By Roland Ike, Abakaliki
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ebonyi has zoned the southern senatorial district’s ticket to Onicha LGA in its rerun fixed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for February 2024.
The seat was recently declared vacant by Senate President Godswill Akpabio after its former occupier, Chief David Umahi resigned to become the Minister of Works.
The decision becomes a spanner in the works of Umahi’s younger brother, Austin, who recently declared interest to contest. He was Director-General of the party’s campaign committee in the last general elections.
In a statement signed its state Chairman, Chief Stanley Okoro-Emegha and other State Working Committee (SWC) members, the party said it was threading the path of equity and justice.
“Nature abhors vacuum, hence the need to fill the vacant position of the district.
“The APC Leader in Ebonyi Gov. Francis Nwifuru has exemplified leadership embodied in equity and justice and such is worthy of emulation,”
The party maintained that with the current distribution of political positions in the district, only Onicha LGA has no exalted political position of honour.
“Afikpo North LGA produced the Deputy Governor and a House of Representatives member while Edda LGA produced the state party chairman.
“Ivo LGA has a House of Representatives member,
Ohaozara LGA (where the Umahis hail from) has a Minister, INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner and a Senior Special Assistant to the President.”
“Onicha LGA has none and in the spirit of equity and justice as propagated by the party’s leader, the vacant seat should be zoned to it,”
The party said that it was in total alignment with the state governor on the decision.
“The resolution of the SWC is in tandem with our leader’s philosophy of ensuring peace and peaceful coexistence in all parts of the state”, it concluded.
