Taking into consideration of the fact that equity has a strong connotation with common law, commencing its appraisal from legal parlance would be needful for clarity. To this end, equity in the technical sense is the body of legal principles established by common law while equity in the general sense depicts justice, equality and good conscience.
According to Justice Kayode Eso, “Surely, equity should not be treated as a tyrannous phenomenon threatening the law. It does not exit in vacuo or supposedly to roam about pouring water on fire of the law. Equity is not a warlord determined to do battle with law. It is part of a legal system which has been mixed with the law and the mixture is for the purpose of achieving justice”. Indeed, this judicial proposition from a renowned juristic personality no doubt lends credence to virtually all the maxims of equity that have helped in sustaining democracy in Abia State. Interestingly, few of these maxims of equity postulate that equity follows the law, equality is equity and he who must come to equity must come with clean hands.
Be that as it may, for an inquisitive mind to question the rationality of Engr Chinedum Orji becoming the Speaker for Abia 7th House will not be reprehensible if such effort is made towards ascertaining the philosophical coloration of the founding fathers before drafting the Abia Charter of Equity. In the same vein, any effort to substantiate the rationality of Abia Charter of equity cannot negate the fact that the founding fathers of Abia State aspired for a State devoid of marginalization, a State rooted in the principle of equality is equity, a State where each zone enjoys equitable interest in her political aspirations, a State with a predictable political future as well as a State her integration should be held in highest esteem alongside tribal and political leanings. In other hand, the founding fathers of Abia State neither founded a State where there will be political rancor, instability or anarchy.
Significantly, the pattern of rotation of the office of the Speaker within Abia Central Senatorial District has witnessed a peaceful transition and at the same time set up an irreversible precedent that respects the principles of equity. Apparently, those elected members nursing the ambition to seek for office of the speaker for second term, no doubt have tyrannical disposition towards the promises of equity. It is however interesting to note that, it is only Engr Chinedum Orji, amongst his chanllengers, is the candidate who has never tested the office with ‘Rt Hon’ attached to his name.
In the light of the above, defeating equity will amount destroying the principles of democracy and promote marginalization as against the aspirations of the founding fathers of dear State. In the interest of equity, it would be wise to submit that the equal hands of equity in the political clock of Abia Speakership is synonymous with this mantra: “OKEZUE ABIA CENTRAL”.
