By Ugochukwu Alaribe

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Abia State, has carpeted Chief Charles Ogbonnaya, who is an ally of the president candidate of the party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, over his comment against Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu’s relationship with his Rivers state counterpart, Nyesom Wike.

Ogbonnaya,who is Atiku’s campaign director in Abia State and former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in the state ,had urged Ikpeazu to stop following Wike and tackle the infrastructural deficit confronting his state.

However, in a statement by the Acting Publicity Secretary of the PDP in the state, Elder Amah Abraham, the party said Ogbonnaya has become a social media activist who has been attacking the Governor in the last two years because he lost favor of the state government.

The party noted that Ikpeazu has performed better than his predecessors in the provision of infrastructural facilities in the state.

“Nothing can be more condescending for a man like Charles Ogbonnaya who has reached such a lofty height in politics and should know the internal workings of government and the rudiments of political communications to ebb to the lowest level possible and turn a non-issue into a political big-fight for the sake of selfish personal interest.

“For a man like Chief Charles Ogbonnaya who served as a high-level Commissioner under Governor Ikpeazu and has unfettered and unimpeded access to the governor to take to the public space to advise the Governor is a clear proof that the advice is not ordinary but fully laden with bad political intent.

“During the time Charles Ogbonna served in this government, at no point did the issue of Abia’s infrastructural decay take center stage in his engagements with the governor; privately or publicly, but suddenly and very explainable, has in the past two years, become a social media activist whose stock in trade is attacking the governor and his government.

“For the avoidance of doubt, Charles Ogbonnaya and those in cahoots with him should understand that Abians are not unaware of the undercurrents that propel such ill-informed outbursts that are intended to embarrass the government. In due course, Abians who we are sure know the subterranean influences would be told the full story of Charles Ogbonnaya and his ilks.”

The party described Ikpeazu as a leading light in the party and a forceful voice in the Southern Governors Forum, SGF, as well as the Nigerian Governors Forum, NGF, who is well positioned to stand in the gap for the South East and his state as far as permutations for 2023 and beyond, are concerned.

“Governor Ikpeazu’s high-level involvement in the 2023 struggle has become imperative given the rising tide of extraneous forces that seek to push aside the PDP at the national level. For one thing Alhaji Atiku Abubakar holds Governor Okezie Ikpeazu in high esteem and sees him as one, if not the only person that can moderate as well as modulate the Nyesom Wike influence which is threatening to undo the PDP.

“For the records, the political romance between Governors Okezie Ikpeazu and Nyesom Wike is based on mutual respect and of equal value and significance as colleague-governors. While Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu was at the commissioning of some projects in Rivers State last week as duly invited by his colleague, same gesture has also been extended to Governor Wike to be part of the commissioning of some flagship projects in Abia State next Monday to mark the closure of celebrations for the 31st anniversary of the creation of Abia State.

“Charles Ogbonnaya should understand that Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu has more stake in the PDP than he does and will not descend to the level of exchanging words on the pages of social media with him.