As the Abia Governorship campaigns gains momentum, a former President of the Nigerian Senate, Adolphus Wabara and another former Governor of Abia State and current Abia Central Senator, Theodore Orji have unanimously thrown their weights behind the burgeoning demand for power shift to Abia-North come February 2023.
While this can be described as the first time in which Adolphus will be publicly making his stance known, the same can’t be said for T.A. Orji who had previously taken his position sometime in March 2022.
The former Governor who spoke at his Umuahia country home hinged his decision on Equity and Justice in line with keeping with Abia Charter of Equity.
However, the latest call for power rotation back to Abia North in 2023 were made during separate encounters by the duo with special guests who paid them a new year’s courtesy visit.
According to inside sources, the former President of the Senate who addressed a delegation that paid him a courtesy call at his country home made it clear that it will be wrong to deny Abia-North the chance to Produce the Next Governor of the state, after other Senatorial zones had been given the opportunity to produce the previous and current Governors.
Wabara who served as the 10th Senate President frowned at schemes by Ngwa Bloc of Abia South to retain power beyond 2023, noting that such move including those from Abia Central would spell doom for the state.
He urged all well meaning stakeholders and elder statesmen of the state to rise up the occasion by speaking the truth and stand for justice, noting that if Abia-North were denied the chance, it would create unnecessary tension in the state and scuttle the Abia Charter of Equity.
According to the source who pleaded anonymity, Wabara’s stance was received with encomiums by those present who commended him for standing for the truth.
“The former Senate President was very clear on this matter, that Power must go back to Abia-North, the same way Abia Central and Abia South enjoyed from the Abia Charter of Equity they must also be given the maximum support. Both TA Orji and Okezie Ikpeazu received maximum backing of Abia-North and have had eight uninterrupted years in power so why must Abia North now be denied ?
“Though he didn’t tell us the exact candidate or political party to support but His Excellency has given us the mandate to go to our various localities to support and mobilise for any well qualified candidate from Abia-North Senatorial District. Wabara made it clear that he won’t be part of those to deny Abia-North the chance to become the next governor of our state” the source added.
Former Governor of the state, T.A. Orji who played a leading role in the emanation of Governor from Abia South in 2015, reiterated his earlier stance that power must return to Abia North after Abia Central and South had gladly taken their turns.
According to a competent source present at the Umahia country home of the T.A.Orji now current Senator representing Abia Central, the former governor minced no words and made it clear that Abia-North must be given the opportunity to produce the next Governor in 2023.
Orji, who made it known last year that he wouldn’t be seeking the Senate, urged all well meaning Abians to shun selfish interest and support candidates from Abia-North to produce the next Governor of the state.
The source revealed that T . A. Orji maintained his earlier position that power must return to Abia North.
“In our usual manner we all came to pay homage to Papa Ukwu in the spirit of the new year and to also seek his advice on the way forward for critical political decisions of our dear state.
“He told us clearly that we must support Abia-North to take over the seat of power in Abia State for the sake of Equity and Justice. Though he didn’t tell us exactly whom to support, he was very bold in his statement that he won’t be supporting any other candidate other than the one from Abia-North.
