By CHARLES IWUOHA

A former Commissioner for Information and State Orientation in Ebonyi State, Chief Abia Onyike, has disagreed with politicians clamouring for the zonning of governorship seat in the state.

Onyike who on Tuesday broke down on the political journey of the state so far from 1999 till now, started that such idea could lead to political instability across the three senatorial zones.

“In a democracy, all voices are allowed to ventilate their feelings. My message to all politicians and leaders is that they should moderate their actions and utterances with a modicum of responsibility. Those who ignore the lessons of history are bound to repeat it or in the long run, are often ignored by history itself,” he said.

A statement he issued in Abakaliki, the chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), stressed that such could remind the people of old Abakaliki and Afikpo blocs the unresolved issues surrounding the Ebonyi Charter of Equity.

“Just last week, some Elders of Ebonyi South zone met and made a vigorous argument that the Ebonyi Charter of Equity is yet to be implemented as envisioned by the Founding Fathers of the state,” Onyike said.

According to the press statement, the Charter was drafted and documented but not signed. It was based on a gentleman agreement that power shall rotate between Abakaliki and Afikpo blocks.

“According to them, when Ebonyi State was created on 1st October, 1996, Abakaliki had six LGAs while Afikpo had four LGAs. Later on, three new LGAs were created, namely Ebonyi, Ezza North and Ivo. So, Abakaliki had eight while Afikpo became five. Abakaliki was later split into two Senatorial districts.

“In the current debate over the zoning of the Governorship seat, echoes of Ebonyi Charter of Equity have started to rent the air. As someone who was active in the last stanza of Ebonyi State Movement (1994-96), I was privy to certain meetings where efforts were made by the Leaders of the Movement to have the Ebonyi Charter of Equity endorsed, so as to become a working document. But that did not materialize.

“In the last two meetings held at the residences of Chief Anthony Ekoh in Abakaliki and Chief Chris Nwankwo in Enugu in January/February, 1996, the leaders agreed on virtually everything but could not append their signatures to the draft on the Charter of Equity which was painstakingly produced by the Committee which included Chief Barr. Okeagu Ogada, Chief Hyacinth Ikpo, etc.

“So, Ebonyi State Movement with Chief Martin Elechi as Chairman and Dr. Ikechukwu Igbo as Secretary, managed to secure the creation of the state with the powerful inputs and influence of other prominent sons and daughters of Ebonyi such as late Ezeogo Dr. Akanu Ibiam, Dr. Offia Nwali, Sen. Chief Chris Nwankwo, Sen. Andrew Nwankwo, Chief Francis Oji, Chief Anthony Ekoh, Dr. Agom Eze, Osuu S.C.Oduko, Dr Chigozie Ogbu, Dr. Emmanuel Oko Isu, Chief Lawrence Nwuruku, Chief Frank Nchita Ogbuewu, Dr. Selina Oko, Dr. Mrs. Uche Azikiwe, Princess Alu Ibiam, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, S.O.Mgbada, Chief Aja Nwachukwu, Chief Henry Ude( Ajimbest), etc.

“Though the document on the Charter of Equity was not endorsed, there was an agreement that if Abakaliki became the capital of the new state, the first civilian Governor would come from Afikpo block. However, when the state was created with Abakaliki as capital, new political maneuvers took over,” Onyike said.

He argued that although “two former Governors, Sen. Sam Egwu and Chief Martin Elechi have been reported to support a return to Ebonyi North zone, from where the zoning arrangement started in 1999”, adding that “politics is not as straight forward as mathematics.”

Continuing, he said: “But Sen. Obinna Ogba, in his new year press conference on 1st January, 2022 opined that the zoning arrangement cannot be seen as sacrosanct and that "it cannot be binding as the aspirants were at liberty to contest"

“My own contribution was that we should all be mindful of our political history in all that we do or say. Dr. Sam Egwu and Chief Martin Elechi are quite right in their support for Ebonyi North and it is difficult to debunk them, if we are to remain logical in our sequencing of events.

“However, if you support that view, then it means that even Ebonyi Central may be disqualified from contesting.”

According to the former Special Adviser to former Governor Martin Elechi on Media, “Since 1999, it has proved difficult to confine the political contest to particular zones.

“In the 1999 guber election, Dr. Sam Egwu of PDP defeated Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu of APP. In 2007, Chief Martin Elechi was declared winner against Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu of ANPP. Even in 2015 when Engr. David Umahi of PDP won as Governor, his opponent was Chief Edward Nkwegu of APC.

“Based on these narratives, it is self-evident that it has not been easy to decree on issues relating to jungle politics.

“Nobody can succeed in suppressing the innate political desires and aspirations of the people. Is it not better to allow for open contest than to bottle up political agitations?

“It is my considered view that even if you come up to say that it is the turn of Ebonyi North zone, you may not succeed in stopping everyone from the Central Zone from contesting.

“And if you cannot stop anyone from Central, then you cannot summon the moral strength to argue against an aspirant from Ebonyi South zone.

“Incidentally, Abakaliki block produced the Governor for 16 years before the present Governor (from Afikpo block) was elected in 2015.

“Based on this reality, there are those who believe that it may not be out of place to allow another person from Afikpo block to do another tenure.”

Ebonyi State is composed of three zones, namely, Ebonyi North, Ebonyi Central and Ebonyi South as some political analysts are of the view that power can shift to any zone in 2023.

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