Dr Max Nduaguibe signed a press Release on March 8, 2022 and claimed to be chairman of Ukwa La Ngwa Council of Elders and warned Senator Orji from disparaging and insulting their illustrious son, Gov, Okezie Ikpeazu. As he adopted a militant style, ‘no amount of intimidation, blackmail and insult from Chief T A Orji and his co-conspirators can scuttle the aspiration of of Ukwa La Ngwa of Umunneato from……..’ Knowing Max and his political antecedents, one would know that he is back to his old game of scheming for cheap popularity at all cost, most of the time reaping from where he did not sow.

In the first place, Max never supported Gov Ikpeazu and from inception did not hide his disdain for Equity which produced the Governor. He used his academic standpoint to publish multiple articles against equity unabashedly before the 2015 elections. In a treatise he captioned ‘Open letter to Governor T A Orji over the controversial zoning arrangement and Abia Charter of Equity,’ made under the auspices of Save Abia Now: A political pressure Group working for enthronement of Good Governance in Abia State.’ As he argued then, ‘I do so by enunciating the following reasons, why the governorship slot in the state should be open and ought not to be zoned for any reason but should be thrown open as usual for the best candidate to emerge. He gave a graphic historical insight of electoral trends in Abia and insisted that it should be left open stating profusely how Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, Sam Eke, Gashion Amuta, Chris Ukpabi, Lambert Nmecha, Augustine Alaribe and many others participated unhindered previously. In the same graphic illustration, he featured the figures and patterns of primaries of 1991, 1999, 2003, 2007 and 2011 primaries. A brilliant cataloging of Abia politics I must admit but what he stated about equity will shock you to the marrows.

‘This charter if suddenly dusted, invigorated and enforced, as is being demanded, will effectively but unjustly disqualify some eminent and qualified sons of Abia, who are widely believed (even if in the realm of grapevine) to be nursing Governorship ambition. Such unjust disqualifications will affect the impending candidacy of prominent Abians who are nursing interest to contest 2015 Gubernatorial Election from Abia North Senatorial Zone.

Disqualifying them (if and when they decide to run) using this Charter will be premised not on non-qualification, but on the mundane arguments being put forward that they part share the same Abia North Senatorial Zonal relationship, with Orji Uzor Kalu; who in any case contested and won his elections without recourse to zoning or this charter.  As he pressed further on Gov. Orji, ‘If you could win the election even in incarceration, I wonder why some people who in the last few years have emerged overnight multi-millionaires, and are afraid of throwing their hats in the ring,’ he stated. ‘Contesting the gubernatorial election even from the comfort of their cozy homes and newly acquired mansions. Why suddenly resorting to this sordid emotional blackmail called zoning and exhuming an outdated charter of Equity?

One wonders what Max was promised to start making a herodic case for people of Abia North who are being cut off by the equity. No doubt, he is envious of his Ngwa brothers getting a free ride from equity. In his thinking, it should be left for the rich and their children instead of those he described as vulcanizers and overnight millionaires. Just like King Herod thought that the expected Messiah will emerge from the Royal Family.

To drive his point home, he illustrated with football which he was certain would draw the attention of many.  ‘Implementing this Charter now, as is being demanded, is akin to i. Disqualifying CHELSEA FC, from further participation in UEFA Champions League and EUROPA League, for the mere fact that they competed and won against other teams for the 2011/2012 and 2012/2013 Editions respectively ii. Disqualifying Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroun, Cote d’ Ivores’ from future participation in CAF organized African Cup of Nations, to enable Togo, Benin Republic, Gambia and probably South Africa win future AFCON Competition iii. Disqualifying Spain, Italy, and Brazil etc from participating in future World Cup competitions, for winning past editions and to enable Nigeria,  Iran, and USA compete and win.’ Very unkind words for Ukwa la Ngwa group.

Max not done yet, went ahead with an erotic analogy. ‘We will like to end by quoting a statement of fact made like a joke by a top Abia politician of great intellectual bent, who once said:  “IT IS DANGEROUS AND WE MUST BE CAREFUL NOT TO LACE ANY GROUP WITH TOO MUCH POLITICAL VIAGRA, IN ORDER TO ENABLE THEM ACHIEVE A POLITICAL ERECTION”. We should not over-indulge any group or strata of the state.  All Abians (as usual) should be encouraged to contest. That is why it is called NDORO-NDORO-OCHICHI, and not NNYERE-NNYERE-OCHICHI.  Like that we will have a true Abia Governor and not an ethnic minded jingoist in the molds of an Ukwa La Ngwa Governor, a Bende Governor, Isuikwuato Governor etc.

