With the battle for the Abia State governorship seat for 2023 drawing nearer, former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Emma Nwaka on Tuesday, February 15, 2023, declared his intention to govern the state from May 2023.
Nwaka, who was the chairman of the PDP from 2011 to 2015, declared his intention at the party secretariat where he served as chairman under the tenure of the immediate past governor of the state, Senator Theodore Orji.
Speaking at the multi purposes hall of the party, venue of the event, Senator Nwaka whose campaign theme is, “Here Am I Send Me”, said it was a year ago he began to aspire to the number one job of the state.
Said he at the event, “I meditated long and hard on the idea before broaching it to my family; after praying about it, the consensus was that given my political pedigree, there was nothing wrong if I chose to give it a shot.
“So the decision to throw my hat in the ring is entirely mine and not at the prompting of any individual or group. In the course of my consultations, I have however gathered endorsements from groups and persons I hold in very high esteem.
“But being a thoroughbred party man, I know that without the endorsement of the political party to which I belong, my aspiration will amount to no more than wistful thinking.
“And the last time I checked, I found out that our political system has no provision for independent candidacy. Therefore, no amount of grandstanding on the social media will deliver the ticket to me or anyone else”.
Dr Alwell Asiforo Okere, the State Chairman of the party, while receiving him, described Senator Nwaka’s aspiration as one in the right direction, assuring him that the Abia State chapter of PDP will conduct free and fair primaries in 2023 in the state where all the aspirants will be given a level playing ground.
Okere tasked the aspirant to consult widely as a true man, saying whether he gets it or not, he should continue to show loyalty and support to the Peoples Democratic Party at all times.
The former Military Administrator of Cross River State, Navy Commander Chris Osondu rtd, who also spoke at the occasion, urged the party to ensure that its primaries are rancour free, pointing that leaders of PDP, the executive should treat all the candidates as members of the same family.
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.
