Abaribe speaks against zoning arrangement within Abia PDP as gubers loom

Enyinnaya Abaribe, the Senator representing Abia South at the National Assembly, on Saturday, clarified the furore over zoning arrangement within the state’s chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the 2023 elections loom.

The lawmaker spoke on the occasion of the 10th Synod of the Church of Nigeria, Diocese of Umuahia, held at St. Andrew’s Church, Nsukwe/Amibo Ubakala North Archdeaconry.

He stated, “The best does not necessarily go through zoning. Sometimes, you can also get it by not going through that means. There is also no place that says that you cannot also get the best through zoning.

“Our laws are made to suit certain situations and I think that at the time our party made those decisions when we were exiting from the military, it was necessary at that time for us to assuage certain hot feelings at that time. Today they, at the place we find ourselves, must necessarily go for getting the best for us.

“So, it is simply a decision that the people will need to take. What I am advocating today is that we should look at our circumstances, look at what is best for us and I think that today, what is best for us in Abia State is to get the best person that can move us beyond where we are.”

Read also: Sit-at-home killing businesses in South-East -Abaribe

Abaribe, however, reiterated the need to ensure competence over origin in order to avoid mediocrity across the state.

“All parts and zones in Abia have all led the state; the North, Central and South. Now it is time to zone integrity, capacity, capability and competence because we can no longer continue to do the same thing that we are doing before, which is to do geographical thing and end up having less than stellar type of people to rule Abia. I do not think that the cycle of mediocrity we have had in Abia will continue that way in 2023. It is time for us to make a movement to a new dawn for Abia State.

“Abia has become the butt of jokes and derision. The state seems an example of failure in all aspects of governance. The most painful of these criticisms come from citizens of some of the contiguous states that were hitherto behind Abia State in all indices of development both in human and infrastructural development.

“We have had a cycle of mediocrity and that can hardly be the best. Abia can do better than that. Abians must rise up and take back their state and reverse the downward trajectory,” he stated.

Abaribe is also vying for the Abia State governorship position in the 2023 elections.

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