Stoically, Senator Orj in 2015, discountenanced this open letter and its misleading persuasions, forged ahead with his conviction that equity will right the injustices on Ukwa la Ngwa People who were then derided as the land of deputies.

The story of equity in Abia is a story well known. Ngwa Professionals In Nigeria, and other pressure groups at home and diaspora lent their voices to this call cemented in the Ukwa la Ngwa declaration in Aba Stadium, Chaired by Elder Emma Adelu who called on all Ngwa sons and daughters to desist from the election of 2011 as to allow Senator Orji to complete his second tenure and hand over to an Ngwa Son.

Even when Senator Orji succeeded and Ndi Ukwa La Ngwa rolled out their drums in a historic than-you mission at Ngwa High School Aba, the self-acclaimed Elder Statesman was not there. He rather continued deriding his younger ones, calling Ikpeazu and other appointees Adegboroja personalities reveling on counterfeit power to which Don Ubani, present deputy Chief of Staff, replied in effusive language in 2016 as I will recall here.

‘I am intrinsically compelled to also draw your attention to the harsh, if not vulgar, choice of the words you employed in describing people you are supposed to be their respectable Elder. Is it proper and decent you use the appellations ‘neophytes, vulcanizers and motor-park touts’ to describe your kinsmen? Doc, I do not think your vociferation in this instance is suitable.

Those you have humiliatingly dismissed as persons with little or no education could be among the persons you ought to have assisted in advancing their education. The question that arises at this point, since you have almost raised it is, as highly educated and well-placed as you have been, how many graduates, not your biological children, have you helped your village produce?

With regards to your pessimism that Chief T A Orji and his Son gave a counterfeit political power to Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, I think I should disagree with you. Power that has lasted for more than thirteen months cannot be adjudged to be counterfeit. I am not holding brief for T A and his son, for William Shakespeare made me to accept that there is no art to read the mind’s construction on the face.

Here, I have to point out something that you, by far, know better than me and that is the fact that the Ngwa man is the worst hater of himself. Why must an Ngwa man, knowing that his fellow Ngwa had been favoured to be governor, drag him to court? The Ukwa man will not do that. You have not forgotten the case of Elder Chidi Imo of All Nigeria Peoples’ Party vs Rt Hon Adolf Wabara of PDP in 2003.

This development is an unprintable shame to all of you that are Ngwa Elders and elites!

Your silence, my dear Doc, is completely defeatist, a clear manifestation of selfishness and outright lack of patriotism.

I am not surprised that you have identified yourself with this stand because in 1996, when I came out to contest the Chairmanship of Ukwa-West Local Government Council on non- party basis, you used, allegedly, your contact with the late General Yar’adua’s political machinery to ensure that many aspirants in that contest were disqualified on false ground of belonging to National Democratic Coalition(NADECO).

The combined prayers of many of us whom you so badly frustrated ended up pushing you into political oblivion and rendering you irrelevant.

Lest I forget, my friend, Barr St Moses Ogbonna, told me some days ago that you abandoned a political project you had convinced him on in 2007 because Orji Kalu had given you a fake promise of being a deputy governor. You, therefore, are equally guilty of political pilgrimage.

Finally, I want to assure you that it is the God of equity that enthroned Dr Okezie Victor Ikpeazu as Governor of Abia State. No force shall dethrone him. Doc, good night Sir.

Going through the above, you can see the pitiable politician that Max is today. He has never been in any mainstream political party, only holing up where he will call the shots and when he ever ran for elections in 1999, he garnered votes that will not even get the envy of mere housewives. In the aftermath of 2015 elections, he supported Friday Nwosu, an obscure candidate who took Ikpeazu to all the levels of the tribunals. A very precarious move that would have marooned Ukwa La Ngwa if the courts granted the ambitious prayers of Nwosu whose votes could not average the required percentage.

Even if there is any grouse between Ochendo and Gov Ikpeazu, would it not have been wiser for an elder to call a truce between the factions if there were any and urge them to mend fences, but he rushed into a press release in a case he did not champion almost like a gangster. In his over 30 years of political activism, what has he brought back to Ngwa Land? A good appointment or projects?

The Umunneato should be wary and have consultations with their brothers in Abia. What Senator T A Orji did that gave such accolades as Papa Ukwu, Grand Governor, Father of Equity is that he insisted on Equity. As he insists today, we should follow the Equity standard that has already yielded results. We are done with political turbulence that leaves all in tears.

Senator Orji cannot condescend to be governor again. Even at that, he has promised to quit contesting for office come 2023 and as an elder who had served in many capacities without blemish, notably not failed in any election, still an outstanding statesman will always lead to a direction that will yield results and in truth, ignoring him could be at a huge cost. Umunneato Youths, beware! Know your leaders, Max Nduaguibe is not one of them

Eddie Onuzuruike