2015 POLL: IHEJIRIKA TO END NGWA GOVERNORSHIP AMBITION

Despite the promise by Gov. Theodore Orji to hand over power to the Ukwa/

Ngwa zone in 2015, rumours are rife that the now retired Chief of Army

Staff, Lt. Gen Azubuike Onyeabo Ihejirika may throw his hat into the ring

for the Abia governorship contest in 2015. The rumours which was discussed

in hushed tones when Ihejirika was still in service, has now spread like

wild fire since the ex Army chief retired.
 

His retirement as the Chief of Army Staff appears to have upped the stakes

in the race for the gubernatorial election in Abia state in 2015. Reason

is that rumours have been rife that the ex Army Chief is interested in the

governorship position of the state. In fact, in the last two weeks,

rumours of an alleged pact with Gov. Orji to hand over to Ihejirika for

his support particularly during the era of kidnapping, has dominated

political discourse in Abia state.
 
Another issue is that Ihejirika's people in Isiukwuato Local Government

Area of the state have been agitating that 2015 is their turn as they have

not produced a governor of the state since it was created. The Isiukwuato

people are laying claims to the Abia Charter of Equity on the ground that

it favours them to produce an Abia governor in 2015. They contend that the

acronym, 'ABIA', means Afikpo, Bende, Isiukwuato and Aba and Isiukwuato

must take their turn before the Aba zone.
 
According to a PDP chieftain from the area who did not want his name in

print, “Abia Charter of Equity as a document goes that after the Afikpo

people took their turn through Chief Ogbonnaya Onu, the Bende people

through Chief Orji Uzor Kalu and Gov. Theodore Orji, it is now the turn of

the Isiukwuato bloc in 2015 before we hand over to Aba zone. Isiukwuato is

a clan different from Bende, we are on own” he said.

 
Though Ihejirika is yet to declare his interest for the seat, a section of

the Abia political class believe that it is a matter of time before he

makes a statement. Such people readily point to the fact that the former

soldier has the ears of the presidency as well as Gov. Orji arising from

the loyalty and support he gave the duo during his tenure as Army Chief.

 
There appears to be a plot by Ihejirika's Isiukwuato people to throw a

spanner into the promise by Gov. Orji to support a successor from the

Ukwa/ Ngwa zone. The plot said to be a secret shared among the retired

soldiers from the area led by Gen. Ike Nwachukwu, is to use all their

contacts to ensure Ihejirika becomes governor in 2015.

 
Beside Ihejirika's rumoured ambition, other aspirants from Isiukwuato area

have been scheming to have one of their sons as governor in 2015.

Prominent among them is the owner of Master Energy Group, Chief Uche Ogah

who has been accused of fronting for the ex Army chief. In the last three

months, Ogah's country home at Uturu in Isiukwuato council have played

host to various groups calling on him to join the governorship race of the

state.