Abaribe’s Governorship Ambition Faces Serious Backlash
On 24th December 2021 the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe while visiting the incumbent, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu said he’s enthusiastic about taking over as the governor of the state in 2023.
The declaration by Abaribe who will be completing 16 years in the red chamber by 2023 is facing stiff resistance in the state starting from the Governor who quickly brushed the declaration aside saying that “power comes from God and that the issues around power are too important and critical that God cannot leave it entirely in the hands of men.”
Ikpeazu who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary, Sir Onyebuchi Ememanka said: “That he is not thinking about the politics of 2023 now because doing so will be tantamount to a technical abridgement of his own tenure and is capable of distracting him from the serious issues of governance in the State currently.”
His interest which other parts of the state sees as an affront is also facing serious rejection because Mma Agha Ndigbo comes from not just same the same local government with the incumbent, Governor Ikpeazu but also from the same village.
In social media, Abaribe is been equated to ‘Mgbidi Jericho’ a lexicon drawn from the biblical Wall of Jericho which was pulled down by the praise and worship of Israelites.
Ugochukwu Nwankwo who hails from Abia State said Abaribe isn’t fit to contest for the job having failed as a Senator.
“Yes it may be convenient for you to blame Ikpeazu for the precarious condition of Aba, but please while you do that, reserve some or even bulk of it for this man whose photograph appears here!
“He was Senator for Abia South for 4 years, with Aba as the Major Urban area within his jurisdiction, even before Ikpeazu dreamt of being Governor!
“What did Abaribe do to enhance the Infrastructural deficit in Aba for 16 years as the Senator Representing Abia South?
“How did he synergize with his brother Governor from the same local government, to improve on what exists today as Aba?
“Did he stay aloof, decided to do nothing so that Ikpeazu will be blamed and he will in turn ride on the back of those criticisms to vie for Governorship?
“These are questions #MgbidiJericho should get ready to answer and not the Inordinate dream of Succeeding Ikpeazu!
“Well We all Know what happened to Mgbidi Jericho!”
Another Facebook user, Emenike Iroegbu opined that:
In as much as Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe has all the right to run for governor, he is eminently qualified, but this governorship ambition to me is like slapping other LGAs and zones.
The current governor who has few months to run out his 8 years tenure is from Obingwa in Abia South and Abaribe is also from Obingwa representing Abia South in the senate.
Does it mean that other zones or LGAs don’t have qualified people?
Does it mean they dont care about how other zones feel?
Or is this just a political grandstanding?
Hmmmm .. For me, senator please go back to the senate
Let me rest my case for now.. obviously 2022 will be hot
The coming days will surely be interesting as some persons are convinced that Abaribe who was a former Deputy Governor of the God’s Own state is using the governorship contest as a bait to return back to Senate as his colleagues in other states are doing.
