Emenike Picks Female Running Mate from Abia’s Oil Bearing Area
The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State, High Chief Ikechi Emenike made history Sunday when he presented a woman from Ukwa as his running mate in the 2023 general election. It is the first a person from Abia’s oil bearing area has been considered good enough to be a deputy governorship candidate in the history of the state.
Rev Gloria Nanya Akara from Ukwa East local government in Abia South Senatorial District was unveiled Sunday at a meeting of Bende local government APC stakeholders at Item in Abia North zone.
Emenike, who formally introduced his running mate to the large crowd of party faithful, described her as “a lady of faith, a true mother, a loving wife”, who would add value to the rescue mission of Abia APC.
This strategic appointment of a woman as running mate has placed Abia APC as the only party out of the big four political parties in Abia(PDP, APC, APGA, LP) to have put women on the front seat ahead of the 2023 gubernatorial race.
Abia women have never had the opportunity to sit in the executive wing of the state,” he said, adding that, “APC is promising something positively new in Abia”.
The APC governorship hopeful further underlined the significance of his choice of Mrs Akara as running mate, pointing out that nobody from Ukwa, the oil bearing area of Abia has been in the executive wing right from the old Imo state.
“It has always been my desire that Ukwa people must be in the political equation of Abia,” he revealed, adding that he didn’t just go to Ukwa for a running mate but got a high quality woman with intimidating credentials, including 40 years of legal practice.
Chief Emenike also stated that, by choosing a woman as deputy governorship candidate, he has demonstrated that “in APC we don’t just preach gender equity, we practise it”.
However, he disclosed that he encountered immense pressure in the process of picking a female running mate, saying that he had to seek the face of God and through divine inspiration he was able to stick with his decision.
In her acceptance speech, the newly unveiled running mate said that the emergence of Emenike as the 2023 governorship flag bearer of APC “is an answer to prayer”.
“The people of Abia have prayed and cried to God variously to intervene in the affairs of the state. Being strategically placed by God in Nigeria as an oil producing state and also a well known industrial hub in Africa, Abia deserves much much more than it has ever gotten in the course its existence,” she said.
According to the woman of God, the emergence of Emenike with a mandate to liberate Abia “at this time and in this season is well timed for Abia liberation, transformation, credible, tangible change in several fronts from the basic to the truly kitty issues of governance”.
While accepting “the rare offer and opportunity” to have been chosen as deputy governorship candidate, Mrs. Akara pledged to work with Emenike and support “this noble and most laudable cause(of rescuing and developing Abia) wholeheartedly”.
Earlier the state chairman of Abia APC, Dr Kingsley Ononogbu assured the governorship candidate that Bende local government would live up to its status as “a strong base of APC” in Abia.
