Death of Abia PDP Guber Candidate: Emenike, halts Campaigns
From Boniface OKORO, Umuahia
Abia State Governorship Candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2023 general elections, High Chief Ikechi Emenike, has joined other Abians in mourning by suspending all his political activities for a period of one week, with immediate effect.
The suspension of the APC’s guber candidadte’s campaigns is in honour of the fallen Professor Eleazar Uche Ikonne, the Abia State PDP governorship flag bearer who suddenly died on Wednesday, January 25, 2023.
To this end, Emenike has directed that his Local Government Campaign Trail scheduled to start on Friday, January 27, 2023 after the hugely successful flag off of his governorship campaign, be put on hold. He said that a new date would be communicated to the party faithful in due course.
Emenike described Ikonne as an erudite scholar, worthy gentleman and politician who earned and deserved every respect.
“By every standard, Prof Ikonne was an illustrious son of Abia having occupied high positions of responsibilities including the Rector of Abia State Polytechnic, Aba, and the Vice-Chancellor of Abia State University Uturu,” he said.
The Abia APC standard bearer further noted that Ikonne’s emergence as the governorship candidate of the ruling party, despite the crowded field, was a testament of his desire to serve Abia State.
He commiserated with the Ikonne family, the State governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, the government and entire good people of Abia State, and the Abia PDP, over the loss.
He prayed for the peaceful repose of the soul of Prof. Ikonne and asked God to grant his family and the entire state, the fortitude to bear the loss.
Emenike had on Tuesday held his 2023 Governorship Campaign flagoff ceremony which was performed by the APC Presidential Candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, at a very successful event attended by an unprecedented crowd of party supporters.
