Nnaya Eziyi, Umuahia
Senator Ike Nwachukwu has cautioned the leadership of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) against toeing the pathways that lead political parties in the country to crisis.
Nwachukwu stated this when the Abia State leadership of the party paid him an advocacy visit in his country home in Ovim in Isuikwuato Local Government Area.
He said the pathways include lack of defined ideology, impunity, imposition and substitution of candidates, election rigging and manipulation, thuggery, nepotism, bribery and corruption.
According to him, it is such issues that create security challenges such as Boko Haram, farmers/herdsmen clashes, kidnapping, armed robbery, and youth festiveness among others facing the country.
The retired army general, who held several strategic positions during the military era, blamed successive administrations for not doing enough yet, to arrest the situation.
Nwachukwu, who went to the Senate on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) advocated that old generation politicians should give way for the younger ones to take over.
Speaking earlier, the Steering Committee Chairman of the party in the state, Hon Chidi Nwosu said they embarked on the visit as a mark of honour for the former Senator for Abia North Senatorial District.
Presenting a copy of the membership register of the party for the senator’s Ezere Ward 2 and a membership card to him, Nwosu said there was at least one member of the party in every family in the state.
Similarly, the Acting Chairman of the party, Mr. Lawrence Irokansi said they were seeking the former senator’s blessing for their bid to win the state in the 2019 general election.
In his comment, the Convener of the party in the state, Ambassador Endurance Philips, said the party would bring credible and tested candidates to stand in the election.
Philips added that the position of the one-time military governor of the old Imo State on the restructuring of the country was in tandem with that of the party, hence they wanted to parley with him.
According to the Women Leader of the ward, Mrs. Nkechi Daniel, the visit could not had come at a better time than now when the state is looking for role models in leadership like the general.
