Uche Ikonne


Finally the story is out that the Abia PDP governorship, Professor Uche Ikonne may not get the much expected endorsement from the Ukwa la Ngwa Council of Elders.


This group which originated, promoted and  executed the another 8-year term for Ndi Ngwa was believed to be the arrow head for the emergence of Prof Ikonne. But unfolding developments have since rubbished the assumption.


Dailyledger.com.ng reports that cracks appeared in the Council as some  overzealous PDP members who belong to the Ikonne camp muddled the waters by attempting to use the Council as a rubber stamp and adopt Ikonne prematurely without consideration for other governorship candidates of Ngwa extraction. This was contrary to the counsel of the Council's promoter and leader, Dr Max Nduaguibe.

Enyinnaya Nwafor


Nduaguibe's position was for the Council to thread softly in adopting any of the Guber candidates of Ngwa extraction until  appropriate discussions were had with them  and  the political atmosphere appropriately gauged


The crack widened as the pro-Ikonne group spurned Nduaguibe's counsel and attempted to  hoodwink Abians  that the Ukwa La Ngwa Council of Elders has adopted the PDP candidate.


Dr Nduaguibe who had starred in Abia's politics since 1999 and knowned for his principled and no nonsense style of politics did not spare them and declared that the Ukwa la Ngwa Council of Elders’  registered and led by him have not adopted any candidate..

Dr Nduaguibe was to issue  press statement days later where he admitted that there were indeed opportunists in the Council who are ready to milk political and financial gains from the project

'We believe that a true Elder should not prevaricate, show desperation or let selfish interest override group interest.", he maintained


It was also in the statement he clarified issues of endorsement or not of any of the candidates

According to him "The Committee of Eminent Personalities of the Ukwa La Ngwa Council of Elders met on the said 9th of August, 2022 with Engr. Enyinnaya Chima Nwafor of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) and Prof. Uche Eleazer Ikonne of the People's Democratic Party  (PDP) out of the three Ngwa  Candidates at the palace of Archbishop Isaac P. Nwaobia, the Anglican Archbishop of Aba Province

"At least 80% of these Eminent Personalities including Eric Acho Nwakanma praised the outstanding presentation made by Engr. Nwafor to the extent that if we had had a vote on that day, the confession of Prof. Ikonne about his preparedness to be Governor would have marred whatever chances he would have had, if we were to put him side by side with  the brilliant performance of Engr. Nwafor. I had to take the hard decision deliberately  to avoid  putting  our discussions into  a vote postponing it to our next meeting which has not held to date.

"Of ourse, Engr. Nwafor,  in the estimation of the majority of members of the Committee of Eminent Personalities was coherent, showed class, exuded preparedness and demonstrated absolute understanding of how a Governor could within the shortest possible time impact positively on the lives of the citizens  to the extent that H.E.Eric Acho  Nwakanma publicly confessed same", he stated.

7. Ordinarily, if the Council had any plans of endorsing a Candidate, it would obviously have been Engr. Nwafor.