A People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant for the 2023 governorship election in Abia State Ndubuisi Etugo Ogah has revealed the reason why he dragged the PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to court ahead of the election, saying that he went to court to defend the zoning and rotation of governorship seat under an agreement called Abia Chatter of Equity endorsed by the founding fathers of the State.
Addressing newsmen in Umuahia the state capital, Etugo said that it is the turn of Abia North Senatorial Districts to produce the next Governor of Abia State in 2023 going by the agreement of zoning and rotation of power in the State adding that the choice of Professor Uche Ikonne from Abia Central Senatorial District as candidate of PDP for the 2023 governorship is not acceptable.
He went down memory lane to echo that zoning and rotation of power under the Charter of Equity is as old as Abia State and well known among the quarters that make up the State such as Afikpo, Bende, Isikwato and Aba with Afikpo producing the first elected governor in the person of Ogbonnaya Onuh before Afikpo was ceded to Ebonyi State when Ebonyi was created
He said that Abia North produced the Governor through Orji Uzor Kanu when democracy returned in 1999 under the same arrangement of zoning and rotation of power with Theodore Orji from Abia Central accordingly taking over from Kalu as Governor in 2007 to ensure a smooth run of the Charter of Equity.
According to him, “there was attempt to truncate the Chatter of Equity in 2015 by a group called Save Abia Group among other people individually and collectively but Theodore Orji as incumbent Governor stood his ground to defend it and ensured that Abia South produced the Governor in 2015 in the person of Okezie Ikpeazu after himself from Abia Central took over from Kalu from North
“What I am saying is that we should not allow them to destroy the Charter of Equity by bringing somebody from Abia Central at this point in time when it is clear that it is the turn of Abia North through Isikwuato and Umunneochi quarters to produce the Governor of Abia State. This is why I took PDP and INEC to court to stop them from fielding Professor Ikonne as governorship candidate of PDP
Maintaining that he is in the Court to defend tthe Charter of Equity as agreed and endorsed by founding fathers he called on Abia stakeholders to see reason to copy Anambra, Enugu and other States that are having smooth run of zoning of the PDP and support the agitation to uphold the zoning in Abia State.