Abia guber: Respect zoning agreement, Ogah warns PDP

A governorship aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abia State, Mr. Ndubuisi Etugo Ogah, has urged the leadership of the party not to breach the zoning agreement reached by the founding fathers of the state by presenting Prof. Uche Ikonne from Abia Central Senatorial District as its candidate for the 2023 governorship election.

Ogah noted that the state’s agreement on zoning, known and called Abia Charter of Equity, which was duly signed by the founding fathers of Abia State led by the late premier of old Eastern Region, Dr M. I. Okpara, favours Abia North Senatorial District to produce the next governor of the state.

Ogah, who spoke with journalists, displayed a copy of the document to buttress his argument.

He explained that the position of the founding fathers on zoning of political positions, both elective and appointive, was clear, noting that he has approached the court to stop the party and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from fielding Ikonne as the governorship candidate of the party in 2023.

According to him, “the picture of zoning, going into the 2023 election, is clear that it is the turn of Abia North because Abia North took it in 1999 to 2007 and left it for Abia Central from 2007 to 2015. The Central left it for Abia South from 2015 to 2023; so it has restart from Abia North. That is what they did in Anambra, Enugu and Ebonyi. So why should Abia State’s case be different?”

He cited few paragraphs of the Charter of Equity signed by representatives of the Senatorial Districts and other stakeholders that read thus: “The people of Abia State believe in, recognise and accept the cardinal principle of equity of all Senatorial zones and all its people. The Charter of Equity is intended to allay the fears of domination of one Senatorial District over the other

“This agreement of good faith or declaration of principle shall be known as Charter of Equity and shall be binding on all persons of Abia State who may hold public offices especially elective or major appointive offices in the running of government affairs in so far as the provision of this Charter of Equity are not in violations of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.” 

Dr M.I. Okpara, Mr B.A. Nwachukwu, Hon. MAO Agbara, Mr J.N. Ogbonna and many others signed the document.