Abuja — Peoples Progressive Alliance (PPA) gubernatorial candidate for Abia State, Chief Kevin Ugboaja, has described the allocation of commissionership seats to Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftains as a systematic shortchanging of Abia people.

LEADERSHIP gathered that Abia State governor, Mr. Theodore Orji traded 12 commissioners to top Abia State PDP members, including a former minister, a former national officer and a serving senator, in order to be allowed a soft landing in the PDP.

The deal became necessary as Abia PDP had rejected former governor of the state, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu, who had earlier jettisoned the PPA where he was the Chairman of its Board of Trustees (BOT) and tried to defect to the PDP. Kalu's rejection was believed to be a gameplan to accomodate Governor Orji who could be arm-twisted to the bargaining table in view of his second-term ambition

Former Abia State PDP chairman, Chief Ndidi Okereke, confirmed to LEADERSHIP that Governor Orji allocated some commissionership positions to top members of the party.

However, the Mr Anthony Agbazuere, Special Assistant to the governor was belligerent when asked to comment on the issue. "Is the sharing of commissionership positions the only thing you have to write about Abia State?" he queried. "If anybody harasses us, we will harass them back" he shouted and switched off his phone. Earlier, he has refused to speak to this reporter contending he does not speak to reporters on phone.

Ugboaja who decamped with Kalu and Orji to the PDP in 2007 confirmed that he is still in the PPA, and aspiring to fly the party's flag, arguing that the party is still very much in existence. "We are sure taking over the Government House in 2011, at the end of the day, Governor Orji has to tell Abia people what he did with their money which he has not yet done"