The governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Sen. Magnus Abe at the weekend unveiled as his running mate for the 2023 governorship election, Dr Patricia Wudhiga Ogbonnaya, from Ekpeye ethnic nation, Ahoada West local government area of Rivers State.
Dr Ogbonnaya, who retired from the Rivers state civil service has the rare qualification and experience of having worked as Permanent Secretary in 17 different ministries in the state besides other intimidating academic qualifications and work experience spanning the education and other sectors of the state.
Some of the ministries where she served during her 35 years in the civil service included: Education, Special Project Bureau, Chieftaincy and Community Development and Environment. She also served as Permanent Secretary in Commerce and Industry, Housing, Women Affairs, Rivers state Scholarship Board and Office of the Head of Service, among other ministries.
Presenting her to the public at a ceremony in Port Harcourt, Sen. Abe said that the Deputy Governorship candidate eminently met the criteria the party set out to search for in who would be selected for the position adding that in settling for her the party was conscious of the fact that her ethnic group like the Ogonis has not occupied the position for the first time.
He said the SDP did not want to use the general criteria of upland and riverine dichotomy as it would undermine many ethnic nations that make up the state but decided to use the ethnic nation yardstick so as to account for all of such groups.
Abe emphasised that the choice of Dr Ogbonnaya was a wise one and already yielding added value to the party with many prominent individuals from her area who were never politicians following the SDP to lend their support to her.
He emphasised the need for the people to be allowed to pick their own leaders saying; “The people must be allowed to pick their own leaders, leaders they have confidence in and can go through tough times with them.”
“When the consultation was on with the people of Ekpeye nation to get a leader from them, the name of Dr Ogbonnaya featured prominently everywhere among her people,” Abe added describing her as a woman of great character, loyalty and commitment and a great mother.
In her acceptance speech, the Deputy Governorship candidate, Dr Ogbonnaya expressed her joy in coming on board the SDP train adding that her motivation was to become part of the change and development that Rivers state rightly deserved.
She said she was attracted by the character and capacity of the governorship candidate, Sen. Magnus Abe, whom she argued that God has adequately prepared for the job to lead Rivers state and her people to freedom.
She recounted Abe’s sojourn in academic training as a lawyer, legislative experience in the state as minority leader of the State House of Assembly and at the centre as a senator, his experience as former Secretary to the State Government SSG and concluded that God has prepared him to render quality service as the governor of the state.
She pledged to support him with her wealth of experience as a retired civil servant of vast experience, loyalty and commitment to ensure that the SDP not only emerged victorious at the governorship poll in 2023 but also delivers good governance to the state.
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