Following the sudden death of Mazi Enyinnaya Harbor, the Abia State Chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in December 2021, the party on Saturday, January 8, 2022, unanimously elected former general manager, Risk Management of Spring Bank Plc, Dr. Kingsley Ononogbu as its new Chairman.
The office became vacant last December following the death of Harbor, who was elected into the office during the State Congress of the party earlier in October last year.
Announcing the result in Umuahia, the state capital, during a Special Congress on Saturday, the Special Congress Committee Chairman, Hon Kolawole Babatunde, stated that Ononogbu, who was the sole candidate, polled 1,067 votes out of 1,075 cast.
According to the two-term former federal lawmaker from Ondo State, there were 1,085 delegates to the congress out of which 1,080 were accredited with eight void votes recorded.
Fielding questions from newsmen after announcing the result, Babatunde noted that the exercise was fair and transparent; pointing out that it was directed by the leadership of the party under the chairmanship of Governor Mai Mala Bunu of Yobe State.
In his acceptance speech, Ononogbu expressed appreciation to the delegates and the entire members of the party for finding him worthy of occupying the party especially with the general election less than 13 months away.
.The new chairman, who also served as Chief Inspector, Citizens Bank Plc, called for support of the members of APC as well as Abia residents in order to take the state to the nest level of success.
While paying tributes to his predecessor, Ononogbo described Harbor as a very honest, committed and sincere leader, saying that the party owes him a duty of ensuring that the party succeeds and becomes victorious in the next election.
Similarly, the former publicity secretary of the party, Comrade Benedict Godson said all dissenting voices that rose after the last primaries have been silenced because the two parallel groups have been harmonized.
Godson, who led four officers produced by the parallel state congress conducted by the former executive committee of the party to the congress, added that its prospect of victory in next year’s election remains high.
Others who spoke at the occasion include The Deputy Chief Whip of the House of Representatives, Rep Nkiruka Onyejeocha representing Umunneochi/Isuikwuato Federal Constituency and a chieftain of the party in the state, Barr Friday Nwosu, commended the national leadership f the party for free and fair congress.
Uche Nwosu is a two time Shell Petroleum PLC award winner in the year 2000;
He won the Shell Award on Investigative Journalism and Environmental Cleanliness.
