Ebonyi 2023: Indigenes in diaspora reject zoning

By Jide Orintunsin, Abuja

Indigenes of Ebonyi State in the diaspora have rejected the zoning agreement being brokered by the political class for 2023 governorship election.

They insisted that competence, capability and credibility should be the standard for anyone to succeed Governor Dave Umahi.

The indigenes, under the aegis of Association of Ebonyi State Indigenes in Diaspora (AESID), yesterday in a statement in Abuja by the President, Mr. Paschal Oluchukwu, said that the campaign in the media by some interests to respect ‘charter of equity’ did not exist.

The group said: “Ebonyi people truly deserve nothing but the best, most credible and competent hand they can get from any part of the state, who understands the prevailing challenges of anthropogenic poverty, lack of human empowerment, health and educational deficiencies arising from poor policy planning and execution, among other negative trends and the consequences on our people.”

It added: “As political parties gear up for congresses at the ward, local government, state and national levels, it has become indubitable that political activities have raved up as expected, with analysts and pundits fully up in their game.

“Whereas, the situation is not any different in Ebonyi, the calls in some quarters for the mediocre acts of zoning of political offices have once again been brought to bear in the debate over who succeeds Governor Umahi in 2023. Those who engineer this, base their position on what they term equity and fairness in their delusional fantasy to keep an ‘equity bond’ that neither exists nor has ever been manifested in Ebonyi politics.

“As a governance and accountability platform, AESID feels strongly that it is also part of our core mandates to bring unbiased analysis on political debates in our state, not only putting the records straight, but also picturing the future that Ebonyi truly deserves.

“Having remained the most outstanding accountability platform in the state with our membership drawn across the entire state, we will not watch a section of self-interests seekers, paid political ‘permutators’, jobbers and hatchet men mislead, misdirect or misinform Ebonyi people as they battle to choose a credible and competent leader who will take over the baton as Governor Umahi’s successor.

“It bothers placing properly on record that the so-called, non-existent ‘charter of equity’, which some rented script writers are bandying in the media, does not exist and people from the three senatorial zones of the state have equally vied for the coveted position of the governor of the state. “

“In our deep reflections, we recall that in 1999 when Dr. Sam Egwu from the Ohaukwu axis of Ebonyi North ran for governor on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the current Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu of Ebonyi South, also contested for the same position under the defunct All People’s Party (APP).

“Similarly, Amb. Frank Ogbuewu of Ikwo origin in the Central axis contested against Egwu in his quest for a second term in 2003 on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). This time under the ANPP, Dr. Onu also later came back to the ballot in 2007 to vie for the same position eight years after in the election to pick a successor to Egwu, which was eventually won by Chief Martin Elechi of the PDP, who hails from Ikwo in the Central Senatorial Zone.

“In 2011 when Elechi sought another term in office, Senator Julius Ucha of the same Central Zone under the ANPP also contested against him. The records of political events in the 2015 governorship election are still very fresh in our memories as Labour Party’s Edward Nkwegu, who hails from Izzi in the North District ran strongly against PDP’s incumbent Governor David Umahi from the South, who emerged as the winner of the election.

“Owing more to the fact that by what could be justified as divine providence, the three senatorial zones, despite these contests, have all tasted power via the occupation of the governorship seats in the state, it is therefore wisdom for Ebonyians to anchor their search for Umahi’s successor on the tripod stand of competence, capacity and credibility, which will ultimately translate into such a leader’s ability to reverse the numerous growing negative statistics and economic woes that the current government of Umahi has brought upon our dear state.”

Urging the youth to get more involved in the political process by joining parties, the group also called on all Ebonyians of voting age, who are yet to register, to take advantage of the ongoing INEC’s Continuous Voter Registration and proceed to register and get their PVCs ready, “as this is their only power to change the narrative in 2023 and elect a credible candidate.”