Abia 2023: Ukwa La Ngwa Elders Council Yet To Endorse Candidate… Nduaguibe Declares

Abia 2023: Ukwa La Ngwa Elders Council Yet To Endorse Candidate… Nduaguibe Declares

The Ukwa la Ngwa Elders Council, the parent body of the Nkwa extraction, in Abia South Senatorial District of Abia State, says the Council is yet to endorse a Governorship candidate from the area who would succeed the present Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu.

The Council, under the leadership of Dr. Max Nduaguibe, reiterated that the Council is not in haste to throw their weights behind anyone of the Ngwa candidates from either of the parties, rather a scrutiny of all candidates has to be be conducted by the elders, in a bid to adopt a credible candidates who could restore light in the state.

Speaking on behalf of the Council,
Dr. Nduaguibe wailed that the state had been in shambles for virtually 20-years, hence is in dire need of “rapid development in all sectors of human endeavour”.

In a release issued to Famousreporters.com, today, Monday, Dr. Nduaguibe who holds fort as Chairman of the Council maintained that “Ukwa la Ngwa Elders Council will take position on who to support amongst governorship candidates from the area after speaking with them to understand their plans for the development of Abia State”, he affirmed.

Dr Max  Nduaguibe was the fore-runner who blazed the trail  and ignited the hopes of Old Aba division of Abia State that it could produce a successor to quickly step into Governor Okezie Ikpeazu’s shoes even if they are of the same Old Aba political bloc.

Dr. Nduaguibe explained that the journey to produce ‘Abia governor of Ngwa extraction’ began in the middle of  Gov Ikeazu’s 2nd term in office, even as political interests in Abia North Senatorial District were already warming up to produce the next governor come 2023.

Famousreporters.com reports that Dr. Nduaguibe took the wind out of their sail by declaring that after Gov Ikpeazu, the Ngwa must have another 2-term slot for the governorship.

According to the remarkable results of Nduaguibe’s thorough job of the campaign, for the 2023 governorship election, three political parties have picked their governorship candidates from the Umunneato Ngwa axis including the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP with Professor Uche Ikonne as its governorship candidate; the Young Peoples Party, YPP and Accord Party have Nnanna Nwafor and Bishop Emeka Nwankpa respectively as their governorship candidates

Dr. Nduaguibe recently has explained how Ukwa la Ngwa Elders Council would manage the situation to ensure that the Ngwa nation votes en block  for a particular candidate.

The member of the National Executive of the SDP under Chief Toni Anini in the early nineties and former University lecturer, in his remarks, was unequivocal how “the next Governor of Ngwa extraction would emerge”.

Speaking, he said: “…he must be put to the closest scrutiny. It’s no more going to be “as it has been before so shall it be” government. No! We, the Elders of Ukwa la Ngwa will demand accountability from whoever is going to be the next Governor of Abia State.

” For nearly 20 years of wasted opportunity, Abia State requires rapid development in all sectors of human endeavour”, he declared

Dr Nduaguibe who holds fort as Chairman of the Council maintained that they are yet to endorse any candidate from any party: “Ukwa la Ngwa Elders Council will take position on who to support amongst governorship candidates from the area after speaking with them to understand their plans for the development of Abia State”, he affirmed.

Working with a motley crowd of interests, on non-partisan basis, known as Ukwa La Nkwa Elders Council, UNEC with him as Leader, Nduaguibe argued then that the so called ‘Abia Charter of Equity’ is propped up on two pillars – Old Aba  and Old Bende divisions respectively, and not on Senatorial district basis

However, he maintained that the governorship ticket must remain in Old Aba division for another eight years as the Old Bende division had enjoyed a similar concession.

Adding, he said: “Like they say, the argument began ‘like play, like play’, and before the Bende side knew what hit them, the ruling PDP had given its ticket to a candidate from Old Aba.

At a recent encounter, the former law lecturer played down the serious political implications of what transpired, except to express his satisfaction with it.

“It is reassuring that the PDP and the other two parties harkened to our plea for justice and equity. I am impressed”.

Although the development, he reminded, left the ruling PDP bitter, bickering and divided, hence his response: “I am not a politician and we did not operate as a political party, we were not part of the political process that played out in the PDP.

Though, he prefers to sit on the sidelines, Nduaguibe was once one of the leading political lights in the State, having ran as the governorship candidate of the now defunct Action for Democracy in the 1999 governorship election and as a Senatorial candidate of the APP.

Moreso, as a national player, he was the former National Deputy Chairman of the defunct Democratic Party of Nigeria, DPN, one of the late General Sani Abacha’s infamous 5-party contraption

Fast forward to the present, famousreporters.com reports  Nduaguibe, deploying every trick in political communication and mobilisation to successfully push his message that the Ukwa la Ngwa  be allowed to  govern Abia State for sixteen consecutive years, that is from 2015 to 2031 like the old Bende division did from 1999 to 2015: “That, by virtue of Justice, Equity and Fairness, the people of Ukwa La Ngwa will collectively and ceaselessly work for the democratic enthronement of Abia State Governor of Ukwa La Ngwa extraction, from any of the three Ukwa La Ngwa Local Government Areas of Isiala Ngwa-North, Isialangwa-South and Osisioma, otherwise known as Umunne Ato Ngwa in Abia Central Senatorial District, in 2023”, he had stated in one of the several statements he had issued then
“Our demand is based on Justice, Equity and Fairness, nobody could  fault it and we are not going back on it.
“There is no reason to react to the various reactions from any quarter to our demand. But let me repeat that UNEC is  purely a socio-cultural organization. We are non-partisan and  accommodates all groups and shades of opinion in Ukwa La Ngwa, irrespective of political affiliations. We are grassroots-based and I do not know of any portion of the Constitution as amended that forbids us making any demand for the good of our community. We do not meet as a political group, but as a community-based group to discuss issues  for the well being of our people. I do not see any form of bullying that can put an end to that”, he had affirmed then.
For the Ukwa-Ngwa nation, with its 9 Local Government Areas, comprising:  Aba-North, Aba-South, Isiala Ngwa-North, Isiala Ngwa-South, Obingwa, Osisioma, Ugwunagbo, Ukwa-East and Ukwa-West, the odds favoured them to throw their weight around, and possibly hold everyone to ransome.

“Who loses if Ukwa-Ngwa grabs power for another 8 years? First to kiss the dust would  be the political dynasties of two former governors: Orji Uzor Kalu and Theodore A. Orji.
Ahead 2023 governorship election, the ruling PDP is already embattled as a result of zoning the governorship ticket to Old Aba. Governorship hopefuls, especially from Abia North political zone who felt they were shortchanged had already defected from the party. Party stalwarts who were not carried along have adopted a passive posture, nonetheless, in Abia’s one party dominated politics anything is possible
Reacting to the division in the PDP, Nduaguibe describes it as a political issue, “We, as elders will support the political parties to ensure the emergence of a governor from the Umunneato axis”, he proffered.

Meanwhile, famousreporters.com gathered that Dr. Nduaguibe had lectured in various Nigerian Universities before venturing into politics.