Group Urges Elechi To Honour Electoral Promises

The Political Equity and
Mandate Network, a political pressure group, has called on Gov. Martin Elechi of Ebonyi to honour his electoral promises of zoning the governorship position to Ebonyi South senatorial zone.
The Chairman of the group, Mr David Okoro, told newsmen in Abakaliki that recent political developments in the state necessitated the call.
According to him, power shift to Ebonyi South was critical for ensuring stability in the state and enthronement of political equity and justice.
He said the network supported Elechi’s position on ensuring political equity through power shift and urged him not to derail on the promise.
“Our dear governor had at different times and in different fora told the people of the state that his administration will hand over power to a southerner.
“We commend Elechi’s sense of justice and equity bearing in mind that south is the only zone that is yet to have a shot at the governorship position.
“However, recent developments in the state are casting serious doubts on the minds of the people on the commitment of the governor in making real his promise.
“We wish to state in no ambiguous terms that any attempt by Elechi to succumb to political pressure and back pedal on his earlier promise may trigger crisis in the state.
“We therefore urge the governor to throw full political support to his deputy and the governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Dave Umahi,’’ Okoro said.
Okoro said the defection of Elechi’s loyalists to the Labour Party negated the spirit of power shift and questioned the sincerity of the governor in keeping faith with the power shift arrangement.
“A situation where the governor insists that he is still in PDP while all his serving commissioners, local government caretaker chairmen and other political appointees are in the LP certainly leaves much to be desired.
“The emergence of LP governorship candidate from the Ebonyi North senatorial zone has further heightened our doubts and suspicion about Elechi’s sincerity.
“This development is unhealthy, divisive and a calculated ploy to deny the south the opportunity to produce the next governor,’’ he said.
Our correspondent reports that the first executive governor of Ebonyi, Dr Sam Egwu, hails from Ebonyi North senatorial zone while Elechi, now in his second term, comes from the central senatorial zone.