The 2027 Abia State governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Eric Opah has appealed to Abians, particularly members of the Ngwa community, to remain calm and refrain from taking the law into their own hands following a controversial Facebook publication.
Opah, in a statement, said his attention was drawn to a recent post by a young woman on Facebook which, according to him, appeared to denigrate and stereotype the Ngwa people and Ala Ngwa.
He acknowledged that the publication could generate anger and pain among those affected, but urged the people not to respond to prejudice with prejudice or allow the incident to provoke actions capable of causing disorder in the state.
“No people should be reduced to a stereotype as demeaning as the content of that post,” Opah said, adding that young people should not be made to believe that an entire ethnic group could be judged by the perceived actions or shortcomings of a few, particularly where such claims remain largely unproven.
The APC governorship candidate also expressed concern over what he described as the government’s failure to pay adequate attention to incidents of this nature, warning that social media provocations, if unchecked, could create tension among youths and communities.
He called for peace, mutual respect and tolerance, urging his supporters and the wider public not to allow the publication to divide them or trigger ethnic retaliation.
According to him, Abia’s diversity should be a source of strength rather than a tool for political manipulation.
Opah described the people of Ngwa as accommodating, industrious, resilient and enterprising, noting their long-standing contributions to the development and welfare of people living in their communities.
He further called for the building of an Abia where people can freely identify with their ethnic backgrounds without discrimination.
“We shall re-invent an Abia where an Ngwa man does not have to apologise for being Ngwa; where an Aro, Ohuhu, Bende, Isuikwuato, Ukwa or any other Abian does not have to defend his identity before being respected,” he said.
The APC candidate urged his people to “sheathe their swords,” stressing that dignity and respect could not be restored through anger, ethnic retaliation or the demonisation of others.
He said lasting peace and development would instead require good governance, fairness, economic opportunities, justice and deliberate efforts to rebuild trust among Abians.
“It will be well with Abia,” Opah said.
