Ebonyi PDP Guber Aspirants battle over Zoning
By Staff
Some Governorship Aspirants from Ebonyi Central Senatorial zone under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have rejected moves of the party to zone the gubernatorial ticket to a candidate from Ebonyi North Senatorial Zone.
This was contained in a joint statement issued and signed by four of the aspirants namely; Senator Obinna Ogba, Senator Paulinus Igwenwagu, Hon Anayo Nwonu, and Hon Chris Usulor respectively.
The aspirants urged other governorship hopefuls from the Northern zone of the state to go to the field with other Zones as they described the communique as short cut and self serving, which is perceived as that they are apparently afraid of meeting Ebonyi people in the field.
The statement reads in parts: ” the attention of the Governorship aspirants from Ebonyi Central Senatorial District, on the platform of PDP has been drawn to the communique issued by the PDP gubernatorial aspirants from Ebonyi North Senatorial District/Zone in Abakaliki on 18th April, 2022, calling for zoning of the 2023 gubernatorial ticket on Senatorial zonal basis with Ebonyi North senatorial zone as the deserved beneficiary”
“Such a communique can even be described as an affront on the process that brought Ebonyi people together, which has been holding Ebonyi people together for agposterityes”
“For the records and , the agitation for the creation of Ebonyi State was anchored on a consensus arrangements between two major sets of people from Anambra/Enugu States on the other hand and their counterparts from Imo/Abia States on the other side of the divide”.
“These different groups of people constituted what is known, recognized and addressed, from the onset, as people from Afikpo bloc and people from Abakaliki bloc”
The Statement opined,” the term “bloc” which the authors of the communique want to be “jettisoned” has remained the distinguishing language and identity separating this two brothers.”
” Therefore the arrangements for Ebonyi creation was never pursued on senatorial interests but rather on bloc considerations.
“This request by gubernatorial aspirants from Ebonyi North cannot erase existing history for parochial interests particularly when the founding fathers are still alive”
” We therefore view this current volte face, as typified by the communique, as an afterthought designed to achieve selfish aggrandizement aimed at injuring and destabilize the party and render it vulnerable in the 2023 general elections in the State.”
The Statement appealed to the purveyors of the distortion of our political history, for the umpteenth time to prove to Ebonyi people where the theory of zoning arrangement on senatorial basis emanated, its implementation, which of the six gubernatorial elections so far conducted in the history of Ebonyi State that was not contested vigorously by the three senatorial districts in Ebonyi State.
It further urged the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to ignore this obviously misleading communique; and sustain the confidence of Ebonyi electorate on the party.
