The Abia State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has reversed its earlier decision to zone the party’s 2027 governorship ticket to Abia Central District, hours after the announcement.
In a statement on Thursday by the spokesperson of the APC in Abia State, Uche Aguoru, the party had announced the zoning of its 2027 governorship ticket in the state to Abia Central District.
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The party had said the zoning arrangement was intended to guide members and prospective aspirants in the purchase of expression of interest and nomination forms.
It further explained that the zoning was aimed at promoting equity, justice, and fairness within the party.
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“This is to notify our esteemed members and the general public in Abia State that the All Progressives Congress in Abia State has zoned its governorship ticket for the forthcoming election to Abia Central Senatorial District,” the statement read in part.
“The decision is further premised on the fact that the state chairman of the party hails from Abia North Senatorial District, while Abia South produced the immediate past governor of the state.
“It is therefore just and equitable for Abia Central to produce the next governor on the APC platform,” the statement added.
Reversal of zoning decision
In another statement on Friday, Mr Aguoru announced that the APC national leadership has reversed the decision of the State Working Committee of the party to zone its governorship ticket to Abia Central District.
The spokesperson explained that the reversal followed the review of concerns raised by unnamed APC “stakeholders and leaders” in Abia.
“Consequently, the party has directed that all zoning arrangements earlier issued by the State Working Committee be jettisoned. The party will, therefore, maintain the status quo.
“By this directive, all aspirants interested in contesting for any position from the House of Assembly, House of Representatives, Senate and governorship (seats) are hereby advised that they are free to approach the party and purchase their nomination forms before the stipulated deadline as outlined by the party,” the statement read in part.
Battle for governorship seat in Abia
The initial decision of the APC to zone the party’s 2027 governorship ticket to the Abia Central District was believed to have been orchestrated by some APC politicians to block the governorship ambition of some aspirants.
The now reversed zoning arrangement would have prevented the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, and Mascot Kalu, from taking part in the forthcoming election.
Benjamin, who represents Bende Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, is said to have a governorship ambition.
While Benjamin has yet to purchase the nomination and expression of interest forms for the APC governorship ticket, Mascot, recently obtained the forms.
Both Benjamin and Mascot come from Bende Local Government Area within the Abia North District.
Mascot is a younger brother to a former governor of Abia and the senator representing Abia North, Orji Kalu.
When the initial zoning decision was announced by the APC in Abia on Thursday, Benjamin opposed it and vowed to ensure its reversal.
“Did I hear (about the) zoning of the gubernatorial office to the (Abia) Central? Sure I didn’t hear right, it must be reversed ASAP,” the deputy speaker stated in a Facebook post earlier on Friday.
PREMIUM TIMES also gathered that Mr Kalu, the former governor, also put pressure on the APC national leadership to reverse the decision.
Meanwhile, an unwritten zoning agreement, called ‘Abia Charter of Equity,’ was said to have been reached, long ago, to balance power rotation among the three senatorial districts – Abia Central, Abia South and Abia North.
The arrangement began with Mr Kalu in 1999, from Abia North, who governed the state for eight years.
He handed over to his former chief of staff, Theodore Orji from Abia Central District who also governed for eight years, before handing over to Okezie Ikpeazu, from Abia South District.
Before the Abia 2023 governorship election, major political parties in the state, the then-ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the APC, zoned their governorship tickets to the Abia Central District in compliance with the zoning arrangement.
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While the PDP picked Okey Ahaiwe from Isiala Ngwa North Local Government Area within Abia Central District, the APC picked Ikechi Emenike, from Umuahia North within the same Abia Central District.
The candidate of the Labour Party in the election, Alex Otti, won the poll. He hails from Abia Central District.
If the governor is re-elected in the forthcoming election, his second and final four-year term will elapse by May 2031, although he has yet to declare his interest to seek re-election.
By the zoning arrangement in the state, Abia Central District is expected to produce a governor again in 2027 for another four-year term.
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