As political parties brace up for their primaries, a case has been made for the Abia North Senate seat to be ceded to Arochukwu local government to end years of marginalisation of the area.
An articulate pressure group in Abia state, Old Bende Political Forum, has argued that of the three federal Constituency that make up Abia North Senatorial zone, Arochukwu/Ohafia has been shortchanged in producing the senator representing the zone.
In a news conference at Ohafia on Wednesday, by the Chairman of the Forum, Mazi John Okafor, the Forum regretted that whereas Arochukwu/ Ohafia Federal Constituency had only tasted the Abia North Senate Seat once since the return of democracy in 1999, the other Federal constituencies have held it between twice and four times.
” Isuikwuato/Umunneochi have held it four times with Senator Ike Nwachukwu and Senator Uche Chukwumereije while Bende federal Constituency has gone twice with Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, the incumbent. Equity demands that it should now revert to Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency, it submitted
The Forum noted that within Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency, Ohafia local government has dominated in holding political offices as it has produced the deputy governor of the state for three tenures while Arochukwu had nothing.
“Accordingly , we are pleading with the All Progressive Congress (APC) to cede the ticket to Dr Philips Nto from Arochukwu local government for justice and equity and to ensure easy sail during the main election. ”
It also declared that since Rt Hon Benjamin Kalu, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, would most likely be the governorship candidate of APC in Abia state, it makes more sense to move the Senate seat to Arochukwu LGA.
” It won’t make sense for both the governorship candidate and the senatorial candidate to come from the same Bende local government. There should be balance to give other areas a sense of belonging, “the Forum insisted.
It reiterated its earlier stance for the choice of Ben Kalu for Governor and Philips Nto for Abia North Senate seat, saying that both of them represented the state’s first eleven.
The Forum expressed confidence that the APC will win Abia in 2027 if the two candidates are fielded with other equally qualified candidates from the other zones.
According to the Forum, ” these candidates have the capacity and the pedigree to win elections. They are dynamic and educated young men who have proven their mettle in different areas of human endeavours, including leadership “
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