Former Senate President, Senator Adolphus Wabara has tasked Governor Okezie Ikpeazu to stand for equity and ensure that he hands over the governorship position in line with equity as he is a product of equity.
There is an ongoing controversy among many groups in the state over who succeeds Ikpeazu as Governor in 2023. The Umunneato bloc, comprising the 3 LGAs of Isiala Ngwa North, Osisioma Ngwa and Isiala Ngwa South in Abia central district, insist that it is their turn to produce the next governor while the people of Abia North say power must rotate to them as the Abia Central and Abia South zones had taken turns.
Wabara, who stated this in Aba, condemned what he described as conspiracy theories from several sections of the state on where power should shift to in 2023.
He said it would have been difficult for Governor Ikpeazu to emerge governor if his predecessor, Senator Theodore Orji, had not insisted on power to Abia south zone
Advising the Governor to follow the footstep of his predecessor, Wabara who described Ikpeazu as a child of equity, added that he should grow to become a father of equity in the state.
He said; “If Senator Theodore Orji had not pronounced that he was going to hand over to Abia South, I don’t think Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu would have been Governor. If Ikpeazu’s predecessor didn’t believe in equity, there is no way we, the Ukwa/Ngwa people would have smelt that seat. Ikpeazu knows my stand. He should follow the footsteps of his predecessor. Ikpeazu is a child of equity and should do the needful. My advice is that he should be in charge of equity and do things right and there would be peace. And I believe he won’t be misled. I don’t want to go to the issue of the conspiracy theories by various groups. All these conspiracies will not help; Abia State will outlive all of us. Let Ikpeazu guide us, he has nothing to fear. By next year or 2023, let him grow from child of equity to father of equity.”
On Ikpeazu’s rumoured defection to the APC, the former senate president disclosed that the Governor met with the members of the PDP Board of Trustees, (BOT) and assured that he will not abandon the PDP for another party.
While commending Ikpeazu’s performance as excellent, Wabara stated that Abia has become a haven for investment due to infrastructural turnaround and peace the governor had brought to the state.
He further urged the Governor to establish a sea port in Ukwa area, stressing that Abia needs a sea port more than an airport.
