Wabara To Ikpeazu: Follow Theodore Orji’s Footsteps On Zoning In 2023

Former Senate President, Adolphus Wabara, has advised Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, to respect the existing zoning arrangement for the 2023 governorship election in the state.

Wabara, who noted that Ikpeazu assumed the position of governor as a result of the zoning arrangement, spoke against the backdrop of a reported controversy trailing the state’s next governorship election.

The Peoples Democratic Party chieftain gave the advice during an interview with journalists in Aba on Tuesday. 

He condemned what he described as conspiracy theories from several sections of the State on where power should shift to in 2023.

His words; “If Ikpeazu’s predecessor didn’t believe in equity, there is no way we, the Ukwa/Ngwa people would have smelt that seat. If Senator Theodore Orji had not pronounced that he was going to hand over to Abia South, I don’t think Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu would have been Governor. The Governor knows my stand. 

“He should follow the footsteps of his predecessor. Ikpeazu should be a child of equity and do the needful. My advice is that he should be in charge of equity and do things right and there would be peace. And I know he won’t be misled. I don’t want to go to the nitty gritty of the conspiracy theories here and there. All these conspiracies will not help; Abia State will outlive all of us. Let him guide us, The Governor has nothing to fear. By next year or 2023, let him grow from child of equity to father of equity.”

Wabara also dismissed the rumoured planned defection of Ikpeazu to the All Progressives Congress (APC), explaining that the governor had met with the members of the PDP Board of Trustees and assured them that he would not defect to any party.

The PDP chieftain described Ikpeazu’s performance as wonderful and stated that more investments have been coming to the state because of the infrastructural turnaround and peace being experienced in the State.

Wabara further commended Ikpeazu for his support to the Abia State University, Uturu, stressing that the governor’s greatest legacy was in the area of education as the bedrock of development.

“The most important legacy Governor Ikpeazu would leave in Abia is in the area of education. The Governor knows that education is the bedrock of development that’s why most of us follow his footsteps; you see Abia has many PhD holders now. We borrowed all that from the Governor. 

“I commended the Governor for supporting ABSUU and giving education its pride of place in the state knowing the fact that education remains the bedrock of development”.

The former Senate President urged the governor to establish a sea port in Ukwa , stressing that Abia needed a sea port more than it needed an airport.