Ahead of 2023 the governorship election in Abia State, a pressure group known as Abia North Integrity Group, ANIG, has insisted on power shift to the zone.
The group comprising eminent scholars, clerics, royal fathers and political strategists from Abia North premised the argument on the principles of “equity and Justice”, insisting that power should return to Abia North in 2023 since it has gone round the three senatorial zones of the state.
The group after a closed door meeting at Ohafia urged governorship aspirants from outside Abia North to shelve their ambition in 2023 in the spirit of equity.
Spokesman of the group, Chief Idika Idika Kalu Agwu, said: “Since the seat of power started its journey from Abia North in 1999, it’s only wise and fair that it returns to the zone in 2023, having now gone round the zones.”
The group, which noted that the principle of power rotation was enshrined in Abia Charter of Equity by the founding fathers of the state to promote unity among the component clans, warned against any attempt to disrupt the zoning arrangement.
It urged all political parties in the state especially the ruling People’s Democratic Party, PDP, to cede their governorship slots to Abia North.
The group commended all stakeholders from Abia North who supported power shift to Abia South in 2015 and firmly stood behind the second term ambition of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu to enable the zone complete its turn.
It urged political stakeholders from other zones to emulate the exemplary role of their Abia North counterparts and prevail on their people to support power shift to Abia North in 2023.
The group, however, did not indicate which division in Abia North should produce the next governor but Isuikwuato, Ohafia clan and Arochukwu have variously indicated interest to succeed Governor Ikpeazu.
Vanguard