Atiku ‘Takes Control’ Of Abia PDP As Ikonne’s Death Unsettles Gov Ikpeazu

The sudden death of Uche Ikonne, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in Abia, has brought Governor Okezie Ikpeazu back to the drawing board in his quest to determine who succeeds him at the March 11 gubernatorial election in the state.

Ikonne, a professor of optometry who emerged as PDP’s Abia governorship candidate in May 2022, died of “multiple cardiac arrests” on Wednesday — exactly 45 days to the gubernatorial election.

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His son, Dr Uche- Ikonne Chikezie, announced his death in a statement, saying the 66-year-old died at the National Hospital, Abuja, after an undisclosed ailment he was treated for in the United Kingdom “relapsed”.

Uche-Ikonne
Professor Uche Ikonne

Ikonne had been absent during recent political activities of the Abia PDP, resulting in agitations about his whereabouts and calls for his health status to be made public.

His death will require the Abia PDP to hold a fresh primary election within 14 days to nominate another governorship candidate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

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What The Law Says

The Electoral Act 2022 forbids political parties from changing candidates for elections unless such candidates die or withdraw.

Section 33 of the Act provides that “A political party shall not be allowed to change or substitute its candidate whose name has been submitted under section 29 of this Act, except in the case of death or withdrawal by the candidate:

“Provided that in the case of such withdrawal or death of a candidate, the political party affected shall, within 14 days of the occurrence of the event, hold a fresh primary election to produce and submit a fresh candidate to the Commission for the election concerned.

Section 34, subsection 1 of the Act instructs that, “If after the time for the delivery of nomination paper and before the commencement of the poll, a nominated candidate dies, the Chief National Electoral Commissioner shall, being satisfied of the fact of the death, countermand the poll in which the deceased candidate was to participate and the Commission shall appoint some other convenient date for the election within 14 days.”

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THE WHISTLER understands that following Ikonne’s sudden death, the Abia PDP’s quest to retain power in the March 11 governorship election may be met with stiffer huddles due to some factors.

Renewed Animosity

It is expected that the incumbent governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, will face stiff resistance from party stalwarts if he attempts to reimpose a candidate on the party ahead of the fresh governorship primary.

Sources in Abia who spoke to THE WHISTLER recalled how Governor Ikpeaza allegedly caused political disaffection, realignments and defections from the party after endorsing Ikonne and allegedly forcing his choice on the party ahead of the last primary election that was held in May 2022.

Okezie-Ikpeazu-and-Enyinnaya-Abaribe-
L-R: Gov Okezie Ikpeazu and Sen. Enyinnaya Abaribe

The Ikpeazu-led Abia PDP was accused of drawing a strange zoning arrangement that was in conflict with the ‘Abia Charter of Equity’ in an alleged attempt to stop a serving senator of the party, Enyinnaya Abaribe, from contesting the election and ensure his anointed candidate won the party’s governorship ticket.

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The ticket was zoned to the Abia Central and Abia North Districts on the grounds that both zones have the highest number of governorship aspirants. This resulted in discord between Ikpeazu and some bigwigs of the party who heavily faulted the move.

Displeased with the decision, Senator Abaribe who hails from Abia South dumped the PDP for the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), consequently ceding his position as the Deputy Minority Leader of the Senate. He claimed that the zoning arrangement was aimed at scheming him out of the governorship race

Also, former Senate President, Senator Adolphus Wabara, said the arrangement was “absolutely unconstitutional for the party to make a zoning that is confusing and not clear-cut”.

Ikpeazu’s predecessor, Senator Theodore Orji, who backed Ikpeazu to succeed him in 2015, had also declared that power should return to Abia North in 2023 in deference to the Abia charter of equity.

Should Governor Ikpeazu attempt to handpick a replacement for Ikonne, it would reignite the animosity that trailed his alleged selection of the deceased in May.

Ikpeazu’s G5 Membership

Besides making more enemies, Governor Ikpeazu is said to be on the verge of completely losing control of the Abia PDP structure due his membership of the G5 otherwise known as the ‘Integrity Group’ — a group of five aggrieved PDP governors from the southern region which has vowed not to support the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, unless their demands are met.

Wike-in-Abia
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, visits Abia to commission the Osisioma flyover bridge.

Already, this has alienated Ikpeazu from some party chieftains who are supporting Atiku and have shown readiness to work with him at the February 25 poll.

While Governor Ikpeazu has remained active in G5, the Abia PDP Vice Chairman/Acting State Publicity Secretary, Abraham Amah, had declared late 2022 that the state chapter of the party was not worried about the group’s decision to withhold support from Atiku.

THE WHISTLER further learnt that the governor’s ambition to represent the Abia South Senatorial District in 2023 is under serious threat over his association with the Governor Nyesom Wike-led G5 that has refused to identify with Atiku.

The only option before him, it was gathered, is to pull out from the group, reconcile with party chieftains and avoid imposing a new governorship candidate on the party at the fresh primary.

Doing the contrary may result in Atiku taking control of the state’s party structure from the governor, said a party chieftain who noted the presidential candidate’s growing support within the Abia PDP.

Already, Atiku has the support of Theodore Orji and Adolphus Wabara, amongst others, who have shown determination to deliver the state to him without Ikpeazu’s support.

Orji controls a bloc of the party opposed to Ikpeazu.

While inaugurating the PDP presidential campaign council in Umuahia in his capacity as the South-East Coordinator for campaign, he said their mandate was to “deliver Atiku” in Abia.

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