By Foster Gabriel
Of all the things that have been written or said about the federal House of Representatives position for Isuikwuato\Umunneochi constituency in Abia state, the one that made visible impression on me was the recent one dropped by Chief Dave Agwalla (Okwadike) a patriotic and prominent son of Isuikwuato in Abia state.
I would like to quote part of his message for emphasis, “We cannot do well as a people in politics, if we don’t elect, from among us, good, patriotic, unbiased and committed leaders, which can take our people to the next level. Politics have so divided us and sometimes, cause us to hate one another. Those who try to encourage or help are abused, called names and discouraged, because we think they are arrogant, disrespectful, and too young or just “who does he think he or she is to direct or push us around. But those attributes are required to move the people, with the support of elders and those who know.
“We must elect electable good political leaders of our extraction or we are not going anywhere. Period
“We started well in 1999, when our elder, rtd Gen lke Nwachukwu was elected to the Senate to represent Abia North and Hon Uche Maduako to the House of Reps for lsuikwuato and Umunneochi. Suddenly and after just the first 4 years, our brother left his Senate seat to fight for the Presidency, neither much unprepared nor properly consulted. He lost both of course. Chukwumerije took over from him as Senator and kept the seat for about 12 years. He even died as a sitting Senator.
Hon Uche Maduako, on his own part, was in the federal House of Reps for only 8 years, when a delegation of ndi Eze from Umunneochi came calling and were able to convince both our own Eze/elders and Uche’s father, late Chief JD Maduako, that he should vacate the seat for Hon Nkiru Onyejeocha, who as at now has been there for 16 years and wants to go for another 4 years, to make it 20. Interestingly, both Hon Nkiru and late Sen Chukwumerije are/were from Isuochi, in Umunneochi. The rest is history they say.”
If this message is not catchy and clear enough, then nothing else is. The last part of the piece also was quite poignant, “Dr Onyinye Kay Rufus-OBI, we all know, is well qualified to get our votes in this election. By her background, exposure and contacts, she’s the best candidate out there to achieve the desired results.
“We must close ranks and rise above all political and sectional boundaries to achieve something in politics, to move our communities forward. We cannot achieve anything if we remain so divided.”
People like Chukwuma Shaft Amaram (Polemics), regular analyst on the political affairs of Abia state and also a proud son of Isuikwuato has severally canvassed unity to vote in block for a candidate that will deliver the desired results. Others have written.
One major takeaway in most of the write-ups is that fight for the House of Reps this 2023 for Isuikwuato\Umunneochi constituency is between Dr Onyinye Kay Rufus-OBI and Dr Nkeiru Onyejeocha. The projection does not end there. The odds are against Dr Onyejeocha because having stayed in the House for 16years and wanting to go again goes against natural justice, equity and good conscience. Many have described it as the height of greed. Besides she is considered arrogant ala the APC campaign flag off show of shame in Umuahia where she took Senator Orji Uzor Kalu (a fellow senior party member) to the cleaners with reservation.
Before then, many have described her intention to go for the 20th year as dead on arrival. She has done the little she could and has nothing again to offer. This is why there is unanimity to vote her out in mass. Funny enough, those championing this are even her party members who are pissed offer by her arrogant shenanigan.
Dr Onyinye Kay Rufus-OBI is the APGA candidate with robust curriculum vitae. There are other contestants in the race, like the PDP and others, but like a writer captured it, such other candidates are mere pretenders propped up by certain personalities to play spoiler roles. Some among them cannot even differentiate between a beauty pageant and serious game of politics. They have no articulated ideas, and no visionary impact.
Dr Onyinye Rufus-OBI from what I dissect in all the write ups, stand way above them in terms of ideas, contacts, interest aggregation, political mobilization and consensus building. These qualities are rarely found in a person, but the APGA candidate has them all in one.
It goes without saying that if something dramatic must happen in Isuikwuato\Umunneochi after being consigned to the backside of the desert for so many years, it is only a person of the stature of Dr Onyinye Rufus OBI that has the capacity to do this. She is selfless and does not seek her own.
It will be quite tragic for the people of Isuikwuato \Umunneochi to miss this golden opportunity of voting somebody with bubbling ideas ready to make a great change for those who believe the position has become their personal estate, or even those who do not even understand why they are running for the position.
Saturday 25th February is a great moment and will decide whether the constituency will remain the way it is or take a new turn. Voting Dr Onyinye Rufus-OBI , whose father were among those that championed the creation Abia state and passed the baton to her daughter will be a decision thatwill forever remove darkness from the Isuikwuato\Umunneochi communities going forward.
Picture: Dr Onyinye Kay Rufus-OBI
