By NewsCritic Reporters
Some prominent members of the Governor Okezie Ikpeazu’s administration in Abia State are under intense pressure to join the fray in the ongoing attacks against the Speaker of Abia State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Chinedum Orji by some Ukwa-Ngwa politicians in the government.
Competent sources within the corridors of power in Abia State told the NewsCritic online that the hawks in the administration who instigated the attacks against the Speaker for visiting the former governor of Abia State, Senator Orji Kalu following his release from the Nigeria Correctional Service, want Chief John Okiyi Kalu the Commissioner for Information and Erondu Erondu Jnr in particular to join in the fight against the Speaker, Engr. Chinedum Orji in solidarity with the hawks in Ikpeazu’s government.
The Deputy chief of Staff Office of the Deputy Governor, Chief Don Ubani, was the one that fired the first shot against the Speaker by calling for his resignation over the visit to Orji Kalu. Chief Regan Ufomba another PDP chief of Ngwa origin followed suit, before other aides of the governor like Chief Eze Chikamnayo senior special assistant on Communications and Strategy to Ikpeazu took over the media war to impugn on the person and office of the speaker. Also the Commissioner for Trade and Investment, Chief Cosmos Ndukwe has lend his voice in support of the call on the Speaker to resign, while demanding an unreserved apology from him.
NewsCritic reports that since he joined the Ikpeazu’s government, Chikamnayo has not been visible or heard until now that Ikpeazu’s people decided to take on Ikuku. The Speaker dismissed the attacks as rantings of political jobbers.
Sources disclosed that the ongoing attack against Ikuku was carefully planned and coordinated in the Government House and several meetings held before it became public. The intension is to drive a knife in the relationship between Governor Ikpeazu and Speaker Orji which has remained cordial to serve their selfish political interests.
It is not clear at the time of this report if the Commissioner for Information John Okiyi Kalu and Special Assistant on Special Duties Erondu Jnr have succumbed to the pressure and blackmail to add their voices in support of the attacks against Speaker Orji.
Since the appointment of Dr ACB Agbazuere as Chief of Staff to the governor, speculations have been rife that the appointment of Agbazuere was indicative of a planned showdown between the Ukwa-Ngwa elements in the government and Rt Hon Chinedum Orji, Ikpeazu’s political mentor and benefactor.
While the attacks against Ikuku have lasted, both Ikpeazu and the Speaker have maintained their cool, necessitating the call on Ikpeazu to react if he feels offended by the Speaker’s visit to Kalu.
Abia political watchers are of the opinion that it would be a show of ingratitude if Ikpeazu decides to move against Ikuku over an issue that is personal to the Speaker without recourse to how he emerged as the governor in 2015 against all odds.
The truth remains that if not for the doggedness of Senator TA Orji and Ikuku who stamped their feet in support of power shift to Ukwa-Ngwa, the Abia South would have lost out to the rampaging Uche Ogah and Alex Otti in the governorship race.
Indications are clear that the media war targeted against the Speaker is still far from being over.
