Ex-Speaker Set To Become Abia PDP Chairman

Barely a month that members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) State caucus, led by Abia State Governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu resolved to cede the State chairmanship of the party to Ukwa Federal Constituency, feelers about the identity of the new chairman has emerged.

ABN TV gathered that former Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Asiforo Okere is set to emerge as Chairman of the ruling party following his unanimous adoption by the former Senate President, Adolphus Wabara and all major stakeholders from Ukwa East Local Government Area.

Okere who was both Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the state House of Assembly where he spent three consecutive terms representing Ukwa East State Constituency, also served as Commissioner for Energy and Solid Minerals in Ikpeazu’s first tenure.

The PDP in the state had scheduled next month, April 11 for the conduct of the state congress to produce the next state chairman of the party in the state.

Since the position of the PDP was made public last month, on where the chairman will come from, many contenders have indicated their interest to occupy the plum party job in the state.

ABN TV gathered that Ukwa East LGA had two contenders of which Okere is one and the other candidate who was described as a vastly experienced politician who had also served in different positions as well and very popular in Ukwa.

ABN TV also learnt that Ukwa West LGA initially had three candidates who indicated interests, but were persuaded by the leaders of the Federal Constituency to step down for their brothers from Ukwa East with some notable political reasons.

The reasons includes: that Ukwa West which produces oil that made Abia, an oil producing state parades many of the plum jobs in the state including, Chairman of the Abia State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (ASOPADEC), Commissioner in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and currently occupies the position of the Deputy Chief of Staff in the State Government House.

This left their Ukwa East brothers with only the position of the member representing Ukwa East and Ukwa West Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives in the person of Hon. Uzoma Abonta, who is relinquish the position to an Ukwa West person come 2023.

ABN TV gathered that the Ukwa political leaders agreed that it will be unfair for Ukwa East to be left politically empty and decided that the only way is to carry them along is to equitably console them with the position of the state chairmanship.

A reliable PDP source within the Ukwa PDP family told ABN TV that it was based on this permutation, PDP stakeholders in Ukwa East decided to adopt a rancor free option that will present one candidate to the party at the state level.

The 25 member stakeholders of the PDP in Ukwa East led by Wabara decided to conduct an election between the two contenders from the LGA of which Okere finally emerged victorious massively.

ABN TV learnt that the election which took place at the Ohambele-Ndoki home of Wabara of which 23 out of 25 members of the stakeholders of the council were present had 21 votes, as the two contenders who completed them 23 were sent out and returned to hear the result announced.

At the end of the voting, 20 out of the 21 stakeholders who were eligible to vote overwhelmingly voted for Okere while his opponent scored just one vote to bring the tussle to a peaceful end.

It was gathered that the man who came second did not accept the result as fair and reacted in a manner that has attracted him a suspension.

However, one of the PDP stakeholders who spoke anonymously to ABN TV said the choice of Okere was a generally accepted decision amongst majority of the PDP members across the two LGAs in Ukwa.

He stressed that the choice of Okere by the party leadership have been applauded by many PDP members and leaders across the state.

He condemned the reported reaction of the other contender who was obviously disappointed by the outcome of the stakeholders election and advised him to accept the outcome.

The source described Okere as a round peg in a round hole, a reliable party man and an academically sound gentleman who has never disappointed but has delivered wholly to his party in all elections.

“He’s a man of impeccable character and integrity. A reliable and dependable personality with innate capacity and astute and grounded with the ability to manage human beings and resolve crisis. That’s exactly what PDP needs to retain Abia,” he said.