A public affairs analyst, Dr. Eberechi Ubani, says the March 11 governorship election in Abia State is between Mascot Uzor Kalu of the Action Peoples Party (APP) and Okey Ahiwe of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Ubani in a chat with newsmen on Friday evening ruled out the chances of a former Managing Director of Diamond Bank and governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Alex Otti and his Young Progressives Party (YPP) counterpart, Engr. Enyinnaya Nwafor, describing them as pretenders.
Ubani said: “The Obi factor is gone. It is difficult to define the zone Otti is running under; is it Abia North or Central? People are not comfortable with his vindictive personality which is also working against him. The Church is against him. So who is with him? It is going to be very difficult for him on the 11th of March compared to Ahiwe who is a Catholic with his Ngwa brothers backing him.
“In Abia North, Mascot Uzor Kalu of the APP is running with the help of Reality Organization and OUK Movement. The Church is behind him and his deputy who is an Anglican from Ukwa. The realignment in Old Bende is working effectively for him with a rich financial war chest. I see the governorship race to be a tight one between APP of old Bende and PDP of old Aba zone.”
Recall that the president of Lord-Side Interdenominational Assembly (LIA), Rev. Caleb Akuma, had urged Abians to reject any governorship candidate who is an Adventist ahead of the March 11, 2023 governorship election in Abia State.
Akuma said: “It is time to elect someone who is not an Adventist because Ikpeazu has failed Abians. We need a Catholic or any other outside an Adventist who would have a good understanding with the Church for an accelerated development of the state. Therefore, in 2023, it will be a government of the people, for the people and and by the people. We will not allow anyone hide under Peter Obi to emerge as the next governor of Abia State,” the pastor said in a press briefing on Tuesday evening in Umuahia.
When asked on why the Church was interested in who emerges as the next governor of Abia State, Akuma said: “Christians need to be involved because we believe in a God who cares passionately about his world and his creation, and consequently how it is run. The Bible is hugely political – in that it is about how God wants people to behave and act towards him, and towards each other. This involves economics and law because these are tools that need to be used to build justice. So often it is injustice which dominates God’s world and this grieves Him.
“As believers in God we have much to bring to politics – a deeper commitment to justice and compassion which throughout history has made a difference in the political sphere. So, it is important we play a good role in who emerges as President, Governor and Council Chairman. We must look towards Abia North to elect a vibrant Governor for the State to move forward. We once had a governor to gave Abians free education, free medicals and paid salaries and pensions. What then happened that we cannot do those things today? The Church has spoken with one voice, it’s going to be a Catholic from Abia North in 2023.”
Akuma also slammed Governor Okezie Ikpeazu for grounding economic activities in the State on Saturdays because of his religious affiliation, adding that “most Abians were disfranchised in the presidential election last Saturday because Ikpeazu wanted INEC officials to observe Sabbath before the elections,” he said.
