Orji storms out of guber debate

By Anayo Okoli
ABIA State governor, Chief Theodore Orji, yesterday, stormed out of a political forum organized for governorship candidates in the state by the Catholic Church in Umuahia. The governor said the environment was hostile to him.

Organized by The Justice, Development and Peace Commission, JPDC, in collaboration with Kolping Society, all groups in the Catholic Church, to enable the governorship candidates sell their programmes to the voting public. It was held at the conference Hall of  Mater Dei, headquarters of Umuahia Catholic Diocese.

The debate was attended by six governorship candidates, including the governor, representing the PDP, Prince Paul Ikonne of Action Congress, Reverend Obioma Onyeaghala, Community Party of Nigeria, Comrade Chris Akomas of PPA, Chief Stanley Ohajuruka of Labour Party and Emenike Owanta of the Democratic Front for Peoples Federation, DFPF. The Congress for Positive Change candidate, Chief Ako Atulomah, sent in a representative.

Governor Orji arrived to see a hall filled to the brim and which was somehow cold to him, even as he was waving hands to the audience.

When he was given the opportunity to address the audience, Orji observed that he was not well informed about the programme.

According to him,he thought he was coming to talk to the people on a level playing ground only to discover that he was in an hostile environment.

Specifically, Orji was provoked to the level of abandoning the debate forum when he was booed by a section of the audience immediately he was introduced by the master of ceremony, an action he complained bitterly against.

The governor alleged that the audience was not neutral and also alleged that the hall was populated by his opponents, particularly, members of the Progressive Peoples Alliance, PPA, and as such, he could not address the gathering. He then dropped the microphone and left with his convoy and supporters and went to Aba for another programme.

All pleadings by the Bishop and other clergy did not make the governor to change his mind. He therefore concluded that the venue was not conducive for him to participate in the debate as according to him, there was no level playing ground for all candidates and if it the debate must go on the organisers should pick a neutral place.

“When I got the invitation I was told that I will be coming to talk to voters in the state.I have now noticed that this hall is filled with members of the Progressives Peoples Alliance (PPA) and I should not be seen talking to them”, the governor said and dropped the microphone and left.

Not happy with governor’s action, despite their persuasion for him to stay, the organizers insisted that the debate went ahead.

Reacting to the development, Labour Party Governorship candidate, Ohajuruka, said it was embarrassing for the audience to boo the governor. “He is still our governor and we should all accord of the respects that were due to him. I condemn it.”

Akomas on his part said it was unfortunate that the governor did not sit through the forum, adding that he would have loved to listen to his manifesto.

“When he came in, I stood up for him because he is my governor and my elder. I was looking forward to listening to his manifesto. Unfortunately, he did not even present his manifesto to Abians seated in the hall before leaving”.

Asked what he would tell the governor because of the way he abandoned the forum, the Catholic Bishop of Umuahia Diocese, His Lordship, Dr Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, said he was still thinking of what he would tell the governor.

He said the forum was an enlightenment programme aimed at sensitising the public on the manifestoes of those seeking their votes and for the candidates to convince the electorate why they should cast votes for them during the April polls.

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