Eric Opah Campaign Defends Social Contract, Dismisses Critics

The Eric Opah Campaign Organisation has dismissed recent criticisms of Chief Eric Opah’s social contract with the people of Abia State, insisting that his vision and policy proposals remain unchanged and firmly on course.

In a statement issued on Thursday by the campaign’s Director of Media and Publicity, Eric Ikwuagwu, the organisation argued that governance should be conducted with morality and transparency, adding that individuals with inconsistent political positions lack the credibility to attack others.

The campaign specifically took a swipe at actor-turned-politician Kenneth Okonkwo, accusing him of frequently shifting political allegiances. According to the statement, anyone taking Okonkwo’s criticisms of Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi seriously should remember that he had previously been one of Obi’s strongest supporters and had also made harsh comments about former Vice President Atiku Abubakar before later aligning with him.

The organisation maintained that Chief Opah’s social contract with Abians was never framed as a direct response to Governor Alex Otti’s policies or actions. It stressed that the document represented independent policy proposals intended to provide alternative ideas and solutions for the state.

However, the campaign noted that some of the issues highlighted by Opah naturally touched on current realities in the state. It cited his position that the leadership of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Abia should be headed by an indigene of the state, describing it as a clear departure from the current arrangement.

The statement further referenced concerns raised by Opah regarding the non-implementation of the approved minimum wage for workers, promotions allegedly not accompanied by salary adjustments, the dismissal of workers without sufficient justification, rising youth unemployment, increasing house rents and living costs, the use of touts in revenue collection, and the destruction of goods belonging to petty traders.

The campaign also criticised former Chief Press Secretary to ex-Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, Onyebuchi Ememanka, noting that he had consistently predicted that Alex Otti would never become governor. It argued that the public should judge the credibility of his current political assessments based on his previous predictions.

According to the statement, one of the major weaknesses of the Ikpeazu administration was its inability to effectively communicate its achievements to the people. It claimed that the administration’s communication failures created opportunities for subsequent narratives to overshadow some of its accomplishments.

Reaffirming Opah’s political ambition, the campaign described him as the authentic governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State and said he remains actively engaged in consultations and mobilisation efforts across the state.

The organisation concluded that the future leadership of Abia would ultimately be determined by the electorate and not by social media commentators or individuals it described as political weathercocks.

The statement was signed by Eric Ikwuagwu, Director of Media and Publicity and Spokesman of the Eric Opah Campaign Organisation.