Ihechinyere Chigemeri-Uwom
Umuahia, Dec. 19, 2024
The Abia Restoration Movement, a sociopolitical group, has urged the former Minister of State for Science, Technology and Innovation, Chief Henry Ikoh, to join the 2027 governorship race.
The Convener of the group, Chief Ikedi Ezekwesiri, who is a former House of Asembly member, made the call at a mews briefing on Thursday in Umuahia.
Ezekwesiri said that the people desired to have the kind of governance that would bridge the gap between the government and the people, making everyone feel like stakeholders in the state’s progress.
He said: ”The people of Abia are looking for a government that will give them ownership of governance.
“We want a government that would evolve from the people and having looked around us this movement has seen in Chief Henry Ikoh, a man with the qualities we expect of a governor of Abia.
“He has the experience we expect of a governor of Abia and the knowledge we expect of the governor of Abia.”
Ezekwesiri said that the decision to appeal to Ikoh to consider joining the governorship race “was not taken lightly.
“It came after painstaking consultation and thorough research, involving key stakeholders, community leaders, and a deep analysis of the genuine needs of the people of Abia.
Ezekwesiri said that the movement’s appeal focuses on the realities and aspirations of the people for a leader with visionary qualities and proven experience.
“This call is coming on the heel of his qualifications and many years of experience as an administrator, business manager and human capital developer and sagacious politician.
“Chief Ikoh is an outstanding industrialist, whose group of companies, ranging from foam manufacturing to hospitality, has touched lives and overtime added to the state’s GDP.
“Essentially, as a minister, Ikoh proved his mettle and was highly recommended for his innovative leadership and ingenious approach to the management of human and material resources.
“Ikoh prides himself as a quintessential pacesetter in grassroots politics, hence he is a champion of restorative politics, not just in Abia but across the entire South-East.
“He is a man that has deep connection with his people and that is evident in the number of industries he sited within his community and around Abia,” he said.
Ezekwesiri further said that the group’s main objective centered on sensitising the citizens on the need to take informed decisions on the people to vote for during the next general elections.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ikoh had twice aspired to run for governorship on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) but was denied the ticket, hence he defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) after the 2019 General Elections.
