Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, has emerged the flag bearer of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, for Abia South senatorial district.
He was elected unopposed Saturday at the party primaries by a mammoth crowd of delegates.
Abaribe dumped the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on Wednesday after withdrawing from the governorship race.
He left the PDP because of the party’s lack of transparency in the build up to its primaries.
Abaribe and six other governorship aspirants had boycotted the PDP primaries which they dismissed as a charade and endorsement of a preferred candidate.
The Returning Officer, Chief Lucky Erondu, announced Abaribe’s emergence as APGA candidate amid thunderous ovation by a crowd of supporters, delegates and party faithful.
He was the sole candidate for the seat.
In his acceptance speech, Senator Abaribe, thanked the delegates for reposing confidence in him.
Promising not to disappoint his constituents, Abaribe vowed to sustain his fight for the enthronement of democracy, equity and justice.
He said he would help to return Abia State to APGA for total liberation from god-fatherism and despondency.
“This is the time to return the state to APGA. It’s a struggle to liberate the state and reposition the South-East.
“South-East needs to identify with APGA as its own and a platform to recover its lost grounds.”
With his emergence as APGA flag bearer, the third-term Senator will be clashing with Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu, who holds the PDP ticket; and H. Blessing Nwagba of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the 2023 senatorial poll.
The PDP in Abia has been hit by a gale of defection, as more key chieftains of the party are set to dump the big umbrella.
Popular lawmaker and grassroots mobiliser, Hon. Ginger Onwuasoibe has also left the PDP for the Labour Party where a former banker, Dr Alex Otti who also defected from the All Progressives Congress, APC, is set to pick its governorship ticket.
Hon. Onwuasoibe is seeking the House of Representatives ticket for Isiala-Ngwa North and Isiala-Ngwa South Federal Constituency.
