Abaribe, Nkwonta, Wabara and battle for Abia South

Three candidates-Enyinnaya Abaribe (Peoples Democratic Party) (PDP), Chris Nkwonta (All Progressives Grand Alliance) (APGA) and Marc Wabara (All Proressives Congress) (APC) – are contesting for the Senate in Abia South District. Who wins? Group Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU examines their chances at the poll and issues that will shape the exercisse.

THREE politicians are contesting for the Senate in Abia South District. They are popular in the zone. They have made their marks in their chosen fileds. Now, they want to test their popularity at the poll.

Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe got a return to fly the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ticket  for the fourth time. Business mogul Chief Chris Nkwonta, is the flagbearer of the the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA).  Chief Marc Wabara is the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Abia South District is made up of six councils. They are Obingwa, Aba South, Aba North, Ugwunagbo, Ukwa West and Ukwa East.

According to stakeholders, there is an unwritten rotation agreement between the Ngwa and Ukwa blocs. Former Senate President Adolphus Wabara, who hails from Ukwa East Council, represented Abia South between 1999 to 2007. His successor is  Abaribe, who has been elected thrice.  This is why the people of Ukwa are complaining that Abaribe’s fourth term agenda is in conflict with the rotational principle. To them, Ukwa is being marginalised. But, Abaribe’s supporters believe that he has the right to always seek re-election.

Wabara may have the financial war chest. But, he is not perceived as a threat to either the PDP or APGA.

But, Abaribe and Nkwonta are in a familiar terrain. The two gladiators  had clashed during the 2015 senatorial poll, which Abaribe won. Although Nkwonta went to the court to challenge Abaribe’s victory, the verdict was not reversed.

Many were taken aback at the outcome. The APGA candidate was leading his opponent, based on 30,000 votes he got from five councils. But, the voves from Obingwa, Abaribe’s home council, upturned the figures.

To Abaribe’s suporters, he won because people appreciated his legislative experience, pragmatism and quality leadership, which he exhibited in the National Assembly. But, a constituent, Solomon Adindu, disagreed, saying that the victory was  “facilitated by the critical actors of the political process.” He said voters will be more vigilant and protect their votes in future elections.

Quest for equity and fairplay

The Ukwa bloc is not happy over  Abaribe’s fourth term agenda, which to the sub-ethnic group, is contrary to the  ‘unwritten agreement’ between it and Ngwa.

The PDP ticket is a bone of contention. Ukwa leaders including the Commissioner for Energy, Asiforo Okere; PDP publicity secretary, Sir Don Ubani; Chairman, ASOPADEC, Chief Sam Nwogu; Commissioner for Transport Chief Chinedum Elechi; Special Adviser Solomon Ogunji; state lawmaker representing Ukwa West Constituency, Tony Mezie Nwaubani, and chairmen of Ukwa East and Ukwa West councils, Lewis Obianyi and  Goodluck Nwobiwe, have maintained that the seat should be zoned to Ukwa.

They said Ukwa people will neither support nor identify with any person from outside Ukwa, who aspires to the seat in 2019. To underscore the importance they attach to their agitation, the stakeholders who are all members of the PDP said the agitation to produce a senator is no longer a party affair.

In their communique after a meeting, they said: “If the leadership of PDP at the appropriate levels shows insensitivity to the legitimate concerns of  Ukwa-East and Ukwa-West, it should be ready to bear the consequences.

“The senatorial seat of Abia-South should be zoned to Ukwa (Asa and Ndoki). Ukwa people will neither support nor identify with any person from outside Ukwa, who aspires to the seat in 2019.

“In the three senatorial districts of Abia State, it is only in Abia South that there is Ukwa/Ngwa. Any society that has no respect for equity would certainly experience a disastrous termination.

“In a senatorial district that is made up of two distinct groups of indigenous peoples, there is no way it could be explained that the governor of such a state would come from one of the two groups and at the same time a senator from the same group that is on the verge of completing a third tenure of four years; making 12 consecutive years, would be desperately canvassing for a fourth tenure.

“As at today, the Ukwa/Ngwa has produced the governor , a sitting senator and the Speaker of the  House of Assembly. The three are of Ngwa extraction. None of them is from Ukwa.  This insensitivity and humiliating imbalance in the distribution of key positions in Ukwa/Ngwa have offended the sensibilities of the peoples of Ukwa.”

A politician from Obingwa Council, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Abaribe’s 12 years at the Senate has not brought any development to the zone. He said the senator should explain what he has done with constituency project funds.

He added: “It amazes me when Senator Abaribe posits that he is a defender of the Igbo race for the single fact that he stood surety for Nnamdi Kanu when he is neither an IPOB member nor moved any motion for a referendum, which is the cardinal demand of IPOB at the Senate. He just wants to use the name of IPOB and its leader to return for a fourth term.

“If Senator Abaribe is supporting the Biafra cause as he claims let him support the referendum as chairman of Southeast Caucus.”

Abaribe:

Abaribe is a household name in Abia. He is a former deputy governor. He is a former university leader. he has grassroots support. He is one of the esteemed PDP leaders.

Abaribe, who hails from Obingwa council, became a senator in 2007. At the recent primary, he beat his rivals- Emeka Stanley and Dr. Solomon Ogunji from Ukwa; and former Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ikechi  Mgboji from Aba South Council.

Abaribe won the heart of many people in the zone when he stood surety for Kanu last year. His re-election campaign has been hinged on the  defence of Igbo race.

IPOB has a strong support base in Abia, especially in Aba, which is part of Abia South. But, how that will translate into a political capital for the senator is not clear. The IPOB leader has warned his members against participating in any electoral process. Besides, the group has been proscribed by the Federal Government.

Some people have alleged that Abaribe has not attracted enough developmental projects to the zone. Abia South is one enclave of poverty and infrastructural decay. They lament that the Aba-Ikot Ekpene Roa, which links the commercial town of Aba to Ikot Ekpene in Akwa Ibom State, has been in a dilapidated condition for over 10 years. This has affected commerce.

Nkwonta:

NKwonta is a successful businessman from Akwete in Ukwa East Council. This is his third attempt at seeking election. In 2011, he aspired to represent the district, but his ambition hit the rock. Despite the overwhelming support he enjoyed,  he was prevailed upon by the party leadership to step down to enable Abaribe go for a second term. In 2015, the coast was almost clear for  Nkwonta in the PDP, until Abaribe was asked to go for a third term. The people of Ukwa cried foul, saying the third term bid violated the zoning principle existing between it and Ngwa.

Nwonta was not discouraged by the turn of events. He took solace in the loyalty of his supporters to his cause. Nkwonta’s philanthropy has endeared him to the people of the zone. To his fans, he is contesting next years’s election on the strength of popular goodwill. Sources said PDP senatorial aspirants, including Dr. Solomn Ogunji and Chief Emeka Stanley, who lost at the primary, may join forces with Nkwonta in the interest of Ukwa.

According to a source,  meetings are being held on Abaribe’s chances and how to  checkmate Nkwonta, who is perceived as a threat.

He said: “We in the PDP know that  the battle is not going to be easy for us. The APC is not our problem, no matter who the party fields. Our major challenge is the APGA candidate, Chief Chris Nkwonta, because he is a formidable opponent.”