By Charles Igbo
Abia State Governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, has put a lie to the claims by Senate Chief Whip, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, that he, Ikpeazu, is working for, and supporting the Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Tinubu.
Kalu made the claim Monday on a Channels Television Program.
Ikpeazu is one of the five Peoples Democratic Party Governors (the now irrelevant G5) who are at loggerheads with the leadership of the Party at the National level and its Presidential Candidate Atiku Abubakar. Led by the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, the Governors- Samuel Ortom, Benue, Okezie Ikpeazu, Abia, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Enugu, Seyi Makinde, Oyo – vowed not to participate in any National PDP activities, nor support or vote for Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
Their anger started when Wike lost the Presidential ticket to Atiku and also lost the Vice Presidential slot to the Delta State Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa. They blamed Wike’s losses on National Party Chairman, Dr Iyorchia Ayu. As a condition to participate in the Presidential Campaign, they demanded that Ayu steps down as National Chairman of the Party in favour of a Southerner for equity. They pointed out that both the National Chairman and the Presidential Candidate, should not come from same zone.
Their request was ignored by the Party. And they went all out, Wike especially, to demarket Atiku, Ayu and the Party. Wike had announced that they would name their preferred Presidential Candidate. It did not happen. They could not agree on that. Then, Wike in December, publicly, said he would announce his preferred candidate in January. Three days to the Election he has not. Instead, from behind, he shockingly went back to his vomit, and began to back APC’s Tinubu.
On Monday, Orji Kalu confirmed what has been public in the past weeks. He confirmed during his interview on Channels Television that Wike is working for Tinubu. He then added his own State Governor, Dr Ikpeazu, as also working for Tinubu.
Kalu: “Tinubu is well liked by the North, and is from the South-west, and is going to get a sizeable vote in Imo, Ebonyi, Abia, Anambra and Enugu. And, he is going to have the support of Governor Wike of Rivers State. So, we’re on track.”
On Ikpeazu’s support for Tinubu, Kalu said:
“My Governor here, Okezie Ikpeazu, will also support Tinubu.”
However, Ikpeazu has dismissed Orji Kalu’s claim as a lie.
Speaking in Aba where he went to inspect the ongoing work at Faulks Road, Ikpeazu, apparently distancing himself from Wike’s support for Tinubu said: “No member of G5 can railroad another member into supporting anyone against his will as suggested by Senator Kalu.”
Chief John Kalu, Director of Strategic Engagement, Abia State PDP Campaign Council, put it more explicitly. He dismissed Senator Kalu’s claim as mere politics.
He said that PDP, as a formidable Party, would deliver all its Candidates.
His words: “For the avoidance of doubt, Governor Ikpeazu has not endorsesed Tinubu, and will not endorse him because he is a leader, and is guided by the feelings of his people.
“PDP remains formidable, and all our candidates in the forthcoming elections hold very strong prospects of winning in Abia.” That, if he is to be believed, includes Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
