The issue of political party of Dr Uche Ogah, the Gubernatorial Candidate of APC in Abia State and the Ngwa question

By Monday Onyekachi Ubani

I must dispassionately address the issue of “party” which some people have genuinely expressed concerns about. Their concerns range from the allegation that APC is not a popular party in the East and as such may not be favourable to Dr Uche Ogah OON who is generally loved by Abians to the allegation that APC is a Moslem party. You wonder what they will tag PDP with a Moslem presidential candidate also! Many of those who sincerely believe and trust Dr Ogah as the best candidate for the seat, express their wish that it would have been better if he had joined another party other than APC. 
I debunk this wrong notion with these superior argument here under:
1. Those that hold the above view that Dr Uche Ogah should have run under a different platform are mostly our brothers and sisters who are outside Abia State. The truth of the matter is that at present, many Abians who are at home, do not care or mind the political platform that Dr Uche Ogah is employing to actualize his desires for the State. The brand “Uche Ogah of Masters Energy” is the best brand they know that Abia needs at this time of their history.
2. The Abians have tasted one political party for over nineteen years and have come to the conclusion that satisfaction is far away from them. To them it is only a mad man that does the same thing and expect a different result. The leaders who have governed Abia State all these years came from PDP and what they brought to Abia is misery, poverty, under development, hatred, hostility, division, stealing and diversion of state resources to friends, families, cronies and to their private pockets, and it will be unwise to continue on that same dangerous path.
3. Dr Uche Ogah’s personal profile of philanthropy, large heart, simplicity, competence and ability to develop Aba into a mega city for industrial and commercial hub qualifies him more for their VOTES than any other consideration.
4. It is on record that Dr Uche Ogah used his personal resources to turn Onuaku his village into a city, the people believe that such an individual with state funds can turn ABIA STATE INTO THE MOST BEAUTIFUL AND HABITABLE STATE WITH ECONOMIC PROSPERITY AS A PRIORITY because of his love and commitment to his people. 
5. THE ABIANS HAVE THEREFORE DECIDED THAT THE PARTY UNDER WHICH DR UCHE OGAH OON RUNS FOR THE GOVERNORSHIP POSITION WILL CERTAINLY NOT BE A HINDRANCE BUT AN IMPETUS TO HIM TO ACTUALIZE HIS DREAMS AND DESIRES FOR GOD’s OWN STATE! 

THE NGWA QUESTION AND CHARTER OF EQUITY

Again, another argument is that “this is the turn” of the Ngwas to complete their eight years tenure and as such, Dr Uche Ogah should hold on and allow an Ngwa man to run the whole hog of his tenure before handing over to an Abian from another zone. Beautiful as that argument sounds, it has several pitfalls to the health and total wellbeing of the entire Abians taking into account the performance so far of Gov. Ikpeazu who is an Ngwa man:

1. Historically no time has the issue of zoning being the determinant factor where leadership emerges from in Abia. Trace it from the time of Ogbonnaya Onu to the present position and let us get the sequence of the zoning formula in the emergence of those that have governed Abia till date. You will notice that none had ever existed. 
2. The advantages of zoning, if any, have never manifested with the leaders that have governed Abia. For instance Ex Governor T.A. Orji comes from Umuahia and he was the governor for eight solid years and the evidence on ground is that Umuahia and its environs were left more in ruins than under any leadership that have superintended over Abia. The present governor of Abia is from Ngwa and the truth of the matter is that Ngwas are gnashing their teeth presently more than under any regime that have existed in Abia. The Latin maxim of “Nemo dat quod non habet” applies here aptly( no one can give what he does not have). Good governance knows no tribe, religion or gender.
3. It is said in politics that “one good turn deserves another”, conversely one bad turn does not deserve another. For the past three and half years, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu has displayed his total ability in governance and we have seen that his “best” is not good enough for the state of Abia. To have Okezie Ikpeazu for another four years is to completely annihilate Abia, God forbid! The best option is to get the MAN that is prepared, ready, competent and motivated to rescue ABIA FROM RUINS!.
4. It is unethical, unconstitutional and illogical to continue to insist on running a tribal and zonal government to the detriment of the health and well being of the whole state. Okezie Ikpeazu is a disaster! Abians are now wiser and have decided to chart a better and logical path for themselves by choosing merit over mediocrity.
5. It is not about Ngwa man or woman running Abia, but the ability of having an Abian that will enthrone good governance all over the State. If for three and half years, an Ngwa man in the person of Dr Okezie Ikpeazu have not tidied up ABA, ALL ABIANS SHOULD KNOW AND HAVE KNOWN THAT IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH HAVING NGWA MAN AS GOVERNOR, IT HAS TO DO WITH HAVING A COMPETENT, PREPARED, COMMITTED MAN LIKE DR UCHE OGAH OON FOR THE JOB.
6. A TRIAL Of having Dr Uche Ogah in 2019 as a governor in Abia State will certainly convince Abians that Abia nwere madu in the person of Dr Uche Sampson Ogah OON. Ka Uche Chukwu mee N’Abia State in Jesus name, amen!

*Ubani , a Lagos lawyer, is former Vice President II, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).