abia Central Senatorial District, where Ikonne comes from to produce the governor of the state in 2023 but the turn of Abia North Senatorial zone.
Speaking to newsmen in court shortly after Justice Evelyn Anyadike fixed November 16, 2023, for judgment after hearing the case, Ogah accused Governor Ikpeazu for spearheading the move to truncate the Abia Charter of Equity (ACE) signed by the founding fathers of the state to ensure that the governorship seat rotates equitably among the three senatorial zones in the state.
Ogah explained that the nomination of Ikonne from Abia Central as governorship candidate of the PDP at a time Abia North is supposed to produce the governor is an ungrateful act on the side of Ikpeazu, who according to him is a beneficiary of the ACE through leaders of PDP led by former Governor Theodore Orji.
He echoed that Senator Orji, supported the ACE as governor, which paved the way for Ikpeazu from Abia South to become the governor in 2015.
He added: “Ikpeazu wouldn’t have become governor if Orji as governor ignored ACE. Again in March this year, Orji called a meeting of PDP leaders and stakeholders from all the 17 local government areas in Abia and told them that it was the turn of Abia North to produce the governor in 2023 in line with the ACE, but Ikpeazu ignored it and went ahead to install Ikonne from Central as PDP candidate.