The Abia gubernatorial election has come and gone with Dr. Alex Otti declared winner by the INEC. Though stories in varying degrees have been told of how the Labour party won the day, no one has told about the men, their principles, reasons and personality that made them decide to work against the PDP government.
Few men held the axe for the relatively unknown LP in Obingwa. Ironically
those men who were considered as political underdogs ended up springing lots of upsets for the ruling PDP. Many attribute the incredible performance of the LP in Obingwa to the doggedness of those men led by Dr CC Okwuonu and Dr Eric Egwuibe and others who are mainly professionals.
That Obingwa was largely considered as the fiercest of the Abia battle zones was because of the resilience of those men..Eventually, they were able to harvest 3,776 at the gubernatorial election to come second after PDP that won with 7,962 .
An interaction with one of the LP Party leaders in Obingwa yielded some revelations. And that was not quite surprising as plenty of Abia professionals like Dr Egwuibe could no longer stand askance and watch few cabals occupy the political space in the Local Government Area.
That was the reason behind the formation of the Obingwa Stakeholders Forum, a group of Obingwa professionals that came together to ensure that the local government was not to be used as cannon fodder for electoral heist anymore.
The Group did not only ensure that the local council was freed, through massive campaign and sensitization, it also ensured that the people’s votes counted thereby enthroning Dr Alex Otti in the state’s governorship saddle. The Forum’s eyes are now on the State.
To this end, it has restructured its board of trustees and renewed its vigour to ensure a better Abia. While Dr CC Okwuonu Chairs the board of Trustees, another financial expert Egwuibe, a doctorate degree holder in financial accountancy and a seasoned Chatered Accountant, Chairs the Stakeholders. Together they are poised for the new task ahead.
Explaining the reason behind the restucturing, the Chairman of Obingwa stakeholders and ex member of Abia state University governing council Dr Egwuibe said, ” The inauguration is to key into the incoming transformative and visionary leadership of the Governor Elect.”
He went on, “Given the need to champion a common, united, strong and well-focused Labour Party Stakeholdership in Obingwa, the Agalaba and Uhie LP Stakeholders Forum that were hurriedly constituted for election convenience were collapsed and henceforth ceased to exist, to among others pave way for the reconstituted Obingwa Labour Party Stakeholders Forum to function effectively..”
Members of the BOT are now made of astute professionals like Dr CC Okwuonu,Prof Joel Ogbonna,Dr Achi Egwuibe,Dr Stan Onungwa,Dr Ebere Uzoukwa,among others, who are seasoned in their respective field of endeavors.
Egwuibe who has also led other Ngwa socio-cultural groups in several national and local positions noted, “That upon considering the urgency of ensuring an effective but smooth take-off of the Obingwa Labour Party Stakeholders Forum and her Board of Trustees, the meeting unanimously constituted and affirmed the leadership positions with the election and the inauguration of
“Dr. C. C Okwuonu, Chairman, Board of Trustees and Dr. Eric Egwuibe, Chairman, Obingwa LP Stakeholders Forum and others .
