‘Only competence should determine who succeeds Governor Umahi’

Ahead 2023 general elections, a group in Ebonyi State has rejected the agitation for zoning of the Governorship election in the South-East state.

The Association of Ebonyi State Indigenes in Diaspora (AESID) at a press briefing in Abuja declared that competence, capability and credibility should be the standard in picking a successor for Governor Dave Umahi.

President of the AESID, Ambassador Paschal Oluchukwu, dismissed the claim of ‘charter of equity being bandied by certain politicians and groups in Ebonyi State.

He noted that virtually all the three Senatorial districts in the state have produced the governor of the South-East state.

He said: “It bothers placing properly on record that the so-called, non-existent ‘charter of equity’ which some rented scriptwriters are bandying in the media does not exist and people from the three Senatorial zones of the State have equally vied for the coveted position of the Governor of the Salt of the Nation.

“In our deep reflections, we recall that in 1999 when Dr Sam Egwu from the Ohaukwu axis of Ebonyi North Senatorial zone ran for Governorship under the PDP, current Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu of Ebonyi South also vehemently contested for the same position under the defunct All People’s Party, APP.

“Similarly, Ambassador Frank Ogbuewu of Ikwo origin in the Central axis contested against Sam Egwu in his quest for a second term in office in 2003 under the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance. This time under ANPP, Dr Onu also later came back to the ballot in 2007 to vie for the same position eight years after in the election to pick a successor to Egwu which was eventually won by Chief Martin Elechi of the PDP who hails from Ikwo in the Central Senatorial zone of the state.

“In 2011 when Martin Elechi sought for another term in office, Senator Julius Ucha of the same Central zone under the ANPP also contested against him. The records of political events in the 2015 Governorship election are still very fresh in our mind as Labour Party’s Edward Nkwegu who hails from Izzi in the North ran strongly against PDP’s incumbent Governor David Umahi from the South who emerged as the winner of the election.

“Owing more to the fact that by what could be justified as divine providence, the three Senatorial zones despite these contests have all tasted power via the occupation of the Governorship seats in the state, it is, therefore, wisdom for Ebonyians to anchor their search for Umahi’s successor on the tripod stand of competence, capacity and credibility which would ultimately translate into such a leader’s ability to reverse the numerous growing negative statistics and economic woes that the current government of Umahi has brought upon our dear state.

“Besides, power as such analysts should have been aware by now only comes from above and it is never given but taken. Much more than the zone of an aspirant, AESID would, we reiterate implore Ebonyi people to continue to study the records in and out of the office of any contender and place same side-by-side with the prevailing challenges facing the young state and seek out for only those who can reverse the negative indices.”

The group while restating that integrity and competence should be paramount, it further maintained that “Ebonyi people truly deserve nothing but the best, most credible and competent hand it can get from any part of the state who understands the prevailing challenges of anthropogenic poverty, lack of human empowerment, health and educational deficiencies arising from poor policy planning and executions among other negative trends and its attendant consequences on our people.”

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