Former Minister of State for Health, Engr. Fidelis Nwankwo, has urged stakeholders and leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Ebonyi State, to obey and implement rotation of the governorship seat, which started from the northern part of the state in 1999.
InfoStride News gathered that Ebonyi is made up of three senatorial zones; north, central and south and rotation of governorship started from the north, which had Sam Egwu as the first civilian governor, then followed by central zone, which had Martin Elechi and finally, David Umahi, from southern zone.
Nwankwo, who served as a minister under President Goodluck Jonathan, made this known while speaking with journalists in Abakaliki capital of Ebonyi State on Sunday.
He said that Ebonyi is a PDP state, and that after David Umahi, the rotation of governorship in the three senatorial zones will be completed, and stressed the need of allowing Ebonyi North to produce the next governor, hence that’s where it started.
He urged stakeholders from other senatorial zones who are nursing the ambition to contest for governorship in the forthcoming 2023 elections to desist, asking them to respect the zoning formula for the sake of equity, fairness and peace of the state.
Nwankwo, who equally served as the Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, in the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and a chieftain of PDP, has expressed interest to contest for governorship in the forthcoming 2023 general elections.
According to him: “let me talk as it concerns the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, where I belong. Some people may argue that the rotation of governorship is not written as a rule in the book of PDP. But, since after 1999, if you observe carefully, you know that it started from Ebonyi North Senatorial zone.
“A sequence has been established, and that sequence has to be maintained. Nobody has argued to the contrary with good reasons. The first civilian governor, Sam Egwu has made it clear on many occasions that it is the turn of Ebonyi North Senatorial zone to produce the next governor of the state, because that’s where it all started.
“He was supported by the former governor, Martin Elechi and the chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Ebonyi State chapter, Rev. Fr. Abraham Nwali.
“The leaders had said that, for the peace and unity of the state to be maintained, Ebonyi North should be allowed to produce the next governor of the state. The statements of these notable former governors have not been challenged by any person,” he said.
The former minister further noted that Ebonyi North had sacrificed much and had waited for the past 16 years, adding that nothing will stop Ebonyi North senatorial zone from producing the next governor of the state.
He, however, called on security agencies to intensify efforts to crackdown on hoodlums that may attempt to cause any crisis in the three senatorial zones of the state, ahead of the 2023 general elections.
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