Former Senate President, Senator Adolphus Wabara, has commended the Governor of Abia State, Chief Theodore Orji, over his recent declaration that the governorship seat of the state will move to Abia South Senatorial District in 2015.
Wabara, a delegate to the National Conference, said that zoning has become a national issue and will soon be made a constitutional matter, following the recommendation of the confab.
His words: “First of all, let me doff my hat for our governor, Chief T. A. Orji, for insisting on equity and fair play.
“He has made us proud with his support and declaration that power will move to Abia South in 2015.
“We are happy and we thank him.
“When the former Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, said he was going to handover to someone from Anambra North, a zone that has never governed the state, a lot people didn’t support it.
“They thought it was not achievable.
“But Peter Obi stood his ground, insisted on equity and fairness, despite the pressure from very powerful and deep pocket men in Anambra and he succeeded in righting the wrongs and Mr. Willy Obiano from Anambra North is governor today.
“Same way, people think that an Abia South man becoming governor is an unachievable project, but Governor T. A. Orji, a man of equity, has said no, it is achievable because equity and fairness demands so.
“A lot of people will work against it, but I know our governor can’t say what he can’t do.
“His words are his bond.
“He will do it.
“Again, zoning has become a national issue.
“Soon, it will be made a constitutional matter because the ongoing National Conference, which I am a delegate, has recommended that governorship seat of every state should rotate among the three senatorial districts of every state.
“In the case of Abia, Abia North was in power for eight years.
“Abia Central is completing its eight years.
“Equity and common sense should tell us that power should move to Abia South in 2015.
“That is just exactly what the governor is saying.
“And that is what it should be.”
Speaking on the need for the people of Abia South to close-rank to ensure the actualization the zoning principle, Wabara said: “Zoning power to Abia South in 2015 is not enough to make someone from here governor.
“We need to work together and very hard too to ensure that humble and honest view of our governor that power should move to Abia South becomes a reality.
“Those of us from Abia South, we in Ukwa and our elder brothers in Ngwa will summon a meeting of stakeholders with all the aspirants from our zone and we will let them know that all of them will not be governor at the same time.
“Therefore, we shall talk and appeal to them to see the need to give support to anyone of them that will be chosen.
“That person must be someone that Abians trust, a person that will not betray the trust of Abians.”
In a related development, the Abia State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party has zoned its governorship ticket for 2015 to Abia South Senatorial District.
The decision was reached at a meeting of the state cause of the party held in Umuahia on Saturday night.
The meeting, which had Orji and his deputy in attendance, was presided over by the state Deputy Chairman of the PDP, Chief Allen Nwachukwu, who stood in for the state Chairman, Senator Emma Nwaka.
Hon. Uzo Azubuike, who is representing Aba North/Aba South Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, moved the motion that the party should zone its governorhsip ticket to Abia South.
Abia 2015: Wabara commends Orji for supporting zoning
