Next Abia Governor Should Come From Isuikwuato District – Gen Azubuike Ihejirika

The former Chief of Army Staff
(COAS), Lt. General Azubuike
Ihejirika (rtd), has expressed his
commitment and support for the
clamour that the next governor
of Abia State should come from
the old Isuikwuato District in line
with the Abia charter of equity.

He made this known yesterday
during his visit to the chairman
of Abia Founding Fathers
Association, Dr. Onyike James
Onyike, at his Eluama Isuikwuato
country home, where he expressed
solidarity with the elders over
their position on the need to
adhere to power rotation principle
in Abia.

The founding fathers had at
their meeting last September
called on political parties to
respect the Abia charter of equity
in their choice of governorship
candidates in 2023. They also
pin pointed Isuikwuato as the
area to produce the successor
to Governor Okezie Ikpeazu.

Ihejirika explained that
his visit was aimed at using
Onyike as a point of contact to
thank all the members of Abia
Fathers “for their well founded
pronouncement” that the next
Abia governor should come from Isuikwuato.

He said the position of the
founding fathers was in tandem
with the Abia charter of equity,
which promoted peace, fairness
and justice in the rotation of
governorship seat among the
component parts of Abia.

The former Army boss, who
was being touted as possible
governorship aspirant, described
the stance of the founding fathers
as “a landmark decision”, saying,
“it’s a demonstration of their love
for brotherhood and peaceful
coexistence in the state they
fought very hard for its creation”.

He commended Onyike for his
lifelong dedication, commitment,
sacrifice and love for lsuikwuato
and Abia state, having been there
from conception, planning and
executing the activities that led to
the creation of the state in 1991.

Isuikwuato is one of the
defunct districts that formed the
name “Abia”, with Isuikwuato
represented by the letter ‘I’
hence those clamouring for
“Isuikwuato’s turn” were arguing
that all the other districts (Afikpo,
Bende, and Aba) had all produced
Abia governors.

Ihejirika, who was accompanied by his wife, Mrs Gift, Chief Ray Nkemdirim, Ugwumba Amaise, Prince Okezie Isiocha and Sir Dave Agwalla, addressed the issues raised by Onyike and assured them that qualified people were sufficient in Isuikwuato district, who were prepared and capable of
providing good leadership for Abia.