Grace Egbo
Ahead of the March 18 Governorship and State Assembly elections, the Abakaliki bloc, united under the umbrella of Umuekumenyi ancestry, has unanimously undertaken to channel all their vote to APC gubernatorial candidate Rt. Hon. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru.
Nwifuru, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, is a son of the Izhi clan of the Abakaliki bloc.
The group took the resolution in its town hall meeting held Thursday in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State capital.
The town hall has the Deputy Governor, Barr. Eric Kelechi Igwe as the special guest of honour.
The bloc consists principally of eight out of the 13 local government areas of the State: Abakaliki, Ebonyi, Izzi, Ikwo, Ezza South, Ezza North, Ohaukwu and Ishielu, including a part of Onicha LGA.
Reading the communique at the end of the meeting, one of the stakeholders, Prof. Eugene Nweke explained that the bloc appreciates the power rotational arrangement instituted in the State from inception.
Nweke, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academics at Ebonyi State University, on behalf of the people commended Governor Umahi for his firm stand in handing over power to Ebonyi North senatorial district.
The communique noted that power, having rotated from the North through Central to the South Senatorial districts in the first cycle, demands a return to the North in the same sequence for the second cycle.
The communique further reinforced the group’s unflinching support to Nwifuru of the APC for governor in the Saturday, March 18 election.
Part of the communique reads: “That we the Umuekumenyi people have resolved to come together in one voice, and judging by the principle of equity, fairness, justice, in ascension to the seat of the Governor of Ebonyi State since 1999.
“That Umuekumenyi therefore unequivocally and happily appreciate the people of Ebonyi South Senatorial district for taking the leading and praying with us in the declaration, commitment and belief in equity, fairness and justice, by wholeheartedly supporting the quest for power shift to the North, and Izhi in particular on the principle of this arrangement which began in 1999.
“That without prejudice to the right of any citizen to contest for any political position of his or her choice, but rather in a bid to further foster brotherliness among Umuekumenyi sons and daughters, hereby unanimously adopt the Honourable Speaker of Ebonyi State House of Assembly, and the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate in Ebonyi State, Right Honourable Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru as our sole candidate.
“That Umuekumenyi hereby affirm the principle of power rotation among the senatorial zones of the State: North to Central, Central to South.”
The Council Chairmen of the concerned Local government areas, including Barr. Sunday Nwankwo of Ikwo, Nnanna John Onwe of Ishielu and Moses Ogodoali of Ezza North, among others, assured that they would leave no stone unturned towards ensuring victory for Nwifuru in the election in response to the equity principle
Other major stakeholders who also spoke during the event, including a former Secretary to the State government, Boniface Chima, former attorney general and commissioner for Justice, Okeagu Ogada, Chairman of Elders Council, Engr. Ben Okah and the Umuekumenyi youth President, Uchenna Aliega, among others, called on the people to unite despite party differences to take what belongs to them, come Saturday.
Chima summed: “The tradition of rotational governance has been entrenched in the State, and it is the turn of the North.
” Nwifuru is our brother and we should as a matter of equity and brotherliness, support him with our whole votes.”
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