By Chijindu Emeruwa.
The All Progressives Congress, APC, and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have been asked to stick to their constitutional rules include the immediate past Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, Dr Uche Sampson Ogah in the ballot for the coming 2023 gubernatorial election in Abia state.
A pro-democracy group in the mainstream of the governing All Progressives Congress in Nigeria ,Progressive Youths for Justice, Accountability and Development Initiative, made the demand in a statement on Saturday.
The latest demand by the APC youth body came on the backdrops of the recent court judgement which sacked
a former Pro-chancellor and the Chairman, Governing Council of the University of Nigeria Nsukka in Enugu state, Mr Ikechi Emenike, and however affirmed Ogah as the authentic Abia state Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the forthcoming general election in the state.
Recall that the leadership of the All Progressives Congress had in May 26, 2022, conducted a parallel primary elections in Abia state which saw the emergence of Ogah and Emenike as Governorship candidates in Abia State for the 2023 main elections respectively
Despite the controversies and outbursts by majority of critical party leaders, stakeholders and members across the 17 Local Government Areas in the state, the APC national leadership submitted names and details of Mr Ikechi Emenike, party leadership submitted the names and details of Mr Ikechi Emenike as its Abia gubernatorial Candidate to the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Against this backdrops, Dr Uche Ogah approached an Abuja High Court to challenge the eligibility and nomination of Emenike by the leadership of the APC.
However, Progressive Youths for Justice, Accountability and Development Initiative (PYJAD), while reacting to the outcome of the legal tussle on the conducted May 26 parallel gubernatorial primaries by APC in Abia state, applauded the high court verdict which affirmed Dr Uche Ogah as the authentic Govrenorship candidate of Abia state for the March 2023, adding that Nigerian judiciary arm of Government has truly proven to be the last hope of a common man with this landmark judgement.
The political pressure group, noted also that the court’s adjudication and final judgement has roundedly saved the Abia chapter of the APC from disintegrations and imminent failure especially now the Abia electorates are heading into another general elections which had always provided them great opportunity to come out during elect those capable to lead them, and address numerous of Infrastructural decadence, poor and dwindling economy, insecurity, dilapidated and poor road Infrastructure network, fall in rising standard of education, unproductive policy thrusts to foster impactful and robust human empowerment and development aimed at making them self-made, self-reliant and self-dependent and productive etc, positing that All Progressives Congress has come to stay in Abia state, and assured that Abia APC is ever ready and poised to win majority of political offices in the state in the coming next year general elections, and continues to imbibe on the democratic principles and ideologies on which APC was founded by true lovers of civilzed democracy.
While confiding that the All Progressives Congress Governorship Candidate for the 2023 main elections in Abia state, Dr Uche Sampson Ogah possessed the needed capacity, requisite competence and expertises to fashion out results-oriented solutions in addressing devastating economic deficits and Infrastructural decadence scattering in many parts of the state when elected into the office in 2023, the organization lauded Ogah’s uncommon courage, determination and steadfastness in ensuring justice prevail at last, after a successful trial of the pre-primary election matter at the high court level.
The pressure organization explained that the foremost Abia-born entrepreneur cum politician has excellent, incomparable and overwhelming track records in the area of human empowerment and capital development, industrialization, philanthropy, construction of houses to hundreds of Abia Indigenes and non Indigenes, facilitation of employment into federal and state ministries, departments and agencies for many people from Abia and beyond people.
Words: He has also facilitated federal government approval for establishment of a federal polytechnic in Umunneochi local government area in Abia state. And has equally assisted and complemented efforts of successive government or administration in building critical human and Infrastructural projects such as the world-class auditorium in Abia State University Uturu(ABSU) and too numerous to mention.
“It is a verifiable facts that Ogah who is widely known to having different business conglomerates across Nigeria federation, African continent and the globe which have over ten thousand indigent Abians and residents drawn from youth men and women folks.
Continuing, the youth advocacy body said, “As a serving minister of the federal republic of Nigeria in charge of federal ministry of mines and steel development, Ogah facilitated and secured the approval by Federal Executive Council
for the full reconstruction of Uturu-ABSU-Akara roads in Isiukwato Local Government Area, and faciliation of huge number of impactful Social Investment Business Development Programme/ Schemes that has geninuely in turn, empowered large population of the unemployed and less priviledged Abians, and many number of non-indigent Abians.
“Also while still in federal ministry of mines and steel development, Dr Uchechukwu Ogah has displayed the wherewithal in reforming the mining sector and the economc diversification drive of the current administration.
It would further be recalled that Dr Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah, had as a result of hardwork, and well as, through transformative policies and programmes, has raised the bar in the Nigeria mines sector, especially in the area of revenue generation, and has wonderfully enhanced the economic stability being witnessed currently in the most populous country in Africa continent.
“Just recently, the nominees from Abia State graduated from Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development on Solid Minerals Processing Training held in Abuja. The Abia indigenes were facilitated and sponsored for the federal training scheme by this great man Dr Ogah. The training programme on Solid Mineral Processing was designed by the federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development in collaboration with the World Bank, has trained some youths across the Nigeria federation in order to make them become self reliant and seelf dependent, as it also stated was in line with effort by the federal government to promote the processing of solid minerals in the country. The project is one of the federal government’s Initiative in the development of the downstream sector towards the diversification of the economy through solid mineral resources.
Concluding while tasking Dr Ogah on mend fencing and kick-start of genuine and positive reconciliation among defected and present members of APC in Abia, aimed at bringing them back in fold of the progressive party, the Progressive Youths for Justice, Accountability and Development Initiative, urged party stakeholders, members and mammoths of teeming members, and Abia electorates to continue to sustain their untradeable and maximum supports to the doyen of Abia rejoice, as the coasts are now clear that he will successfully emerge the next Governor of Abia state at the end of forthcoming 2023 general elections in the state and many other states in the Federation.
“We can attest to this fact that Uche Ogah is only and ultimate alternative to Abia’s economic rejuvenation and Infrastructural resuscitation, and the closest routes to more robust and productive industrialization, and numerous of other critical infrastructure as contained in his developmental blueprints for a betrer Abia state we shall be proud to call our own”.
Also recalls that Ogah had also on 26th of May, 2022, emerged as the Abia governorship standard bearer of the All Progressives Congress in the recently-concluded gubernatorial primary elections for the forthcoming 2023 general elections in Abia state.
He was declared the winner of the just concluded gubernatorial primary elections after he scored 141,952 votes to beat his closest rival, Paul Ikonne who scored 27,054.
Other gubernatorial aspirants includes, Chief Ikechi Emenike who polled 9,446, Emeka Atuma with 7,429, Obinna Oriaku with 5,553, Alex Otti scored 2,41, and Daniel Eke who got 1,953 at the keenly contested direct primaries.
Born on December 22, 1969 into the great family of Late Chief Wilson and Ezinne Pauline Ogah in Onuaku Uturu, Isiukwato Local Government Area of Abia State, and also had his education
at Ishiagu High School, after which he worked at West African Examination Council (WAEC) from 1986–89, before he proceeded to the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT), Enugu State where he obtained Upper Credit at Ordinary National Diploma (OND) in 1992 and Distinction at the Higher National Diploma (HND) Level in 1995 in Accounting.
He also attended University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) where he obtained a Postgraduate Diploma in 2005. He also has a Bachelor of Science degree (Banking and Finance) from Ogun State University and a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from University of Lagos. Ogah obtained his ACA in 2007.
He is a Fellow, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN); Fellow, Institute of Brand Management of Nigeria; Fellow, Nigerian Institute of Shipping; Fellow, Employment & Career and member, Chartered Institute of Bankers.
