• As Abia PDP Passes Vote Of Confidence On The Governor

Abia State Governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, has pledged to be guided by the people’s choice and his party’s decision in his decision on who to back as his successor in office come 2023.

He made the pledge at an extraordinary meeting of the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party.

The extraordinary meeting of the party’s executives, Wednesday 16, March 2022, passed a vote of confidence on Governor Ikpeazu.

The meeting at the International Conference Centre, Umuahia featured members of the State Working Committee, State Executive Committee Members, among others.

While making the pledge, Ikpeazu said it is Abia PDP that will choose its gubernatorial candidate.

Ikpeazu therefore pledged to ensure that the gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the state “emerges through the decision of the party.”

At the meeting, the PDP leaders, in turn, commended “the decision of the State Governor that the leadership of the party and all the ward chapters will participate in charting a direction towards the emergence of a worthy flag bearer.”

Ikpeazu had told the party executives that he benefitted from the decision of the party twice and would not stand in the way of the party in exercising a similar choice for his successor.

Ikpeazu said, “I affirm that the choice of the people and the party is my choice. I am a democrat brought up and elevated by the choice and decision of our party members. You are the ones to make the choice. I can only provide guidance and counsel. I respect the supremacy of the party and the voice of the majority,” he said.

Abia State Chairman of the PDP, Dr. Alwell Asiforo Okere, and the State Secretary, Barr Iro David, disclosed the decisions in a communique issued on Wednesday in Umuahia.

Participants at the meeting were members of the State Working Committee, State Executive Committee Members, Local Government Executive Committee Members of the Party and Principal Officers of the 184 wards in the State.

Ikpeazu’s declaration comes as party faithful and other stakeholders in Abia State politics had awaited his direction on how his successor will emerge.

This is because of the contentions on representation based on the Abia Charter of Equity or the zoning formula to adopt.

The Abia PDP leaders pledged to work harmoniously and “mobilise all party resources to work for the success of our party’s candidate at the general election come 2023”.

The PDP leaders also passed a vote of confidence on Governor Ikpeazu “for his giant strides in the state”.

The strides, according to the PDP leaders, include “outstanding improvements in Foreign Direct Investments as captured by the records of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS)” and “for his ability to make Abia State the West African hub for Small and Medium Enterprises”.