If a group of voters have their way, the Abia State’s next governor will be a man who is already entrepreneurial-driven with executive experience in education, commerce and industry: Prof Greg Ibeh, the founder of Gregory University Uturu Abia State and Skill-G Nigeria Ltd.
The group voters, Ȯra Abia Home and Diaspora, is mobilizing 1 million registered voters, and recruiting 200,000 volunteers ahead of 2023 elections.
The Group is also circulating a petition and attempting to collect 1 million signatures by April 15 to convince undecided delegates of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to vote for Prof Greg Ibeh at the forthcoming gubernatorial primary.
Abia State is in the South-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria and has one of the country’s commercial hub cities, Aba.
In a race to replace the incumbent Governor Okezie Ikpeazu in the next general election, more than 20 candidates from the State are vying to become the governor.
According to report, 270,000 Abians have already signed the petition and signs touting Prof Greg Ibeh have been found all over Abia.
The group is also intensifying campaign efforts by encouraging Abians and its residents to register and obtain their Permanent Voters Card (PVC), developing support throughout Abia by canvassing door-to-door.
The Group stated they will validate the signatures, promising a grassroots campaign should Prof Greg Ibe emerge, adding” We want to be honest and be real”.
“Many Abia politicians are just testing the waters, but Prof Greg Ibeh has the best resume in the world for the job. We have to be realistic and look at the candidate best for the State. The truth of the matter is clear-cut to us; that the State must step up.”
So far opinion polls suggest that Prof Greg Ibe will top the field in the Peoples Democratic Party’s primary election and go head to win the general election.
The group talked about why Prof Greg Ibeh must be the Governor so as to create jobs, bring federal and international presence to the State, reduce crime across the State, and why his business background will help him run the state more effectively than every other candidate that wants to run;
“Perhaps no other candidate so far could match Prof Ibeh’s intellectual firepower. He is too independent to fit well as the State governor. He never follows the precept that to get ahead in politics, you had to get political godfather. With his sharp mind, he understands all the angles of a political play.
“From the hardscrabble streets of Abia, Prof Greg Ibeh rose to the very pinnacle of academic power. He believes in his bones in the greatness of Abia State, the greatness and unique potential of every individual; he is a colossal political mind and represents the very best of public service; he loves Abia, always determined champion progressive values and an unflinching voice for tolerance, inclusiveness, fairness, dignity, and opportunity.
“His people love him and always describe him as a true statesman with integrity and honor. He has a unique ability to bring people from both sides of the aisle together for the betterment of Abia; a standard bearer for leadership and bipartisanship.
“We want him as the Governor we will have a stronger, safer, more sustainable State,” he group said.