Abia North Stakeholders has commended former governor of Abia State, Theodore Orji, for stating that the next governor of the state should come from Abia North.
The senator representing Abia Central, had, two days ago, told delegates from 17 local government areas that since all senatorial zones in the state had produced the governor, the right thing to do is to begin another round of rotation from Abia North, which produced the governor 23 years ago.
Defending Orji, the Abia North stakeholders said the senator deserves commendation instead of condemnation. They said the attack by elements from Ukwa/Ngwa axis of the state, most especially Ukwa /Ngwa Council of Elders, was uncalled for. They said the constitution of Nigeria recognised the delimitations of every state into three senatorial zones and that has been the basis for sharing both elective and appointive positions in Abia state and other state.
In a statement by Dr. Eme Okoro, the group said: “The attack on Senator T. A. Orji is baseless and needless because his position is deeply rooted in the principles of fairness, justice and equity which have been used in the sharing of political positions in Abia State since the inception of the Fourth Republic in 1999 even as the three senatorial zones have all benefited from this sharing formula in equal measure.
“His position clearly fits into the peaceful model of power sharing that has worked and still working for other states of the federation. We view the attack on Senator Orji as unfortunate, uninformed and misplaced because as a former governor and a serving senator he is eminently qualified to hold and push his position on how Abia state should be governed.
“Unfortunately, the attack demeans the status of the Ukwa la Ngwa elders because of the misinterpretation they veiled on Orji’s comment by suggesting that Senator Orji is trying to dictate to Governor Ikpeazu who should succeed him. Such insinuations are divisionist, disruptive, destructive, and a calculated attempt to overheat the polity and pit the governor and the Senator against each other.”
The group described Senator Orji is a true democrat, who spoke out “in keeping with the sense of equity imbued in him since his days as a governor.”
It said Orji “has made it clear that he is not seeking a return to the Senate to allow his umunna of Ngwa stock in the Abia Central senatorial zone to have a go at the senate. What other measure of goodwill can a statesman offer to prove his best intentions?”