Dr Sunday Andrew Opoke kneeling while receiving the blessings of Unwu Ekumenyi Christians Association.
Ebonyi gubernatorial candidate of the Young Progressives Candidate, YPP, Dr Sunday Andrew Opoke has received the blessings of the Unwu Ekumenyi Christians Association, ahead of the 2023 general elections.
Dr Opoke earned such favourable consideration after giving the brief history of Unwu Ekumenyi during their joint strategic leaders' meeting on Sunday in Abakaliki.
Earlier before the endorsement of the YPP gubernatorial candidate, the State Caretaker Committee Chairman of the association, Dr Chris Achi said that the group must pray for a credible candidate to emerge to occupy the apex seat in the state come 2023 polls.
He urged Unwu Ekumenyi especially the members of the association not to be like Esau, who sold his birthday just because of porridge while condemning vote buying.
Achi said: It's because people will come with money. Some people said Ndi-Abakaliki has no money to win the gubernatorial position in 2023. But I'm here to challenge the insinuation, that even if your brother has no money, you should support him with prayers and encouragement.
"We should be able to present our best. And based on their addresses, and exposure, we believe if this one wins, he will be able to do well."
The Minister of the Nigerian Reformed Church, Reverend Joseph Nwibo and Reverend Paul Philip, who are also members of the association with their colleagues equally prayed for a God-fearing person to emerge as the governor of the state in 2023.
"We are proud of you that you are a member of this association and we have seen your poster. We believe in God who is always ready to perfect what he has started. May God continue to be with you as you pursue your ambition," he said.
While giving the brief history of Unwu Ekumenyi, Dr Sunday Opoke, said Ezekunna, Nnodo, Nnoyo and Okum are from the same father and remained one indivisible family member no matter their challenges.
According to him, Ezekunna, the first son of Ekumenyi and the father of Ezza Nation and Okum, the last son of Ekumenyi are from the same mother, but Nnoyo (Father of Ikwo) and Nnodo (Father of Izhi) came from the same mother, the second wife of Ekumenyi.
He noted that the four brothers from time to time clashed which led to the scarcity of the offspring of Okum, their youngest brother, found in Abakaliki, as many of them are currently living in Benue, Cross Rivers and other neighbouring states.
The clashes further scattered the four brothers, especially Ezekunna and Nnodo's children - Ezza and Izhi people to strange communities and some of them had naturalized there, Opoke added.
He expressed worry over the latest clashes between some of the Unwu Ekumenyi brothers in the recent past, and called for the continuous intervention of the members of the Unwu Ekumenyi Christian Association and other relevant groups through prayers and physical normals, to install permanent peace among themselves especially now the 2023 general elections are almost at the corner.
He charged the association to embark on aggressive sensitization on the need to sustain equity, fairness and social justice in the governorship seat of the state, and other elective positions to promote oneness, peace and unity among Ebonyi people.
Dr Opoke noted that 2023 is the turn of Ebonyi North Senatorial District to produce the governor of Ebonyi State and charged the association to meet their brothers at the Central and Southern parts of the state, to seek their support in sustaining the principle of power rotation and zoning on the gubernatorial seat since this approach would promote love, peace and unity of Ebonyi people, particularly, Unwu Ekumenyi kingdom.
The YPP governorship candidate upheld the 2023 general elections demands that no clan in Ebonyi State should be taken for granted especially in the Abakaliki bloc, as any attempt to sideline the clan, may spell doom on the future of the state.
He asked the association to be more committed to praying and supporting a God-fearing person, with peoples oriented agenda to clinch the state governorship seat in 2023, hence, his exposure, expertise, generosity, accessibility, resourcefulness, peaceful manner, and willingness to discover, introduce and transform concepts into physical reality for societal growth and development are not in doubt.
