Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
The Abia State chapter of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, has dismissed as ridiculous, claims by Nnate Uduma, that its governorship candidate, Bishop Sunday Onuoha, is not prepared for the governorship project.
Uduma who is the Director General of Abia North Political Project Group, has also announced the withdrawal of the group’s earlier endorsement of Bishop Onuoha as the consensus governorship candidate of Abia North.
Nnate announced the group’s withdrawal of the endorsement citing lack of preparedness and visibility on the part of the Bishop Onuoha as reason for its action.
He later adopted Dr Alex Otti of the Labour Party as the consensus candidate for Abia North, claiming that Otti has shown capacity and readiness.
But in a swift reaction, ADC in a press statement, said that Nnate and his co-travelers lacked the mandate to speak for Abia North, but were merely seeking attention.
ADC said that Onuoha is competent and has the capacity to win election without any endorsement by a hungry man.
The party said that Bishop Onuoha still enjoys the support of Abia North.
The statement signed by its Zonal Publicity Secretary, Rev. P. C Okeiyi, said: “Let us state categorically that at no time will ADC, Abia North or Ndi Abia generally, require any form of endorsement by any group or persons before they can make up their mind as to whom to vote for.”
It further read: “Nnate Uduma is a self-appointed mouthpiece, who cannot speak for a people who do not know, nor recognise him as a political leader. We would rather advise Ndi Abia to be mindful of such hungry elements who are hopping around the polity.”
ADC expressed confidence in the integrity of its governorship candidate to win the March 11 poll based on his track records and vision for the state.
“We are confident that our ADC Guber candidate, Bishop Dr. Sunday Ndukwo Onuoha, will not yield to any form of intimidation or blackmail by political jobbers who jump from one political camp to another looking for their selfish welfare.
Advising political office seekers to beware of scammers, ADC said: “We wish Mr. Nnate luck with his next victim, as Abia State has seen his likes before, as they complete their rounds amongst candidates of different political parties.”
ADC urged its members and voters in the state to vote for Peter Obi of the Labour Party in the presidential poll and ADC candidates in the other elections.
Meanwhile, Bishop Onuoha told our Correspondent that he was not bothered about endorsement but concerned about how to judiciously spend his campaign funds on issues that have value.
He said that if he had deployed the over N100 million state-of- the-art ambulance that he recently acquired to help save lives in the state, he would have had about 50 additional cars on his convoy assuming he was interested in showing off to impress the likes of Nnate.
Bishop Onuoha said his purpose of joining politics was not to worsen the system but introduce sanity and change that would help restore public confidence in political office holders.
He reassured Abians that he was still very much in the race and prepared to govern the state to make a difference.
The cleric said he was on a mission to rescue and rebuild Abia.
