A think tank group, Abia leaders of Thoughts, have affirmed their endorsement on the gubernatorial candidacy of the immediate past Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, Dr Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah under the platform of the All Progressives Congress for the 2023 general elections.
This comes on the backdrops of the recent pronouncement by the Independent National Electoral Commission for release of the final publication of lists of governorship and State House of Assembly candidates who successfully emerged during the concluded primary elections conducted by political parties in the country for the forthcoming 2023 general elections.
In a statement jointly signed by its leader, Dr Emmanuel Nwabuko, Secretary-General Chief Onyebuchi Herbert, and Publicity Secretary, Mazi Maxwell Nwachukwu, issued to journalists in Umuahia, the state capital on Thursday, Abia leaders of Thoughts reechoed the call on the leadership of the All Progressives Congress to stick to its rules and allow the will of majority of party members prevail by including the rightful winner and authentic gubernatorial candidate in the ballots for the coming general elections, Dr Uche Sampson Ogah.
The leaders who explained that they hinged their calls on the All Progressive Congress-led by national leadership chaired by Senator Abdullahi Adamu to urgently include Ogah’s name in the soon-to-be release of final publication of lists of governorship candidates by the nation’s electoral commission on the long-aged yearnings by majority of party members and entire electorates in Abia State for the enthronement of purposeful, effective and responsive leadership in all strata of the state.
AFRIPOST recalls that Uche Ogah had on 26th of May 2022, emerged as the Abia governorship standard bearer of the All Progressives Congress in the recently-concluded gubernatorial primary elections for the forthcoming 2023 general elections in Abia State.
Ogah was declared the winner of the just concluded gubernatorial primary elections after he scored 141,952 votes to beat his closest rival, Paul Ikonne who scored 27,054.
Other gubernatorial aspirants includes, Chief Ikechi Emenike who polled 9,446, Emeka Atuma with 7,429, Obinna Oriaku with 5,553, Alex Otti scored 2,41, and Daniel Eke who got 1,953 at the keenly contested direct primaries.
On the same day, the factional APC leader in Abia state and Pro-chancellor Chairman of the Board, University of Nigeria Nsukka, UNN, Chief Ikechi Emenike and few of party members loyal to him, organized a parallel gubernatorial primaries wherein, he emerged as factional governorship candidate of the party for the coming 2023 general elections in Abia state.
Both candidates (Ogah and Emenike) are already in court seeking judicial interpretation on the authenticity of the exercise conducted by the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State.
Continuing, the Abia leaders of thoughts, in the statement, regretted also that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party which had steered the affairs of the state in the last 20 years, have disappointed and failed in all indices of governance especially in raising the bar in state’s economy and Infrastructure, and as well as human empowerment and development, to enhance the welfare of the people.
The Leaders of Thoughts frowned in a strong term the ongoing move by unscrupulous party leaders and to manipulate the outcome of the recently-concluded gubernatorial primary elections conducted by the All Progressives Congress, cautioning the leadership of the party on dangers of the illegalities which it presided, perpetrated and abetted during the concluded primaries, and which if not addressed amicably and inclusively, would truncate genuine desires of party, its members and numerous of its supporters to work towards the victory of the party in the 2023 main elections.
They reiterated that for APC to secure a win in the forthcoming general elections they must include authentic candidates that emerged from the Concluded primaries held by the party in the final list that is about to be released by the INEC to save the Abia chapter of the party from imminent failure and extinction in the soon-to-be-held main elections in Abia State in 2023.
They also said, “in as much as we are not members of the All Progressives Congress, we only intervene as leaders of Abia State, and we’re interested in fostering unity and peace among warring leaders, and also encourage development. Because, we do not want unnecessary heating of the polity by disgruntled political leaders and their cohorts”.
On the awaiting ruling of the court of competent jurisdictions on the litigations necessitated by outcome of the concluded governorship primaries held on 26th of May 2022 in Umuahia, the state capital, the Abia leaders of thoughts noted, “i as much as it would mount to prejudice to speak on the matter, we have total confidence in the judiciary in correcting the injustice and unfairness most of the party aspirants and cum candidates are being meted.
“We are monitoring the legal battles, and we vow to resist any attempt to blackmail members of the judiciary by any group or group of persons ahead of its final verdicts.”