11/03/2024
Rt. Hon. Uzoma Nkem Abonta of Abia PDP, Akwete Ward represented his Ukwa East-West Federal Constituency for an unbroken 16 years under the Abia PDP platform. He was a popular representative of his Ukwa East-West constituency and was loved and revered by his people. Rt. Hon. Abonta was in Abia PDP but NEVER of Abia PDP. He was on the list of 10 (Ten) top rated House of representatives members by number of bills sponsored in the 9th Assembly. As the House Chairman on Public Petition, he played a pivotal role in the National Assembly approval of the Electoral Amendment Bill 2022. According to Rt. Hon. Abonta, the Amendment of the Electoral Act was 'To retrieve power back to the people'.
Rt. Hon. Uzoma Nkem Abonta during the Amendment of the Electoral Act in 2022, urged his colleagues, thus, 'You don’t write a law for today, you write a law that would transcend the totality of years, the law is not for a particular person or a particular group of persons'. This played out in the Amendment of the Electoral Act in 2022 which contributed to the Electoral loss of the Abia PDP in 2023.
Rt. Hon. Abonta's does not play to the gallery and his disposition against the anti-people policies of the Abia PDP establishment pitched him against the Abia PDP ruling cabal. He stood against the plot to convert Ukwa into a business centre owned by very powerful individuals within the Abia PDP. Rt. Hon. Uzoma Nkem Abonta opposed forcefully the subtle acquisition and coveting of Ukwa land for personal use by Ex-Governor Ikpeazu and his allies. He understood that the much advertised Enyimba Economic City was a fraud and refused to play along in spite of all juicy offers to him. Rt. Hon. Abonta frustrated the RUGA Settlement in the guise of cattle market in Ukwa and demanded for the rebuilding of Golden Chicken at Ogwe in Ukwa against the plot to covet it to a private enterprise of the Abia PDP cabal. Rt. Hon. Uzoma Nkem Abonta was earmarked for destruction for daring the Ex-Governor, his kitchen cabinet and godfathers.
During the 2018 PDP primary elections, there was a directive to stop Rt. Hon. Uzoma Nkem Abonta at all cost. The Ukwa East-West Federal Constituency primary was postponed twice to frustrate and run Rt. Hon. Uzoma Nkem Abonta out of cash. The Election was shifted to Ngwa High School on the third day with all types of State sponsored intimidation against Abonta. The last stroke was the withdrawal of Bar. Chinedum Ekechi on the primary ground when he was nominated as the Commissioner for Agriculture to reduce the State's candidates to one against Nkem Abonta. The delegates were directed to vote against Rt. Hon. Uzoma Nkem Abonta and the State was sure of victory. The rest is history. Abonta won against the heavy expenses and manipulations of Abia State Government.
Rt. Hon. Uzoma Nkem Abonta was instrumental to the emergence of Hon. Asiforo Okere as the PDP Chairman during the Abia PDP congress in 2020. The Abia PDP establishment under Ex-Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, the Ex-Speaker and his father had settled for another Umuahia man after the tenure of Chief Johnson Onuigbo (Akinbod) but Abonta protested with reasons that beat the Abia PDP cabal's imagination and the Chairmanship was Rezoned to Ukwa.
In the run-up to the last election, the State recruited Chief Chris Nkwonta against Abonta. However, Rt. Hon. Uzoma Nkem Abonta was optimistic of victory against the State's candidate in the primary until the delegates list was tampered with impunity in favour of Chief Nkwonta. Rt. Hon. Uzoma Nkem Abonta withdrew from the race and the battle line was drawn.
Rt. Hon. Uzoma Nkem Abonta while addressing the press at the venue of the primary, openly committed to the sinking of Abia PDP Government project. He called on his numerous teeming supporters to align with the Labour Party's candidate for the Governorship Election and APGA's candidate for Abia South Senatorial Zone Election. Many would have wondered why Rt. Hon. Uzoma Nkem Abonta refused to fly the Labour Party Senatorial ticket which was graciously offered to him. Abonta is a perfect gentleman and could not renege on his promise to deliver Ukwa enclave to Senator Abaribe.
He placed principle over ambition. He was unwilling to risk joining the race to avoid handing undeserved victory to Ex-Governor Okezie Ikpeazu. In spite of all entreaties and promises by Sir Okey Ahiwe and his team including 2 nocturnal visits by Sir Okey Ahiwe pleading for his support, Rt. Hon. Uzoma Nkem Abonta stood his grounds and bluntly told them that Dr. Alex Chioma Otti of the Labour Party and Senator Enyi Abaribe of APGA were his ordained candidates.
The horse-trading and lobbying continued till the last days. 4 days before the Governorship Election, the Ukwa Stakeholders were invited to Ex-Governor Ikpeazu's home at Umuobiakwa.
They pleaded and made the usual promises to the Ukwa group present to a point that the stakeholders appeared to be changing their minds. Rt. Hon. Uzoma Nkem Abonta boldly stood up and told the Ex-Governor that Ukwa cannot be cornered to vote PDP. He openly told the Ex-Governor that he will personally lead every efforts to frustrate the PDP rigging machinery in Ukwa. Abonta frontally asked Ex-Governor Okezie Ikpeazu to tell the gathering what his people have benefitted in his administration. He reminded the Ex-Governor that Ukwa people have been treated as slaves in his 8 years of governance with absolutely nothing to show. It was a shouting session between the Ex-Governor and Abonta. Rt. Hon. Uzoma Nkem Abonta asked the Ex-Governor to look for victory elsewhere but not Ukwa.
The PDP won with very low margin in Ukwa due to their financial war-chest in vote buying but their rigging plots were frustrated and stopped to their disbelief. The Abia PDP sinking ship wants to get back at Rt. Hon. Uzoma Nkem Abonta with her belated suspension of a man loved and revered by his people for standing up in their defence. The belated suspension is a strategy by failed and frustrated Abia PDP politicians aimed at depopularising Rt. Hon. Uzoma Nkem Abonta to launch themselves back to relevance in preparation for 2027 General Election. It is an attempt to preempt a man of the people who placed his people and the State above self and political party alignment. Rt. Hon. Uzoma Nkem Abonta will remain a statesman and will continue to place his people and the State above self and party consideration in 2027 and beyond.
Rt. Hon. Uzoma Nkem Abonta have no regrets for supporting a Governor who is working and transforming a State left in ruins by the Ex-Governor and aligning with Distinguished Senator Enyi Abaribe to retire Ex-Governor Okezie Ikpeazu from the State and National Politics.
Dr. Nwauka Nwamuo (NN)
Ukwa Renaissance Group
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