By Willy Eya
Former Senatorial aspirant in Abia State on the platform of the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC), Dr Chima Iheke has enjoined people of the South East to rally round former governor of Abia State, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu in his quest to represent Abia North senatorial district.
He said that people of the zone need fearless leaders like Orji Kalu who can look the Federal Government eyeball to eyeball and demand what is due to them.
In a statement, Dr Iheke said that the former governor has demonstrated that he can lock horns with the best leaders in the country, including those at the National Assembly.
He insisted that Kalu represents just that one voice that people of the South East need in the Senate.
“My aim here is to present someone who I know will plead the cause of the Igbo if his antecedents are anything to go by. I am reminded of his challenges against former President Olusegun Obasanjo and his stance when Igbo were being slaughtered in the North. We need a voice to help the likes of Ekweremadu and co, who have the interest of the Igbo man at heart.
“Someone needs to tell the federal government that the idea of a conquered people should be jettisoned somewhere far from our shores and should not be the fulcrum on which governmental policies toward the Igbo is built”.
Iheke further added that Orji Kalu has demonstrated that he is a true Igbo man. “Those who are Igbo know what it means when one says another man is an Igbo man.” He urged the South East to jettison political differences for the collective interest of the zone.
… Elders drum support for Ikpeazu
•IPAC sues for peace
From Chuks Onuoha, Umuahia
Abia State elders, under the aegis of Abia Guardians of Equity, has called on indigenes to rally round Governor Okezie Ikpeazu to take the state to a high pedestal.
Congratulating the governor on his victory at the Supreme Court, the group noted that before the ruling, Abia had become highly polarised in a manner which undermined the Abia Charter of Equity upon which the state was established.
It stated: “Since the highest court in the land has spoken, we believe it will be expedient for all men and women of goodwill in Abia to bury the proverbial hatchet, and rally round the governor, who has shown every indication to bring healing and development to our state.”
The group congratulated Dr. Ikpeazu’s opponent, Dr. Alex Otti of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), for a robust, spirited fight which saw the democratic space in Abia mobilised along lines of contestation that was unusual, and indicated, no matter how crudely, the prospect for greater political accountability.
Meanwhile, the state’s chapter of Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has appealed to contestants and political parties participating in the forthcoming re-run in the state to abide by the rules of the game and put the interest of the state forward during and after the elections.
Addressing a world press conference in Umuahia yesterday ahead of the rerun elections in Abia North Senatorial district and seven state constituency seats, the council made the appeal to those involved to abide by the rules.
State Chairman of the group, Hon. Emeka Okafor, who addressed the press, said the group had met with the state Residence Electoral Commissioner ahead of the various elections coming up in the state and they agreed to work together to ensure the smoothness of the election for the unity and progress of the state.
He said the era of ballot box stealing or candidates planning to cheat had gone.
He said: “We want to use Abia to set precedence for other states in the country that something good can come out of elections in Nigeria. We are also going to meet with law enforcement agencies since they are co-stakeholders in election matters”.
IPAC appealled to eligible voters to vote credible candidates to fill all the public offices and shun sentiments while exercising their civic responsibilities. The council lamented that the state had been under developed over the years because of presence of unqualified candidates who found themselves in public office.
“We are faced with the problem of voting people who do not have the skills of governance; this time round, we are not going to listen to any body’s name, we are looking at people who have the interest of the state at heart and Abia north in particular. As Inter-Party Advisory Council, we have confidence that INEC will conduct credible elections in the state,’’ Okafor said.