Abia 2011: Parties draw plans for battle ahead

Source: The Nation Newspaper Published:Tuesday, January 26th, 2010

Thief Benjamin Kalu, founder of BenKalu Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) based in Abia State, may be nursing a dream to become the next member to represent the Bende Federal Constituency in 2011. He first contested the House of Representatives seat in 2002. He lost and got appointed the Transitional Chairman of the council area. He was later nominated for the post of commissioner but was later appointed an aide to the former Governor Orji Kalu on chieftaincy Affairs. He is now an adviser to Gov. Theodore Orji on Millennium Development Goals and International Aid Corporation.He has used every opportunity to be seen as a friend of women and youths of the area.

This is a source of concern for Hon. Nnenna Ukeje, who is representing the constituency at the National Assembly. Ukeje allegedly emerged in what observers saw as a manipulation of the last election. Now, he has to contend with Kalu, who is said to be warming up for the seat on the platform of the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA). Bende is the home of the party’s Board of Trustees chairman.

Through the Foundation, he is reaching out to the people of the constituency, especially women and the youths.

At a recent programme organised by the Foundation, over 500 citizens cutting across the entire political wards in the area got items including bags of rice and other foodstuffs, salt, milk, sewing machines, generating sets as well as mobile phones and accessories.

The coordinator of the Foundation, Emma Onwuchekwa traced Kalu’s interest in politics to the inaguration of the Fourth Republic.

His words, "His politics is a mixture of candour, selflessness and sportsmanship, and to this end, he socially engineered a new style in Bende politics which is more of politics of inclusion than exclusion. His resoluteness to advance our political process and touch families has nothing to do with his being a big actor in public office, rather it is a passion that is borne in his person".

Shortly after the programme, the Special Adviser to Governor Orji on Agriculture, Silas Ekeh, commended Kalu whom he described as a frontline philanthropist in the area while insisting that, "he has a heart and is doing the work of God."

The traditional ruler of Bende community, Eze Ariwodo Kalunta insisted that Kalu knows the secret of giving, especially to the less-privileged in the society while noting that that his approach to life is in tandem with the PPA’s stand to empower people. He also said that if the youths were empowered adequately the crime level in the society would reduce drastically.

Political watchers believe that the relationship between Kalu and Orji Kalu, the founder and president of the Reality Organisation, Chief Mrs. Eunice Uzor Kalu, the Chief of Staff to the Abia State governor, Chief Mascot Uzor Kalu and other members of the Uzor Kalu family, is a great advantage for the unassuming politician.

However, the same PPA, the platform that Kalu wants to use in realising his ambition has lost the former Commissioner for Works, Prince Paul Ikonne to the Action Congress (AC) with about 2000 of his supporters, a move he believes will help him actualise his aspiration and liberate the state.

Declaring in Aba, Ikonne said "It is search for power on a platform that has the same ideological stand that made me to join AC. It is the party I hope to stand and help to make things better for the people as it is the moving trend and provides a new political leadership".

The former commissioner recalled that he had served was the state creditablyin many capacities.

He said, "This movement to AC will provide a lot of things like comments, criticisms, challenges and others like them, but I am equal to all of them despite the manner they will come. I am ready to face them and will march forward for the sake of the people."

He then pleaded with AC officials in Aba zone, "I plead with the leadership of this great party at all fronts from my ward to my zone up to the state level to please admit me into their fold as one of them so that together we can move this state forward."Welcoming the new entrant, Uche Kalu, the Abia South Zonal Chairman of AC, noted that all AC governors had turned their states around like in Lagos and Edo states, adding that the party was not known to fail in anything they engage in.

Kalu described Ikonne as a tested hand, "having succeeded in several capacities that he has ever found himself, and he is the type of man we want in our party, as we are determined to change the face of Abia state".

Also speaking, the State Chairman of AC, Obi Aham described Ikonne as a true democrat, adding that the party is gathering democrats in the country to move to the next level.

Aham described AC as a party of great minds who have been well tested and assured Ikonne that his aspiration would be realised in the party, while asking him to stand firm on what he believes.

The high point of the occasion was the handing over of the party symbol, which is the broom, by Aham with which Ikonne is expected to sweep all the dirt out.

On the side of the PDP, members are said to be gathering all their machinery to get their people together for the battle ahead.

With the return of the former chairman, Chief Uzodinma Okpara who recently came back to the party with the aim of contesting for the governorship election, the party is also raring to go.

The PDP is also busy challenging the ruling party in the state to hold elections into the local government councils.

Its governorship candidate in the last election, Onyema Ugochukwu has faded out of the radar. It is not clear what his plans for 2011 are. He seems to have been shocked by the outcome of the Appeal Court verdict, which returned Orji as governor. Some of his supporters said he was merely taking a deserved rest ahead of flagging off the next round of the race.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ojo Maduekwe also seems busy with his job on the foreign turf that he has not had time to help build the PDP at home.

The All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) is neither here nor there as there are no clear indications that it is ready for the next general elections in the state. This is because there are no indications that the party is ready. Since the defection of Ikechi Emenike to the PDP, the party seems to be in limbo. This is because the state party chairman is openly supporting the state governor in all his activities.

Other political parties in the state are neither here nor there as there are no activities to show their presence in the state. Most of them seem to be interested in what they will get from the state government.

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