Abia 2015: PPA opposes zoning of governorship to Abia South

Abia State chapter of the Progressive Peoples’ Alliance (PPA) has raised its opposition against zoning of the 2015 governorship slot in the state to Abia South.Rather, it insisted that the race should be thrown open to all Abians. The party’s position is coming on the heels of the recent adoption of power shift arrangement to Abia South by some political parties in the state.

Speaking in an interview with Sunday Sun, the state chairman of PPA, Prince Emeka Okafor, said though his party shared in the aspiration of Ukwa/Ngwa to produce the next governor, he was of the view that such contest should be thrown open to all eligible persons. “Ukwa/Ngwa as a bloc was in the forefront of the agitation for power shift to the area all the while the governorship had eluded them. But it would be very unjust for any section of the bloc or Abia for that matter to be excluded in the contest,” he said.

According to Okafor, such action is not only unconstitutional, but a subtle way of disenfranchising tested politicians from the state from contesting the governorship election, thereby denying the people of their best hands.

Similarly, the state secretary of the party, Uche Enyioko, also condemned the zoning of the governorship to Abia South, saying that it negates the spirit of equity and fairness. He urged Ukwa/Ngwa people not to be carried away by the so-called zoning arrangement. He warned: “Ukwa/Ngwa, beware of the hidden agenda meant to create confusion amongst you for the benefit of a chosen candidate.”

Enyioko maintained that PPA would not be a party to such illegality, stressing that the party would as far as the election was concerned, throw her doors open to all qualified Abians.