Ukwa-La-Ngwa Forum Slams Political Communiqu├® Backing Ikpeazu, Warns Against "Revisionist Legacy"

The recent communiqu├® issued by a group of political figures loyal to former Governor Okezie Ikpeazu has sparked a fierce backlash from within the Ukwa-La-Ngwa community itself. The statement, which emerged from a stakeholders' meeting held at Ikpeazu's Umuobiakwa residence on May 27, 2025, was titled "Reclaiming Our Voice, Rewriting the Narrative" and attempted to reframe his tenure as foundational to Abia's current progress. But not everyone is buying that narrative.

In a scathing response published by the Ukwa-La-Ngwa Progressive Leaders Forum, Chief Diamond Onyeamam called the communiqu├® "revisionist" and "insulting to the lived experiences of Abians," especially the people of Ukwa-La-Ngwa extraction.

"Let history speak for itself," the statement began, dismantling claims that the Ikpeazu administration-from 2015 to 2023-was marked by infrastructural growth and empowerment. Instead, it pointed to widespread discontent, decaying infrastructure, unpaid salaries, and a general loss of public trust that culminated in Ikpeazu's emphatic rejection at the 2023 polls-even in his home base, Abia South.

"Governance didn't begin in 2023, but accountability certainly did," the forum noted, acknowledging that current successes under Governor Alex Otti are not just due to increased federal allocations but to integrity, transparency, and performance-a sharp contrast to the previous administration.

The forum also expressed deep concern over what it described as "personalisation of Ukwa-La-Ngwa identity." The communiqu├®'s assertion that "there is an Okezie Ikpeazu in every Ukwa-Ngwa person" was labelled not just false but "insulting."

"Our children inherit resilience, not failure," the group stated. "Ukwa-La-Ngwa youth deserve to aspire to higher ideals, not be shackled by political sentimentality."

The Progressive Leaders Forum insists that Ukwa-La-Ngwa identity is rooted in rich culture, history, and innovation, and must never be reduced to a single political figure. The call to "follow where Ikpeazu leads" was seen as undermining the dignity and independence of a people known for critical thinking and self-determination.

"We must reject efforts to use our ethnic identity as a shield for failed leadership," the group said, urging Ukwa-La-Ngwa citizens to prioritise truth, performance, and accountability over blind loyalty and political nostalgia.

The statement concluded with a passionate call to move forward under a new banner of introspection and merit.

"Ukwa-La-Ngwa is wide awake. We choose truth before tribe, performance before personality, and legacy before loyalty."

The internal division within the Ukwa-La-Ngwa bloc has now placed renewed focus on the legacy of the former governor-and whether his attempt at political resurgence will find traction or resistance within his own backyard.

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Between Legacy and Accountability: A Critical Review of the Ukwa La Ngwa Political Stakeholders' Communiqu├® of May 28, 2025.

The May 28, 2025 communiqu├® issued by select political figures following a stakeholders' convergence at the Umuobiakwa home of former Governor Okezie Ikpeazu has attracted considerable attention across Abia State. Titled "Reclaiming Our Voice, Rewriting the Narrative," the communiqu├® seeks to project a resurgence of Ukwa La Ngwa identity and reassert Dr. Ikpeazu's political leadership. As concerned voices within the same Ukwa La Ngwa community, we find it necessary to engage the contents of the communiqu├® critically and constructively.

On Legacy and the Danger of Revisionism

The communiqu├® attempts to elevate the Ikpeazu administration as the cornerstone of current progress in Abia State, crediting it with infrastructural development, youth empowerment, and administrative reforms. However, historical accuracy must prevail: the years 2015 to 2023 were marked by widespread discontent, infrastructural decay, protracted salary arrears, and a loss of public confidence. These are not political attacks; they are realities lived by the people of Abia, including Ukwa La Ngwa citizens.

The landslide rejection of Dr. Ikpeazu at the 2023 polls, particularly in Abia South, was a democratic verdict on his administration. The assertion that his governance laid a solid foundation for the present is not only inaccurate but dangerously revisionist.

Governance Did Not Begin in 2023, But Accountability is a Must

While it is correct to say that governance did not begin in 2023, it is intellectually dishonest to ignore that effective governance did. Increased federal allocations due to subsidy removal and better economic coordination may have improved state revenues, but fiscal performance and integrity in leadership are what distinguish administrations. The attempt to diminish present successes by invoking prior failures does not dignify past errors, rather it conceals them.

Ukwa La Ngwa Identity: Not a Political Instrument

The communiqu├® correctly affirms that Ukwa La Ngwa identity is cultural and historical. Yet, it contradicts itself by anchoring that identity solely to one individual. A people of nine local government areas, rich in history and talent, cannot and must not be reduced to the image or tenure of a single former officeholder. Leadership must be dynamic, inclusive, and rooted in merit, not nostalgia or entitlement.

To suggest, as the communiqu├® does, that "where he leads, we will follow" undermines the very dignity of a community known for its industriousness and independence of thought.

The Harm of Personalising Political Identity

Perhaps the most troubling assertion is the claim that "there is an Okezie Ikpeazu in every Ukwa-Ngwa person." This statement is not only false, it is insulting. Our children do not inherit failure; they inherit resilience, dignity, and ambition. Ukwa La Ngwa youth must never be defined by the shortcomings of any administration. They must be free to aspire to new ideals, not bound by political sentimentality.

The Path Forward: Accountability Before Allegiance

We must resist efforts to turn our ethnic identity into a political shield. True unity is built on introspection, not suppression of dissent. If the May 28 communiqu├® was a call to unity, it missed a vital element: accountability.

We call on Ukwa La Ngwa stakeholders to open a new chapter; one where we measure leadership not by titles held, but by lives impacted; not by loyalty pledged, but by integrity demonstrated. Ukwa La Ngwa is wide awake. And in this new awakening, we choose truth before tribe, performance before personality, and legacy before loyalty.

Chief Diamond Onyeamam

Ukwa-La-Ngwa Progressive Leaders Forum