The Abia Central Students Association /Youth Movement has endorsed Bishop Ndukwo Onuoha of the African Democratic Congress as its consensus governorship candidate for the 2023 polls because of his track record.

The leader of the group, Emmanuel Sopuru, stated this in Umuahia on Monday, pointing out that Mr Onuoha was chosen on November 15 at the quarterly meeting of the body held at the Federal University of Agriculture, Umudike.

In a communique issued at the end of the meeting, the group stated that the cleric was chosen because of his investment in the state that had provided jobs for hundreds of youths.

Mr Sopuru, represented by a member of the group, Godfrey Ifeanyichukwu, said that Mr Onuoha had sponsored empowerment programmes and the training of at least 500 youths from the area in different skills.

He said that the group endorsed the governorship candidate because he came top among other candidates from Abia North Senatorial District.

The group said that Mr Onuoha’s “superb resume“ placed him head-and-shoulder above other candidates in the other parties.

It reaffirmed its belief in the sanctity of the Abia Charter of Equity.

It insisted that power must move from Governor Okezie Ikpeazu’s Abia South to Abia North.

Responding, the deputy governorship candidate, Glory Nwasimo, thanked the group for choosing Onuoha above other candidates.

Ms Nwasinmo admonished them to go into aggressive mobilisation of the electorate to support Mr Onuoha’s candidacy.

“I urge you to move to the villages and other communities and spread the message that God has sent a man to rescue Abia from untold hardship, as well as economic and infrastructure underdevelopment.

“Abia is not a poor state. We have money as an oil producing state but our leaders have refused to deplore our huge resources to develop our state.

“But thank God who has sent us Bishop Onuoha to liberate us from the hands of our oppressors and put Abia on the path of economic growth and development,“ she said.

The leader of Abia North Political Projects, Dr Uduma Nnate, who was at the event, also praised the students for joining their Abia North counterparts to endorse Mr Onuoha.

Mr Nnate’s group had on October 24 announced its endorsement of Mr Onuoha as the consensus candidate. 

(NAN)