A governorship aspirant on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Abia State, Chief Onugu-Kalu Ogba, has assured the people of the state of a government that would prioritise welfare, security of lives and property, youth empowerment and industrialisation.
Ogba, who spoke with journalists in Abuja, said the time had come for the people of the state to enjoy the true dividends of democracy, which he noted had eluded them over the years due to poor leadership and bad governance.
He also expressed confidence in securing the PDP governorship ticket ahead of other aspirants, citing the zoning arrangement in the state and the need for power to shift to Abia North Senatorial District in 2027.
The aspirant, who hails from Ohafia in Abia North, argued that it would be in the best interest of the PDP to zone its governorship ticket to the North, stressing that the zone possesses the population strength needed to win elections.
According to him, with the incumbent governor, Dr Alex Otti, from Abia South and the immediate past governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, equity and fairness demand that power should rotate to Abia North.
“I am in this race because of the urgent need to rescue Abia State from the clutches of bad leadership. Since the creation of the state, we have not been fortunate with leaders. What we have had are self-centred individuals masquerading as leaders,” he said.
Ogba further criticised the current administration in the state, alleging that its achievements were exaggerated through social media propaganda.
“Those who are not in the state are being deceived with social media propaganda, but when you get to the state, you will discover that there is nothing spectacular about the administration of Governor Alex Otti,” he stated.
He maintained that he stands the best chance of clinching the PDP ticket and winning the governorship election for the party.
“In Abia, there are three senatorial zones. The incumbent governor is from Abia South, the immediate past governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, is from Abia South, while Senator Theodore Orji is from Abia Central. Therefore, Abia North has not been given the opportunity since after the administration of Senator Orji Uzor Kalu,” he added.
Speaking on his plans for the state if elected governor, Ogba said his administration would focus on youth empowerment through the creation of opportunities in small and medium-scale enterprises.
He also listed education, security, science and technology development as key pillars of his proposed administration.
“We have the youths in our programme. We want to create opportunities for them because many Abia youths graduate and leave the state for Abuja and Lagos in search of greener pastures.
“We need to create opportunities that will enable Abia youths to remain in the state and succeed. The youths are the major force driving this campaign and this new agenda. It is a new mindset and a new direction aimed at moving Abia forward,” he said.
Ogba further pledged to industrialise the state by harnessing its untapped natural and economic resources.
“There are many resources in Abia that have not been tapped. Successive governments failed to pay attention to them because they may not yield immediate profits.
“But governance is not about personal gains as governor; it is about building for the future and creating investments that tomorrow’s leaders can build upon for prosperity,” he concluded.
