Ahead of the 2023 general elections, all seems not to be well with the Abia State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on zoning of the governorship seat.

One of its governorship aspirant, Ndubisi Ogah, said it is the turn of Abia North to produce the govenor and that nobody can change it.

He said the zoning issue has divided the party ahead of its primary as thousands of PDP members are deserting.

Ogah said, in 2015 some politicians from Abia North senatorial district, who wanted to run for governor were asked to wait and allow Abia South to produce the govenor to balance the equation following the fact that Orji Uzor Kalu, from North, and Theodore Orji, from Central, had been governors.

He said: “In 2015 people from Abia North senatorial district, who wanted to be governor were asked to step down to allow Abia South senatorial district go on the basis of equity and fair play. They were assured that the seat will return to the North after the expiration of the tenure that the South will serve. That was how Abia Charter of Equity came on board  Now that the South has taken it for eight years, we don’t have to argue with anybody that it has to return to the North.”

The PDP governorship hopeful from Uturu in Isikwato Local Government Area lamented that Abia PDP is facing mass exodus ahead of the election as he expressed fear that PDP is likely to lose Abia if they refused to allow the people of the North senatorial district to produce the next governor, noting that Professor Gregory Ibe and many others have defected to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in protest against zoning the seat back to the North

He, however, said  he won’t leave PDP as he has bought the governorship expression of interest and nomination forms of the party and firmly decided that he will stay in the party and fight for the right of his senatorial district.

“I am aspiring to be Governor of Abia State under PDP because I have contributed enough to the progress of the party at the grassroots and so it is time for the party to pay back. I won’t be aspiring for governor if I don’t have a good  record. I won’t be aspiring to be Governor if I don’t have the popularity and acceptability within my party and beyond and I won’t be aspiring if I have not contributed to the welfare of the good people of Abia State,” he said.