By NewsCritic reporters
The gubernatorial candidate of the Action Peoples Party, APP, Chief Mascot Uzor Kalu, has said that the Abia North Senatorial district of the state would not allow itself to be denied the state’s governorship seat in the 2023 General Elections, noting that it is a right that has been conferred on them by the equity charter.
He stated that at the right time, the people of the zone will speak with one voice regardless of party affiliations.
He warned that it would amount to a wishful thinking for anybody and or group of people to believe that they can prevent the people of Abia North from claiming what is due to them in the scheme of things in the state.
Chief Mascot Kalu, who addressed the press at his Aba residence last Friday spoke against the backdrop of a widely perceived plans by Gov Okezie Ikpeazu to have power retained in his Abia South Senatorial zone after 8-years in office.
“The reason why I’ve refused to speak on the issue before now is that I have always seen myself as the best candidate. However, let me state clearly here that we in Abia North are talking. We’ve been discussing, and I can assure you that at the right time we’ll come together irrespective of party affiliations. We are alive to our responsibilities. I want to assure also that nobody will be able to cajole and or buy us out of what rightly belong to us. If Gov Ikpeazu can be fighting the national body of the PDP alongside the G5, because of what they perceive as injustice and lack of equity in the party I don’t see the rationale behind his insistence on denying the Abia North what is rightly theirs.
“It is equally strange for the Governor to benefit from zoning and rotation, only for him to end up destroying the arrangements. We’re going to adopt a common position, and as I said earlier, we are currently discussing. Our position will become clearer after the presidential election. But take it from me Abia North will not allow anybody to short change them,” Chief Mascot stated.
The APP gubernatorial candidate also said that there are high possibilities of merger, coalition and alliances in the run-up to the elections in the state.
According to him, the outcome of the presidential election will definitely lead to alignments and re-alignments even as he has predicted that the elections at the state level may not be won by the big and established parties.
“It is not that one is trying to under estimate the strength of the big parties. But you cannot wish away the possibilities of the nascent and small parties running away with victory through coalitions and alliances.
