Firstly, let it be stated that the Charter of Equity for the proposed Abia State was written and signed on August 2, 1981 when the Peoples that constitute the present Abia State and Ebonyi-South Senatorial District of Ebonyi State were in Imo State. Two senatorial zones and a District were involved in the request for the creation of Abia State. They were Aba Senatorial Zone, Umuahia Senatorial Zone and Isuikwuato District.
The Charter was basically intended to allay the fears of domination of one Senatorial Zone/District over the other.
It is important to state that as at the time the Charter was written and signed in 1981, that was ten years before the creation of Abia State, Aba Senatorial zone was made up of four Local Government Areas; (1) Aba, (2) Isialangwa, (3) Obioma-Ngwa and (4) Ukwa.
Umuahia senatorial zone was made up of five Local Government Areas, (1) Afikpo, (2) Arochukwu/Ohafia, (3) Bende, (4) Ikwuano/Umuahia and (5) Ohaozara.
Isuikwuato District was just a Local Government that ordinarily belonged to Okigwe Senatorial Zone of Imo State.
Section 3 of the Charter states Aims and Objectives (Goals) and specifically, section 3(ii) emphasizes equal opportunity to all and equitable distribution of amenities, e.g Roads, Public Utilities, Hospitals and Higher Institutions.
Section 5(a) of The Charter states that the capital of the new state (Abia State) shall be known as and called “Abia City”. The city shall be developed on a virgin parcel of land situate and lying at the boundary between the Aba Senatorial Zone and the Umuahia Senatorial Zone along what is known as New Umuahia Road, otherwise popularly called Ururuka Road and more particularly lying between the Isialangwa Local Government Area in Aba Senatorial Zone and the Ikwuano/Umuahia Local Government Area in Umuahia Senatorial Zone.
Section 5(b) (Second Paragraph) states that if the Governor of Abia State is an indigene of Aba Senatorial Zone, he shall be resident in Umuahia Senatorial Zone; if he is an indigene of Umuahia Senatorial Zone or Isuikwuato District, the Governor shall be resident in Aba Senatorial Zone.
Section 6 of the Charter establishes Basis of Administration. Accordingly, the Administration of Abia State shall be on strict equality as between the two Senatorial Zones of Aba and Umuahia and the recognition of Isuikwuato as a District and on the basis of equity, equality and good conscience as between all the component communities of the state.
Bearing this in mind, the basis and formula for distribution of major or key political posts shall be equality between the senatorial zones and in recognition of Isuikwuato as a District.
Section 6(a) clearly articulates Rotation Principle. It states that the Principle of Rotation shall apply in addition to the Principle of Strict Equality in the distribution of key political posts.
Consequently, the following combination of Public Offices shall not be held at one and the same time by persons of the same senatorial zone/district;
(1) Governor and Deputy Governor,
(2) Governor and Speaker of House of Assembly
(3) Governor and Secretary to the Government
(4) Chairman Civil Service Commission and Head of Service
(5) Chief Judge and Attorney-General
(6) Chairman Local Government Service Commission and Chairman Electoral Commission and
(7) Head of Service and Secretary to the Government.
It would be pertinent to emphasize that Abia State, going by Abia Charter of Equity, is made up of two major groups of people, Aba Senatorial Zone and Umuahia Senatorial Zone and a minor group, Isuikwuato District.
Clearly, whoever must have taken time to read The Charter, would have noticed that the Charter places maximum emphasis on equity, equality and good conscience.
Going by the geographical composition of Aba Senatorial Zone and Umuahia Senatorial Zone, it is clear the people of Umuahia Senatorial Zone of the Charter have done eighteen years of governance of Abia State. Dr Ogbonnanya Onu from Ohaozara governed for two years, 1992-93. Chief Orji Uzor Kalu from Bende did eight years, 1999-2007. Chief T A Orji from Ikwuano/Umuahia also did eight years, 2007-2015.
In the Governorship Election of 2015 that threw up Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Aba Senatorial Zone, two prominent sons of Umuahia Senatorial Zone and Isuikwuato District, Dr Alexander Otti and Dr Uche Ogah of Umuahia Senatorial Zone and Isuikwuato District, respectively, did not only vigorously contest the election but fiercely and awfully initiated and pursued litigations against the victorious Dr Okezie Victor Ikpeazu.
If either of the two had succeeded, either by election or litigation, no body or law would have prevented them from occupying the position of Governor of the State.
It is also of importance that the voting pattern of the people of Umuahia Senatorial Zone and Isuikwuato District in 2015 Governorship Election should not be forgotten. The pattern did not, in any way, reflect the intendments of Abia Charter of Equity.
Going by the said voting pattern of 2015 and, even, 2019, one would say that majority of the people of Umuahia Senatorial Zone and Isuikwuato District have never believed in The Charter.
Strictly going by The Charter, Governor Orji Uzor Kalu, being from Umuahia Senatorial Zone, should have handed over power to someone from Aba Senatorial Zone. But he bluntly refused to do that and, rather, handed power over to Chief T A Orji, from his Umuahia Senatorial Zone. That was against the spirit of Abia Charter of Equity.
In rounding off this piece, I want to thank all commentators from Umuahia Senatorial Zone and Isuikwuato District who have been using The Abia Charter of Equity as their reference document for determination of power rotation in 2023. I honestly support the use of The Charter for this purpose.
In supporting it, I state unequivocally that since Umuahia Senatorial Zone has governed for Eighteen Years; Dr Ogbonnaya Onu 2 years, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu 8 years and Chief T.A Orji 8 years, nothing on Earth, by the grace of God of Equity, will debar Aba Senatorial Zone from governing for, at least, Eighteen years. When this is done, every Abian can then say that Equity, as Stipulated in The Charter, has been implemented.
Needless to state that there are few selfish politicians from Aba Senatorial Zone that are, as usual, willing to be used against their people. They should, nonetheless, remember the fate that befell Judas Iscariot.
No doubt, Aba Senatorial Zone could be said to be currently in a cross road. This is moreso with four Governorship Aspirants from the Zone aspiring at the same time on the platform of People’s Democratic Party.
The likely general calculation by their fellow aspirants from Umuahia Senatorial Zone and Isuikwuato District is that, with a plurality of Aspirants from Aba Senatorial Zone and also believing that the Ngwa Man would hardly reach a truce with his fellow Ngwa Man, the PDP Primary Election places Aspirants from Ngwa in a disadvantageous situation.
This moment in the life of the Ngwa Man calls for altruism and sacrifice. There should be deep understanding and compromise amongst them.
If, per adventure and owing to selfishness and ego, the Governorship is not retained in Aba Senatorial Zone, it would not only mean that Umuahia Senatorial Zone/Isuikwuato District would govern the State for twenty-six years while Aba Senatorial Zone would be shamefully stagnated at only eight years but more humiliatingly, they may never have the chance of governing the State again in their generation and many more generations to come.
For goodness sake, let the intendment of Abia Charter of Equity prevail.
Sir Don Ubani is a former Commissioner for Information and Strategy in Abia State and writes from Asa.
