Chief Charles Ogbonna, Evulogu Ibeku, has declared that the All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship candidate for the 2027 elections, Eric Opah, is better than all those who contested with him in the party primaries.
Speaking to journalists on Tuesday at his residence in response to claims that APC aspirant Henry Ikoh was shortchanged, Ogbonna said Ikoh cannot truthfully say he was shortchanged, stressing that nobody shortchanged him.
“APC chose their candidate because nobody can accuse Eric Opah of being a contractor or of stealing government money,” he said.
“Eric Opah is a self-made man. You cannot point at him and say, when you were Chief of Staff, Deputy Chief of Staff, or Commissioner, you stole Abia’s money. Nobody can say that to him, and that is the fear of his opponents.”
On the conduct of the APC primaries, Ogbonna said this is the first time Abia APC has been this united, and the party is now bubbling with enthusiasm.
“People are eager to become anything they want to become in APC. It was not like this before. In 2023, APC’s population in Abia was about 5,000. Today we are over 200,000. The last registration I saw was about 169,000.
“People are doing everything to register with APC. The party is becoming large, and everybody wants to be identified with it. As for the congress, we were on the road from Arochukwu to Ukwa East, campaigning and mobilising from house to house. It is laughable for anyone to say he was shortchanged. The APC governorship primaries in Abia State was free, fair, and credible.”
Evulogu congratulated the leadership of Abia APC and the party leader, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, for his leadership, saying what the party did was exceptional. “We have a party today, and I believe this party will spring surprises here in Abia,” he said.
Reacting to criticism of his recent pouring of libation at the APC office, Ogbonna, who is Campaign DG for Eric Opah, said those faulting him do not understand the essence of libation, which he described as a form of prayer.
“Libation is prayer. Can I get up and challenge my parish priest and say the prayer he made to God today, God will not accept it? Can anybody do that? The people talking are ignorant. They don’t know the things of the spirit. I’m a traditionalist and I know what I’m saying.
“The unfortunate thing is that these are people who have not been able to pour water for their ancestors. These are people who don’t even know their ancestors. I know my lineage.”
Speaking on holding leaders accountable if they win, Ogbonna advocated a practice where elected officials swear to the god of thunder to ensure accountability.
“If I steal money or don’t govern the way my people want, let me be struck dead by Amadioha. Using the Bible to swear doesn’t have that efficacy. That’s why people steal money left, right, and center and deny it.
“We need to return to the original. If you win, we will give you something to swear on. Put your hand on it and say, if I steal government money, let me face the consequences. Why are people afraid of swearing to the god of thunder?
“I challenge them. Let them come and do it. They’ll call me names. Yes, I am an original African,” he concluded.
