SDP revokes
supports for Governor
Ikpeazu
The Abia State chapter of Social Democratic Party (SDP) has
lambasted the chairmen of the party in the seventeen local government area of
the state over purported adoption of the Peoples Democratic Party gubernatorial
candidate and the incumbent Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, as the SDP sole candidate
for the March 9 governorship poll in the state.
The party disclosed that its leadership in the state had
already taken decision to sweep them (the chairmen) away over alleged
incompetence, and inability to deliver SDP in their various units and wards in
the just-concluded 2019 Presidential and National elections.
Recall that on Tuesday, the spokesman of the 17 SDP LGA
chairmen, Mr. Chijioke Ozems, while addressing newsmen others at NUJ Abia press
centre in Umuahia, stated that their adoption was based on the need to have peace
in the state, which according to him, can only be achieved if equity is
maintained by allowing Ikpeazu to finish his second term.
Reacting in a press conference held on Tuesday evening, at
the State SDP secretariats, in Umuahia, Hon. Chidi Nwosu, the Abia State
chairman of the party reaffirmed Dame Blessing Nwagba as the gubernatorial
candidate of the party, stating that the party remained intact and would not
succumb to whims and caprices of the PDP in aligning for the forthcoming polls.
His words, “The SDP as a party cannot be said, not to be on
the front line of liberating state. The Social Democratic Party, Abia state, is
not aware and not to our knowledge that some of our local government chairmen
can posture the way they have.
“Secondly, our governorship candidate is steadily, fastly
and committed to the race of being the governor of Abia State, come March 9. In
fact, we held a meeting and reviewed the performances and stances of the party
after February 23 presidential and National Assembly elections. We found most
of the LGA chairmen, very very incompetent, because, they could not deliver.
“Most of them could not even present results sheets from the
various units where elections held in the three senatorial districts of Abia,
in the 184 wards and the 4,062 units as announced by INEC.
“The State leadership of SDP was already taking a decision
to sweep them away for non performances. And if what they have done is to jump
out through the window, they have done that hastily. I am unequivocally restating
that SDP Abia State is still intact, well committed to lifting the state from
the doldrums.
“If marriage is something that could go by, with a very
handsome man going to marry very ugly woman. The PDP is a failing party. Their
performances in the just concluded presidential and national Assembly elections
is a proof, we know what their scorecards is like.
“Can we also think of aligning with an administration that
has failed Abians. Not at all, SDP cannot. Anybody who is doing that, is doing
that for a spoon of porridge. And I heard that the state governor has promised
to give those people one million naira each. And I’m asking the governor,
instead of giving one million naira each to non performing SDP LGA chairmen, he
should use that money to redirect to unpaid pensioners.”