BY GRACE ELENDU
The people of Okigwe zone are at cross roads at who takes over from late Senator Benjamin Uwajumuogu, who until his death represented the zone at the senate.
His untimely death left Okigwe zone without a senator and barely 48 hours after he was buried, the race for Uwajumuogu’s replacement intensified.
A stakeholders meeting was convened by a political leader in the zone, Tony Chukwu, where stakeholders and contenders met and resolved to elect a senator who will guarantee effective representation for the people.
After the meeting, the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic and the attendant lockdown imposed by the Imo state government slowed down the intensity of the campaigns by the contenders and other political activities related to the contest.
However, political horse trading among the contenders for Okigwe senate seat has resumed after the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, announced plans to hold the polls and other bye elections in the country, including the governorship election in Edo and Ondo States.
At the moment, three political parties- the All Progressive Congress, APC, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA have aspirants in their fold, jostling to become the next senator of Okigwe zone. All the political parties are all rooted in the zone with vast membership and support base.
Analysts however contend that the key factor that will determine who wins the senatorial seat of the zone is the caliber and quality of the aspirants and not the political party they belong to.
A group, Okigwe liberators, said the task of electing “a peoples senator” is no negotiable. We are determined to ensure that the people of Okigwe zone elect senator of their choice.
Spokesman of the group, Mr. Godspower Anyanwu said the group is not aligned politically to any aspirant or political party but committed to ensure that the zone gets the best senator. According to him, he said gone are the days “senators who had represented the zone emerged from the blues”
“ We are not looking at the political parties. What will determine who wins the senate seat is who among the numerous contenders is connected to the people. We do not want big names. We are determined to get our true representative this time. This is our mission. Okigwe zone have never had so good, we are determined to get it right this time” he said
“Gone are the days political godfathers stay in the comfort of their homes and manipulate the process of electing our senator” he said
READ ALSO
