Assemblyman Chukwudi Apugo recalls the march of zoning in Abia State and says that rotation favours Old Aba Division now.
Support for the advocacy for an Ngwa person to continue as governor in 2023 based on the Abia Charter of Equity 1981 has come from the Umuahia end of the divide through Hon Chukwudi Apugo.
Apugo represents Umuahia East State Constituency in the Abia State House of Assembly. He told Vanguard newspaper that fairness and equity demand that the power shift favours Old Aba Division.
Apugo, a scion of the renowned Apugo family of Umuahia, was unambiguous in his claim.
“Powershift agitation in Abia depends on where you are coming from. Many are shying away from the truth that the much-talked-about Abia Charter of Equity only recognises two divisions – the Old Bende and Aba.
“It didn’t capture three senatorial districts as we have today. Our problem is that some of our leaders are economical with the truth.
“So, if you look at the agitation for power from the senatorial zone point of view, you say it should return to Abia North where it started from in 2019.
“But if you look at it with the lens of Charter of Equity, it should go to Aba Division to complete their balance of 16 years that Old Bende was in power.”
The Assemblyman said that retaining power in Abia Central is just and follows the practice established by the first governor of Abia State in the Fourth Republic, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu.
“The two Divisions that makeup Abia are Old Bende and Aba divisions. When the former Governor, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu, finished his second tenure in 2007, he gave power to his brother, Senator Theodore Orji from the same Old Bende but in Abia Central.
“When Senator Orji finished in 2015, he gave power to Governor Okezie Ikpeazu in Abia South (Old Aba Division). Then, as Ikpeazu will be finishing in 2023, I feel that his body language is that he will also look for his brother from the Old Aba Division to balance the political equilibrium.
“People should know that Abia Central is a donation of three Local Government Areas each from Old Bende and Aba Divisions. The remainders then became Abia North and Abia South because each state should have three senatorial zones.
“So, if Ikpeazu supports his brother in Old Aba Division to succeed him, it won’t be strange. He will only be doing what Orji Uzor Kalu did.”
The PDP in Abia State recently sought to balance the contentions in the state by zoning the governorship space to Abia Central and Abia North ahead of the party convention.
Cover photo: Hon. Chukwudi Apugo, the member representing Umuahia East constituency in the Abia State House of Assembly
ROtation favours Old Aba says Apugo
Author
