2023 : Students’ group endorses ADC Guber Candidate

Students under the aegis of Abia North Students Forum have endorsed Bishop Sunday Onuoha of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), as their consensus candidate for the 2023 governorship poll.

The students, led by their National President, Mr Ekugo Chukwudi, announced their choice of Onuoha at a newsbriefing in Umuahia on Friday.

The group’s Secretary, Miss Agnes Oti, who read its communique, said that Onuoha was chosen at its quarterly meeting of Nov. 2.

The body said that its immediate mandate was to ensure that the next Abia governor emerged from Abia North “in line with the Abia Charter of Equity”.

The students said that the forum was established in 1999 by former Gov. Orji Kalu “because of his love for education”.

They said: “The forum has been at the forefront of promoting and encouraging aspirants from Abia North from different political parties until the conclusion of the primaries.

“After the primaries, we discovered that 10 of the 18 political parties gave their governorship tickets to Abia North sons and daughters.

“It became obvious that as a people, we cannot go for the governorship election in 2023 with 10 candidates at the same time and expect to win.

“We have to rise on our feet as leaders of tomorrow by setting up a screening committee.

“Our consensus candidate after all due considerations of capacity, integrity, sound health, manifesto and Knowledge of good governance is Bishop Sunday Ndukwo Onuoha of ADC.”

They said that they were at least 5,000 in number with their permanent voter cards to deliver their choice candidate at the poll.

The Director-General, Abia North Political Project 2023, Dr Uduma Nnate, hailed the forum’s decision.

“We are the parent body and they are the youth arm.

“The decision they have taken corroborates our earlier stand, which is in tandem with the general aspirations and decision of the entire Abia North people,” Nnate said.

Also, the Deputy State Chairman, ADC, Mr Okwara Agwu, said that Onuoha’s endorsement by the students showed that the party did not make mistake in choosing the cleric as its standard bearer.

Natioal Daily reports that the forum comprised undergraduates from Arochukwu, Bende, Isuikwato, Ohafia and Umunneochi Local Government Areas that make up Abia North Senatorial District.