What is not contestable as the 2023 general elections draw near is that zoning, the strength of the political parties, their candidates and choice of running mates as well as the influence of the political heavy-weights will to a large extent determine who will be the next governor of Abia State.
Recent developments have signalled that this Charter provision/recommendation is threatened with the emergence of candidates, especially from the central, which handed over to the incumbent governor and where the incumbent is also poised to return power having picked his successor from there.
While Professor Ibe and Nwafor quickly joined APGA and Young Progressives Party (YPP) and became their guber candidates respectively, Abaribe and Wachuku who joined APGA and YPP became senatorial candidates of the political parties for Abia South and Central senatorial zones respectively for the 2023.
This scenario of dumping the Charter, the lopsided concentration of party offices in the PDP, Ikpeazu’s performances in office, selection of running mates, and crisis in PDP, APC, and gender among others will determine the voting pattern in the guber election in the state.
A chieftain of the APGA, Chief Jasper Igwe while insisting that zoning should be maintained for progress in the state, told The Guardian that what the PDP had done by their action was like changing the goal post in the middle of match. He insisted that the idea of supporting a successor of Ikpeazu from Abia Central was not fair on the state, stressing that the governor and his party should allow the peace that had pervaded the polity as per rotation to be sustained.
