2023: Senator Ucha Joins Ebonyi Guber Race, Harps on Zoning

From Victor Nwegede, Abakaliki

The erstwhile member representing the Ebonyi Central Senatorial District, Senator Julius Ali Ucha has disclosed his attention to running for the governorship position of the state come the 2023 general elections.

Senator Ucha on Wednesday, declared his intention to run for the governorship position of the state under the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, when he paid a courtesy visit to the State Working Committee of the Party at Akanu Ibiam International Conference Center, ICC, Abakaliki.

He told the State APC officials that his visit was to inform them of his intention to run for the governorship position of Ebonyi State, come 2023.

He noted that “it is over a month now that the political space was thrown open by our leader and we are also aware that the zoning arrangement is that the governorship position will either go to Ebonyi Central or North.

“We are also aware that the zoning committee has been graciously put in place to the micro zoning of where the governorship will go to. I am a man that complies with the rules and procedures.”

Senator Ucha who was the pioneer Speaker of Ebonyi State House of Assembly also pledged to sustain the infrastructural development put in place by Governor David Umahi’s led administration if given the mandate to be the Chief Servant of the state in 2023.

Emphasising more his personality, the gubernatorial aspirant said: “One thing I have told myself is that I am not a desperate person. I have never been desperate. Nothing bothers me. We have to work hard and not take anything for granted.

“I have told myself that I have a duty if, by the Special Grace of God, they elected me as the Governor of Ebonyi State; to maintain the standard of infrastructural development and empowerment already put in place by the present administration; to sustain the gains and legacies which Governor Umahi has put in place and to secure the future of the people of Ebonyi State.

“While maintaining the standard and sustaining the gains; in securing the future, the governor has laid the foundation for human resource development and empowerment, I will consolidate the human resource development and empowerment through education, agriculture, through the sustenance of the state of the art health facilities and industrialization.”

He equally advised the APC leadership in the state to open the space at the local level, so that aspirants can start reaching out to people and make the party vibrant in all corners of Ebonyi, noting that “it is God that has the final answer for the person who could win the governorship position of the state come 2023,” even though, he has declared interest to contest for the seat.

Responding, the Chairman of the APC in Ebonyi, Chief Stanley Okoro Emegha, appreciated Senator Ucha for having boldly new with the State Working Committee, saying that every member of the party has the right to declare interest to run for any position of his choice, especially now, time is of the essence for the party leadership to thrive.

He disclosed that “outside those who came to celebrate the new year with state APC officials, that Senator Ucha was the first person that openly came and declared his interest to contest for the governorship position of the state under his watch.

He, therefore, appealed to the State party leaders to always use wisdom and understand, that “it is only one person can be the governor of the state,” maintaining that, ‘Ebonyi APC cannot lose the governorship position come 2023 because this state belongs to APC”.