The immediate- past Governor of Abia State, and the Senator representing Abia Central, Senator Theodore Orji, has explained that the reason he supported the emergence of Gov Okezie Ikpeazu as his successor in office was not to protect his personal interests contrary to insinuation in some quarters.
Orji, who made the explanations while speaking in Umuahia after he was conferred with the ‘He-ro of Equity’ award by the Abia State Correspondents Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journal-ists, said he supported Ikpeazu because he hails from Abia South zone that has been politically marginalised.
The Senator, who spoke through his Media Adviser, Don Norman Obinna, said his deep belief in justice and fair play compelled him to strongly support power shift to Abia South in line with the concept of Abia Charter of equity put in place by the founding fathers of the state.
He noted that the wisest thing to do was to support power rotation among the three senatorial zones in the state to engender peace and harmony, adding that any other thing to the contrary would have jeopardised the peace of the state.
Orji said that his belief in democracy and inclusive government rather than personal interests made him support power shift to Abia South to give the Ukwa/ Ngwa people a sense of belong-ing.
He further explained that Ikpeazu’s emergence had put paid to decades of complaint of political marginalisation by the Ukwa/ Ngwa people.
Senator Orji promised to continue to support actions that would help cement peaceful co- exist-ence of various clans in the state in the overall interest of the state.
He appealed to Abians to support the current administration to help fast track development, not-ing that distraction of the governor some political opponents are bent on is not in the interest of the people.
