By Christiana Ekpa
The Abia governorship is getting more intense and dramatic as Thursday, a massive crowd, under the banner of Concerned Abians, marched to the Abia State Secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Umuahia, and then to the residence of the Speaker of Abia State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Chinedum Orji, demanding that he joins the governorship race in the State.
At the PDP secretariat, speakers, including Prince Paul Okpanku of Isiala Ngwa South LGA and Director General of Ikukuoma Apostles; Prince Nelson C. Eke of Arochukwu LGA; Mrs Gold Unachukwu of Aba South LGA; Chief Dominic Chimeremeze Nwankwo of Isiala Ngwa South LGA; Bishop O.U. Prince of Ikwuano LGA; a former Secretary General of Students Union of Michael Okpara University, Umudike, Comrade James Daniel, among others, extolled the virtues of the Speaker and urged him to join the governorship race in the overall interest of the people.
They argued that he possessed the capability to move Abia forward from 2023, and stressed that his antecedents as a selfless leader has impacted greatly on both the state as an entity and her people irrespective of status, religious affinity, political affiliation, ethnic background or social class.
“You are the hope of the common man in Abia”, they told him.
The group pledged to continue mobilising Abians from all walks of life and do everything within their powers to ensure that he emerges the next Governor of Abia State, maintaining that “it is a mission God has ordained”.
In his response, Abia PDP Chairman, Hon Allwell Asiforo, said the party will not close its doors to anyone wishing to vie for any office in the State and urged the Speaker’s supporters to go about their rally peacefully, assuring that a level playing ground will be provided to all aspirants.
The Speaker thanked the group for their solidarity, support and visit, saying he will not do anything whatsoever that will affect the peace of the State.
He pointed out that the Governor deserves all the support he can get to finish his tenure peacefully, adding that there were early plans by some fifth columnists to destabilise him with blackmail, propaganda and outright falsehood, but that God has frustrated such plans, even as he attributed it to the prayers of the people.
The Speaker, while acknowledging their message, urged them not to instigate trouble in the State under the guise of playing politics, and promised that they would hear from him in the next few days.
