Stakeholders in Anambra Central Senatorial District have thrown their weights behind the clamour for rotation of power from Anambra North to Anambra South in the 2021 governorship election as adopted by the state chapter of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide.
This was one of the high points reached at the end of the “one-day town hall meeting on the zoning system in Anambra State” held at King David Event Centre, Awka, the state capital on Wednesday.
The National Vice President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief Damian Okeke-Ogene, had revealed that the zoning arrangement was copied from the Association of Anambra State Town Unions (ASATU) following decentralisation of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide structure to the state level, which saw the beginning of allotment of the post of President to Ohanaeze while ASATU produced the Deputy President at local and state levels.
Okeke-Ogene, who is the Chairman of Board of Trustees of ASATU, described the former governor, Peter Obi, from Anambra Central Zone, as the father of zoning in the state has initiated the implementation in 2014 when he handed over to Willie Obiano from Anambra North Zone.
He said that the zoning formula had been adopted by Ohanaeze Ndigbo, ASATU, Anambra State Traditional Rulers Council, Anambra Elders Council and Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), among others.
In his remark, the former President of the National Association of Nigeria Traders (NANTS), Peter Ezeofor, said the business community in the state was solidly behind the agreement on the rotation of power, saying it should also be applied in the 2021 governorship election.
Also speaking, Chairman of ASATU Past Presidents-General, (Anambra Central Zone), Dan Igbokwubili, urged synergy between the past and present ASATU leadership to mobilise their communities to shun activities of any gubernatorial aspirant that is not from the South.
The former Chief Judge of the state, Justice Peter Umeadi and the Secretary of ASATU Presidents-General, Ben Akwudo, said that power shift reduces unhealthy political rivalry, gives a sense of belonging and encourages a spirit of equity, justice and oneness.
Justice Umeadi, who is a presidential aspirant on the ticket of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) for the 2023 election and Akwudo, opined that justice should start at home with rotation of power in the governorship election in the state.
