*Reaffirms supports for Nwifuru's gubernatorial candidature
From Amuche Agbo, Abakaliki
Ahead of the 2023 general elections, the All Progressive Congress (APC) candidate for Abakaliki Local Government Council, Hon. Stephen Ebere Nwogba has called on the people of the Local Government Area and the State at large to massively participate in the ongoing voters' card registration and revalidation exercise in the State to vote credible leaders into power come 2023.
He made the call while addressing newsmen in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital.
Hon. Nwogba, the immediate past Coordinator of Ekumenyi Development Center also reaffirmed his total support and commitment to the candidature of the Speaker of Ebonyi State House of Assembly Rt. Hon Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru to succeed Governor David Umahi come 2023 and reiterated the resolve of the council to vote all the APC candidates in the upcoming general elections to enable them to succeed.
Speaking further, Nwogba observed that the voter's card remains the tool for voting credible leaders into the position of authority and urged the people never to hesitate to go and get their PVCs and trooped out en mass and vote on the election day.
He noted, though, that the council has only two voter's card registration machines but INEC officials have been moving across all the wards in the L.G.A to enable eligible voters to register their PVC'S.
According to him, "In the entire Abakaliki Local Government Area, we have only two machines but that is what we took around the wards in the council, people that can move to the LGA, I advised they should move than waiting for a machine to come. People that have the enablement can also move to INEC headquarters and register. They should do that than waiting for a machine to come to their domain before they will get registered"
"We have only two weeks left, in that two weeks everybody that is in
Abakaliki who is of the voting age, 18 years and above should make sure he or she is captured in this exercise. You know it should have stopped before now, but because of the benevolent of the Federal Government and the commission they decided to extend it to one month and now we are left with two weeks"
"This is the last chance we have, and we have to capture everyone in Abakaliki through with what we have already. I am very sure that by the end of this exercise, Abakaliki will always come first, our people have turned out and registered. People are eager to register but the problem we have is that we don't have enough machines to register everybody but despite that, I advised everybody to make out time at least one day for this exercise, it is very important and we can't do without it" he said
However, the incoming chairman called the people of the Izzi clan to support the candidature of Hon. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru also enjoined other clans in the State to throw their weight behind Speaker Nwifuru of Ebonyi North Zone to enable him to succeed Governor Umahi come 2023, as the Izzi clan had been supporting other clans and zones to produce Governor since the inception of democracy in the State, adding "it is now right and just for other clans and zones to support Izzi clan to produce the next Governor of the State"
He stressed the need to vote Rt. Hon. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru into power for continuity and sustainability of Governor Umahi's landmark achievements in the State, describing his candidature as a round peg in a round hole.
He said voting an Izzi man into power would help in ensuring no clan is left out in the leadership of the State.
He maintained that it would be justice and fair to allow an Izzi man to become the next Governor of the State and advocated for the continuity of the zoning of Governorship positions in the State.
"The moral thing is to allow zoning to continue, if it is being distorted on the way, it will be difficult for minorities to rule this State again"
He congratulated the State Governor Engr. David Umahi for choosing the illustrious son of the Izzi clan to be his successor come 2023, which according to him, was a mark of equity everyone was advocating for and wished him well in all his political endeavours.
He seized the opportunity and advised Ebonyi youths to eschew violence and never allow themselves to be used as thugs or perpetrate evils.
"Causing crisis or causing mayhem to people cannot solve any problem and it will not do us any good. A young man should not allow himself to be used as a tool for destruction instead of being a tool for peace, progress and development of the State" he added
