Ahead of the forthcoming Local Government election in Abia State, Pastor Dike Nwankwo has expressed his interest to contest for the Chairmanship position.
It should be recalled that the Abia State Independent Electoral Commission, ABSIEC, had announced that it would conduct local government council elections on November 2, 2024
Newsportal can confirm that all the aspirants who declared for the Chairmanship position at the country home of the Ukwa West Labour Party, LP, Chairman, Elder I.O. Dike came from Ipu Zone Ukwa West on the notion that it was the political bloc that was entitled to produce a Chairman on the account of a zoning arrangement that was initiated by the Asa Development Union, and endorsed by the Ukwa West Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
However, information available to Newsportal has revealed that among the three political blocs in Ukwa West, Ipu and Asa Group Zones have enjoyed the Executive Chairmanship position for three times, while Ozar Zone has occupied the position for two times, with the implication that in the event Nwankwo wins the November 2 election, he will be completing the tenure of Ozar Zone since he is from that political bloc.
According to the information, between 1991 and 1993, Chief Emmanuel Ogbuji from Ipu was democratically elected as the Chairman of Ukwa West, in 1996, Chief Nwelele Nwuji from Ipu was elected as Chairman, between 1997 and 1998, Chief Chidozie Zokuba from Asa Group was elected as Chairman, between 1999 and 2002, Chief Felix Ebere was elected Chairman, between 2004 and 2006, Barrister Chinedum Elechi was elected, while Chief Sylvanus Nwaji from Ipu was elected into the office of Chairman in 2008.
Others who were elected into the office of the Chairman of Ukwa West were Hon. Goodluck Nwobiwe from Asa Group, who occupied the office between 2016 and 2018 and Chief Okey Kanu from Ozar that was elected as Executive Chairman in 2020.
Further investigations by Newsportal revealed that if someone from Ozar Zone is elected as Chairman in the forthcoming Abia LG elections, the three political blocs in Ukwa West would have had three shots each at the coveted office of the LG Chairman, even as the old Ukwa Local Government Area, that included Ukwa East and Ukwa West had each Zone in Ukwa West produce a Chairman through Chief H.MJ. Nwachukwu from Ozar, Chief Emmanuel Ogbuji from Ipu and Dr. Bethel Amauwa from Asa Group, whose tenure was shortlived because Chief Nwarie of Obehie in Ipu took it from him at the Court.
