A legal luminary and certified security expert, Dr. Ody Ajike, has cautioned against truncation of Abia Charter of Equity, which he describes as, ‘the Bible for power rotation and power sharing in the state.’
In an interview with Vincent Kalu of The Sun, he stressed that Abia North Zone should produce the governor of the state in 2023.
What are your expectations for the 2023 election?
In every political system, once there is a destruction of political credibility, it leads to increased political agitation and socialisation. We are going to witness an upsurge in political socialization. Many Nigerians are now interested in participating in the political process to elect credible leaders across board. We are aware there is a democratic deficit in Nigeria, which has impacted the life chances of the people. There is pervasive intra-national insecurity, which has pierced our collective social peace and created a fear society. Nigeria is also witnessing a social collapse with ethnic nationalism on the rise with attendant ethnic rivalry and tensions. Infrastructure is still primitive and dilapidated with governance grossly inadequate. The government has pacified the people with hardship across board.
So, my expectation for the 2023 election is one that will spring up a compassionate and focused leader, whose core strategic objectives will be emplacing social justice, national integration, economic prosperity and security for the benefit of majority of Nigerians.
What is your position on power rotation at the centre?
The complexity of political leadership in Nigeria is in its simplicity. Its simplicity is rotation of power to prevent the tyranny of the majority. Every country is built on equality and justice. In the absence of these two cardinal cornerstones, the first casualty of inequality and injustice is security. For Nigeria to develop, we must bring in the rotation of power, which is the simplicity of our political structure. Power should rotate across the North and South for peace, development and fairness. It is my thinking that power should rotate to the South East to produce the next Nigerian president and we have very competent men and women from that region who can perfectly perform the functions of the office of the President of Nigeria.
In Abia, your state, there’s this Abia Charter of Equity. What is it all about?
In Abia, we have a simple procedure for power rotation and power sharing called the Abia Charter of Equity and it was formulated by our founding fathers. Every other government in Abia since 1999 has respected and abided by the provisions of this Charter. The current governor emerged through this Charter, but there is a very strong rumour that he wants to abridge or manipulate this charter and violate its essence.
However, this may be politically catastrophic because of the social upheavals that may result out of it. Abians are more politically conscious now than six years ago and will certainly resist any imposition or intended actions contrary to the provisions of the Abia Charter of Equity. It is a fact that on the Abia rotation scale, it is the turn of Abia North Senatorial Zone to produce credible candidates for the office of the governor. The two political parties should respect this Charter of Equity for sustainable peace.
If it’s zoned to Abia North, which area there should produce the governor?
If the governorship is zoned to Abia North Senatorial Zone, the zone has many qualified aspirants. However, Ohafia should be the first to take the charge. Ohafia is the third cosmopolitan city in Abia State and prides of very intellectually competent politicians across the two or three dominant political parties. Ohafia has also been instrumental to effective political changes in Abia. Even for reasons of equity and justice, Ohafia stands best suited to produce the next governor of Abia State.
In 1999, we supported Bende Local Government Area to produce the governor, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). At the same time, we supported Isuikwuato to elect Gen Ike Nwachukwu (retd) as senator representing Abia North, even when our late brother, Chief Ojo Madueke was to go for that office, but the ticket was taken from him at the last hours by the powers that be then, and yet we didn’t bear any grudge and still went ahead to support Senator Nwachukwu. At the same time, we supported Hon. Mao Ohuabunwa from Arochukwu for the House of Representatives. We got nothing; not even the speaker of the state Assembly. OUK was impressed with the votes he got in Ohafia, and he is still getting the same huge support.
In 2003, we supported Orji Kalu for his second term. We equally supported the late Dr. Uche Chukwumerije from Umunneochi for senate; he took over from Senator Nwachuwku. Uche Chukwumerije went for first, second, and third terms in the senate, we still supported him. Ohuabunwa went to House of Representatives two times before he went to the senate. Right now OUK is in the senate from 2019. One of us, Hon D. K. Uduma went for the House of Representatives; the Election Tribunal sacked him after two years and replaced with Hon Arua Arunsi from Nkporo. That was the highest we have got. At the state level, the Abia deputy governor, Hon Ude Okor Chukwu from Nkporo was the speaker of Abia State House of Assembly.
The offices have continued to be shared by people from other areas and we have been supporting them hugely. For all these our brothers, Ohafia has been like a vote bank for them. So, this is the time for them if they are ruled by their consciences to reciprocate and support a person from Ohafia to emerge as the governor.
The speculation or rumour is high that the governor, Okezie Ikpeazu is supporting somebody from Abia Central of Ngwa stock to succeed him. What’s your reaction to this?
The Abia Charter of Equity is the Bible for power rotation and power sharing in the state. However, it is in the grapevine that the governor is working towards imposing somebody from Abia Central to succeed him. The grapes in this vine are though very ripe. The governor has been making several moves towards achieving this unnecessary act. It will ruin the relative peace we are enjoying in the state. The governor was a product of equity in 2015. The former governor insisted and respected this Charter and Governor Okezie Ikpeazu got elected in 2015 and re-elected in 2019. Abians have endured enough and this is not the time to truncate a working process on the altar of sectional interest.
How about Senator Abaribe’s governorship ambition?
Senator Enyinna Abaribe, I believe, is negotiating for senatorial re-nomination. He is a man of equity who also preaches the sermon of social justice nationally. Where then lays his preachments, sermons and quests for social justice if he wants to breach the agreement operational in his own state? I remember, they say charity begins at home.
Odo Ajike is highly knowledgeable in the politics of Abia State. Ignoring his admonition is like destroying the political fundamentals of the state.