A governorship aspirant in Abia state, Dr. Gregory Ibe, has formally dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), few weeks declaring his intention to contest in the state’s election under the party.
Ibe said the alleged agreement by the party elders, to zone the governorship ticket to Abia North Senatorial District made him to first declare his intentions on the party’s ticket.
Speaking at his Uturu country home, he stated that the decision of the party to zone the slot to Abia Central and North Senatorial districts for the 2023 governorship election, made him dump the party for the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) to pursue his gubernatorial ambition.
He described the new zoning arrangement by the party as “controversial” saying his exit was a painful one, considering his strategic role in funding and nurturing it to become a dominant party in Abia since the return of democratic governance.
He said the party was suppose to reward him with the governorship ticket for his huge investment through financial assistance and donation of equipment to support the health and educational programmes of PDP-led administrations in Abia.
He, however, noted that his resolve to look elsewhere to realise his ambition became inevitable because he realised that the party did not want him.
Mr Ibe added that he drop his ambition to contest for Governor in 2015 as advised by the party elders so that power would move to Abia South Senatorial District for fairness and equity to reign with an agreement that power would return to Abia North in 2023, in line with the dictates of the Abia Charter of Equity and rotational arrangement.
He added that subsequent meetings of the party leaders reinforced the agreement during the campaign for the re-election of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu in 2019.
“The aftermath of these meetings led me and my people in Abia North to mobilise men and materials to ensure Ikpeazu’s re-election against all odds,” Mr Ibe said.
He expressed dismay that whereas other political positions in the party’s working committee in Abia were rotated among the senatorial districts ahead of the 2023 general elections, the governorship was shrouded in controversy.
The governorship hopeful alleged that the current zoning arrangement was designed to allow for the emergence of an “anointed candidate” and deny Abia North the right to produce the next governor.
Mr Ibe expressed confidence Abia’s electorate would continue to support him, even in APGA, considering his philanthropic and humanitarian programmes that had touched the people’s lives in Abia.
He called on all his followers and all “lovers of equity, fairness and justice and all those who desire the progress of Abia” to join him in APGA.
(NAN)
