2023 State Assembly election: Ndume extraction adopts Nwachukwu as the sole candidate, urges political actors to respect zoning arrangements
By Chijindu Emeruwa
Ahead of the 2023 election for the seat of Umuahia East Constituency in Abia State House of Assembly, people of Ndume Otsuka Ibeku in Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State, the hometown of Nigeria ex-First Military Head of State, Late Major General Thompson Umunnakwe Aguiyi-Ironsi, have reechoed the call for power shift to Ndume Otsuka extraction of the state.
Rising from an enlarged meeting held in Umuohu Okpula Town hall on Saturday, the people of Ndume Otsuka Ibeku bloc, insisted that the peaceful arrangement propagated by political fathers of Umuahia East state Constituency must be sustained, calling on the constituents of the area to toe the line of peace and support Ndume extraction for the State House of Assembly seat in the upcoming 2023 election in Abia state.
They spoke under the umbrella of Defend Ndume Mandate 2023 during the enlarged meeting well-attended by the twelve communities that formed Ndume Ibeku autonomous community in Umuahia East state Constituency, which contained in a communique issued to newsmen in Umuahia on Tuesday.
The people insisted that for peaceful coexistence, respect for zoning, and political inclusiveness, Ndume’s quest should receive support from the sister wards in the constituency.
According to them, “Umuahia East State Constituency since 1999 adopted an unwritten principle of equity to let the house of Assembly seat go round the four wards: Ibeku East 1, Ibeku East 2, Ndume and Ibeku west.
As a sequel to this rotation principle, in 1999, Hon. Dan Egbeogu of blessed memory represented the Ibeku Eastward 1 and relinquished the office in 2003. In 2003, Rt Hon. Chidiebere Nwoko represented Ibeku East 2 and relinquished the office in 2015. In 2015, Ibeku East again ascended the seat through Hon. Chukwudi Apugo who is the incumbent House member till 2023″.
The people also declared and posited that it would amount to disservice should Ndume extraction be denied their inalienable rights or opportunity to produce the next Member of Abia House of Assembly in the forthcoming election, stressing the urgent need for all and sundry in Ndume to come together and chart a way forward in realizing Ndume’s ambition for 2023.
They vowed that the Ndume Extraction will not recognize any aspirant seeking the nomination in the House of Assembly election in 2023 if the person does not come from Ndume since the essence of rotation is to reduce the complaints of marginalization by other wards
“The people of Ndume Otsuka have resolved to unite and begin to sensitize the good people of Umuahia East State Constituency on the need to uphold the principle of rotation to ensure equity, justice, and good conscience”, they further added.
The indigent people of Ndume Otsuka Ibeku also unanimously adopted Sir Innocent Nwachukwu to represent them in Umuahia East Constituency in the State House of Assembly come 2023, hinging their position on the fact that he has the capacity, sagacity, finance, reach, maturity, vision, political will and carriage to change the narrative in Ndume in particular and Umuahia East in general.
They disclosed that they will galvanize party faithful across the length and breadth of Ndume land to ensure that they avail themselves of the opportunity in the ongoing Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) being organized by INEC.
The people reiterated their unflinching support and implicit vote of confidence in Governor Okezie Victor Ikpeazu, on his landmark achievements in Abia state, encouraging the governor also to fulfill those very promises he made to Ndume people during the Ndume mega rally of 2018.
The people of Ndume Otsuka Ibeku further applauded the value-driven, people-centered, and boundless creativity of the Representative of Abia Central Senatorial District in National Assembly, Senator Theodore Ahamfule Orji, and the Speaker of State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Chinedum Enyinnaya Orji.
According to them, “both have steered a steady course of quality representation, improving our daily lives in countless ways.
Part of the communique read, “That Ndume Otsuka people take pride in our (Nwa time) Hon. Chukwudi Apugo, the mouthpiece of Umuahia East State Constituency at Abia State House of Assembly for his focus on providing top-notch services to his people. We urge him to reflect upon the in-depth roles played by Ndume Otsuka people in his emergence in the previous elections and reciprocate the same support by ensuring a smooth transition of seat to a Ndume aspirant in 2023.
