George Onyejiuwa, Owerri and Okwe Obi, Abuja
The people of Ukwa and Ngwa in Abia State have dissociated themselves from the endorsement of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu for re-election.
Instead, they adopted the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in the state, Dr. Uche Sampson Ogah, who they said has a better programme.
In a statement signed on their behalf by Martins Azubike, Sir Marc Wabara, Joseph Enyinnaya, Chief Emeka Nwogu, F. N. Nwosu, Donatus Nwakpa, Great Imo Jonathan, Chief Chamberlain Adiaso, Dr. Bright Onyendi, Dr. Okey Nwachukwu, Humphrey Azubuike and Okey Nwauba, the Ukwa and Ngwa people said the purported endorsement of Ikpeazu was unacceptable, as the governor’s tenure in office has brought “ridicule and shame to our people.”
They said those saying Ukwa and Ngwa people are behind Ikpeazu are the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) agents, “who are interested in monetary gains.”
The two groups said they prefer progress of their people and Abia State and, therefore, are supporting Ogah, who is a “better candidate, and we see his manifesto as a robust plan for development of Abia State and the Ukwa Ngwa nation.”
They, therefore, called on Ukwa Ngwa people to shun Ikpeazu and embrace Ogah in tomorrow’s governorship election.
“We, the Oha Ukwa Ngwa Nile, wish to, on be behalf of our people, reject, in totality, the purported endorsement of Ikpeazu, the executive governor of Abia State and the governorship candidate of the PDP, for re-election on Saturday, March 9, 2019. At the same time, we want to use this medium to debunk the notion that our people are hinged on his candidature and are against other candidates.
“Again, we take exception to the intimidation of Ukwa Ngwa indigenes, who have chosen to vote according to their conscience, candidates of other parties. And we want to warn seriously that we will go to any extent to resist the move being made by agents of the PDP, to put our people under diabolic oaths, and to lay a curse on those who want to exercise their God-given rights.
“The tenure of Ikpeazu, the acclaimed son of Ukwa Ngwa, has brought nothing but ridicule and shame to our people. He failed our expectations greatly and we can boldly say we are not happy with him. Those who are running around in the name of Ukwa Ngwa, endorsing his re-election bid are nothing but agents of the cabal domiciled in the PDP, and those who’s only interest is monetary gain and not the progress and development of Abia State.”