A Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, lawmaker and member representing Umuahia North state constituency in the Abia State House of Assembly, Hon Kelechi Onuzuruike, has thrown his weight behind the zoning of Abia governorship ticket, saying that the 2023 race is open to all the three senatorial zones of the state.
Hon Onuzuruike, who is the House Deputy Chief Whip said that since all the three senatorial districts of Abia North, Abia South and Abia Central have taken turns of two terms each as governor, the next election, according to him can start from any of the zones, not precluding Abia South which is the current occupant of the state’s coveted seat.
Speaking to newsmen in Umuahia as part of the activities to mark his birthday celebration, Hon Kelechi Onuzuruike, said that he is a strong advocate of zoning because he is a product of zoning, adding that since the next Abia governorship can start from any zone “it has opened the space for politicians like him to run for the governorship in 2023”.
Asked about the reports of defections of some PDP chieftains in the state to the All Progressives Congress, APC, ahead of the next General Election, the ranking member of Abia State House of Assembly explained that politicians are jumping ship to actualise their political ambition.
He pointed out that the Speaker of the House, Rt Hon Chinedum Orji received over 1000 APC members, who defected to the PDP without making noise about it, stressing that in Abia State the PDP remains the party to beat any time. According to Hon Onuzuruike, his Ohuhu constituency remains a PDP stronghold, the reason why defection is not prevalent in the Umuahia North LGA.
Said he “In Abia PDP is the preferred party and it has done well in Ohuhu and Abia State in general, and this is the reason why defection is not prevalent in the area. We’ve been receiving APC members in PDP but we don’t make a political capital out of it because we know that PDP is the party to beat in Abia”, Hon Onuzuruike maintains.
Continuing, the Abia lawmaker stressed that he won’t have been re-elected into the state assembly if he had stayed back in the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, noting that PDP is the only party existing in Abia State. He expressed his gratitude to his constituents for supporting him in 2015 when he was relatively unknown, and for re-electing him in 2019 to continue to represent Umuahia North state constituency. “So, I’ll forever remain grateful to my constituents, and I will strive not to disappoint them, he promises.
Talking about his achievements so far as a lawmaker, Hon Onuzuruike disclosed that he has executed tangible projects everyone can see in his constituency, saying that he is proactive in attracting infrastructural developments to the grassroots. He said he has graded over 20km rural roads in Ohuhu, and has built at least three schools in his constituency.
He explained that he is primarily concerned in ensuring that all the five wards that make up his state constituency benefits from his projects. “I attracted primary school building in Umuezeoma Ofeme, built and equipped a skill acquisition centre at Ofeme; in Nkwoegwu I built the market extension and provided two transformers. In Isingwu ward, I have facilitated the building of classroom block, did an oil mill at Umuire”, in addition to other development and empowerment programmes he has done in Umuahia North.
Abia 2023 Governorship Is Open To All The Zones, Says Hon Kelechi Onuzuruike
