EXCLUSIVE: Ikpeazu Sacrifices Igwe For Jasper To Reconcile With Atiku’s Abia PDP Faction Ahead Of Guber

Barring any last-minute change of plans, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu will seal a deal with opposing faction of the Abia Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that may see the party substituting its governorship candidate to reunite as a bloc before the forthcoming general election.

THE WHISTLER understands that following swelling opposition against him over the alleged imposition of his crony as governorship candidate, Governor Ikpeazu wants to reconcile with the Senator Theodore Orji-led faction of the Abia PDP.

The Ikpeazu-led Abia PDP which recently elected Chief Okechukwu Ahiwe as governorship candidate after the sudden death of Professor Uchenna Ikonne, may any moment from now substitute Hon. Okey Igwe with Dr. Jasper Uche as its deputy governorship candidate as part of the deal.

Ahiwe, who is the immediate past Chief of Staff to Governor Ikpeazu, emerged as PDP’s governorship candidate during a fresh primary held last Saturday to replace the late Ikonne.

Before Ikonne’s sudden death, Igwe, a member of the Abia State House of Assembly, was the party’s deputy governorship candidate and was expected to be retained by Ahiwe — the new governorship candidate.

But in a bid to mend fences with top Abia PDP chieftains who became aggrieved after he allegedly foisted his choice of candidate on the party, a source close to Ikpeazu told THE WHISTLER that the governor is prepared to sacrifice Igwe to reconnect with lost friends in the party.

The Ikpeazu PDP faction plans to use lingering litigation over Igwe’s alleged dual citizenship as excuse to edge him out, this website learnt.

Igwe’s planned replacement, Jasper Uche, who hails from Umuaku Isuochi in Umunneochi LGA, is a former SUG president of Abia State University.

Meanwhile, the source noted that Ikpeazu’s fresh move is part of his plan to secure his senatorial bid which has increasingly become threatened by his membership of the G5 —a group of five southern PDP governors fighting the party’s leadership at the national level.

Ikpeazu’s decision to join the G5 had seen some aggrieved Abia PDP chieftains abandoning him to declare support for Atiku Abubakar — the party’s presidential candidate.

They include Senator Adolphus Wabara; immediate-past Abia governor and Senator representing Abia Central and Senator Theodore Orji who was recently appointed the South East Coordinator for Atiku campaign.