Guber poll: Otti, Ogah dare Ikpeazu in Abia

There is palpable tension and anxiety in Abia state ahead of Saturday’s Governorship and state House of Assembly elections. Sam Obinna Ibe writes.

Tension

There is palpable tension in the air as to who may be the lucky winners to the plum office of the 36 states of the federation perhaps excluding some of the states as Anambra, Ekiti and Osun etc whose tenures are yet to expire.

In deed Nigerians will tomorrow go to the polls in the Governorship/State House of Assembly elections, Abia state will no doubt join others to choose who governs the state in the emerging political dispensation.

30 candidates one office

There were about 30 governorship candidates from various political parties that the Independent National Electoral Commission screened and published their names to contest 2019 governorship election in Abia state.

But about 25 of them are said to be pretenders allegedly because some did not even have fund to print posters, not to talk affording billboards. Some do not have personal cars, campaign office in the state capital, neither have they even been campaigning nor able to grant media interviews. Yet they are governorship candidates of registered political parties.

Five real office seekers

A week today, there were about five of them that could be regarded as serious contenders but with stepping down of the Accord Party governorship candidate, Barrister Emeka Uwakolam for Dr Alex Otti of All Progressives Grand Alliance, the battle is now narrowed down to four.

This means that the candidates of PDP and the incumbent Governor Okezie Victor Ikpeazu, APGA candidate, Dr Alex Otti, Dr Sampson Uchechukwu Ogah of the APC and Mrs Blessing Nwagba of the SDP.

Even among the four, political commentators in the state regard the SDP Guber candidate as an outsider, leaving Ikpeazu, Otti and Ogah as serious contenders and it is likely that any of the three could become the next Governor of Abia state shortly after this Saturday’s epic election.

 However, as it stands today, nobody can say for sure who among the strong three would eventually emerge victorious even though they all have claimed that they are heading to the podium. But the truth of the matter is that there is apprehension in some quarters. Every of these candidates live in the fear of the unknown, which also underscores the appeals and sentiments been whip by candidates to the voters.

We shall take a cursory glance at each of the big three; their chances, strengths and weaknesses.

Okezie Ikpeazu

As for the PDP candidate, Dr Okezie IKpeazu, the incumbent governor is highly favoured to retain his seat given the power of incumbency at his disposal. Being from Abia South Senatorial District, there is strong clamour from the people of the area that Ikpeazu should be allowed to complete his second term just as former governors as: Orji Uzor Kalu from Abia North and T A Orji from Abia Central did respectively.

Besides, there is this claim that the PDP is firmly rooted in Abia state and has the capacity to determine who rules the state. The state party chairman, Sir Johnson Onuigbo has told anyone who cares to listen that Abia is a PDP state and that Governor Ikpeazu has done well so far and he would retain his position. He says the party does not entertain any fear at all.

But besides, political observers in the state are of the opinion that non-payment of salaries and pensions as when due would count against him. This is one item that his opponents are using as a campaign tools.

Again, opposition parties have contended that the PDP government has not done enough to guarantees it second tenure. Emeka Uwakolam, the governorship candidate of Accord party has accused the PDP government in the state of orchestrating poverty in Abia.

Alex Otti

Dr Alex Otti of the All Progressives Grand Alliance came second in the 2015 governorship election in addition to winning 11 seats out of 24 members of Abia House of Assembly.

He is loved by Abians for his great intellect and ability to speak effortlessly on any given issue. As a former managing director of Diamond Bank, Otti had since his first entry into the murky waters of Abia politics has demonstrated uncommon love for the state and has equally been embraced by the people.

In fact, he has been able to convince them that he has what it takes to take the state to greater heights if elected. During the just concluded governorship debates, Otti dazzled the participants who can’t wait for the D Day to vote him to power.

While some candidates were selective of what debate to participate in, the APGA governorship candidate attended all of them to the applause of Abians and residents alike. Supporters of APGA have repeatedly asked if he will be able to protect votes cast for him this time around unlike in the past. They say this may after all be his greatest drawback.

Nonetheless, he remains one of the strongest contenders favoured to win the governorship election. Besides, his party has mass appeal from the people, who see the party as an Igbo party.

Uche Ogah

Dr Uche Sampson Ogah of the APC is another strong governorship candidate who is also highly favoured to win the race regardless of how Abia people would vote. The Uturu Isuikwato-born business mogul turned politician has demonstrated capacity to lead.

Ogah’s philanthropic gestures have endeared him to many Abians who are now rooting for him and are ready to lend support for his ambition to govern Abia in the next political dispensation.

He contested 2015 PDP primary election and came second after eventual winner, Dr Okezie IKpeazu. He defected to the APC along with his supporters. And with the likes of former governor, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu and other heavy weight politicians who left PDP to join forces with Ogah in the APC, he too has the clout and huge followership.

However, commentators are won’t to say that Ogah is tipped as a replacement to the incumbent governor if relapses. However, Ogah is from Abia North senatorial district, is said to have come from a zone that had produced a governor before for eight years. The zone did this through Orji Uzor Kalu. This could count against him.

Nonetheless, the preponderance of Abians are yearning for his candidature, this seems to evoke some elements of fears in some quarters. Going by the current postings in the social media Ogah is indebted to the tune of #50 billion and his emergence would return the state the grip of godfatherism.

The argument is rife that electing Ogah would mean returning the state again to the control of Orji Uzor Kalu’s political dynasty. Some would rather that dynasty that had been relegated to the background should in that position.

From the foregoing, it is obvious that come Saturday one of these three strong governorship candidates would eventually emerge the winner of 2019 election. Will it be IKpeazu of PDP, Otti of Apga or Ogah of APC? We wait to see.

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Nonetheless, he remains one of the strongest contenders favoured to win the governorship election. Besides, his party has mass appeal from the people, who see the party as an Igbo party.

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