Posted by From Gordi Udeajah, Umuahia on
EX-SENATE President, Adolphus Wabara, has discounted the widely held belief that he resigned his position on account of his alleged involvement in the N55 million bribery scam.
EX-SENATE President, Adolphus Wabara, has discounted the widely held belief that he resigned his position on account of his alleged involvement in the N55 million bribery scam.
Rather, Wabara insisted that he "resigned to demonstrate support for President Olusegun Obasanjo's subsisting anti-corruption war. It is the only way we would realise the legacy Chief Obasanjo wants to leave and the only way we can drive democracy along the line and allow due process to thrive."
Wabara made the disclosure last Wednesday at a civic reception hosted for him at his Ohambele village in Ukwa East Council of Abia State, by his friends.
Wabara commented on his predicaments during what he called an "ambushed reception" organised for him by his "Abia Friends" to mark his first homecoming since his tribulations. "I am happy my people saw it and prepared to carry me up. Nobody can change the history that I was the number-three-citizen of this country and that I am the first and may end up to be the only one to voluntarily resign from this position. I am always guided by my motto as in Exodus 14:14 in the Bible which reads "The Lord shall fight for you and you shall hold your peace."
The ex-Senate President thanked "Abia Friends" for the strange reception. "PDP is the party, Chief Obasanjo is the leader; thank God for and forget what happened. The fight against corruption must continue and would not respect or spare any culprit, it does not matter if I go in for it, I shall continue to task politically if I am not jailed politically. I did not abdicate my Senate presidency because I lacked intelligence. I do not praise myself, the records are there, at the right time, I will tell Abians and the Igbo race what I did for them. Be patient", he stated.
His wife, Felicia, thanked Nigerians for giving her husband their support, saying, "My husband tried his best. I will continue to support him even if he is in jail. His antecedents showed he will be great. His detractors saw what he would become, that is why they tried to stop him."
According to her, it is as if the South East states want to rotate the Senate presidency, a situation which she said could affect them politically. Mrs Wabara hails from Edo State.
Earlier, the chairman of the ceremony, Chief Okere Eruba, a former Ukwa East Council chairman under whom Wabara once served as a councillor, said the reception was the first in the series slated in the former Senate President's honour.
Three persons, Chief Felix Ebere, (Aba South); Rowland Osondu (Central) and John Okoro (North) each spoke for the senatorial zones in the state.
"Senator Wabara is still our leader and is still very relevant, he will help to and be part of the arrangement that will produce the next Abia State governor and the President in 2007. We thank God that he is alive, it is better he is alive as Senator than being a dead Senate President," one of the speakers said.
Among those at the reception were Chief (Mrs) Victoria Akanwa, ex-commissioner in both old Imo and Abia states; Chief Nwachukwu Dede Abia, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP acting Secretary and a women group called PDP Mobilisers led by Mrs. Nne Ndukwe.