By Kamsi Anayo, Awka
The Omor Community in Ayamelum Local Goverment Area of State has urged the State Assembly Speaker, Hon. Uche Okafor, to drop his third term ambition in the interest of fairness, equity, peace and unity in the area.
The community also called on the State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, to intervene in the political dispute.
The community threatened that if the Speaker refuses to drop his third term agenda, to respect the zoning arrangement instituted earlier by stakeholders from the constituency for various political offices, it could trigger political violence during the election.
It was gathered that the call was a reaction to the endorsement of the speaker by some people of the area including Omambala Women Traders Association, Ayamelum chapter for the Speaker’s third term reelection bid.
A community leader in the area, Barr. Mike Ikegbunam, argued that Omor community should be allowed to produce the next state constituency member in line with the zoning arrangement.
He said it was a breach of agreement for the incumbent Speaker from Ifite Ogwari to present himself for a third term in the constituency.
He insisted it was the turn of Omor community to produce the next lawmaker in the spirit of fairness, equity and to sustain the already existing peace in the area.
“When Hon. Uche Okafor was allowed to contest for a second term, we allowed him because he said the former Governor, Chief Willie Obiano, wanted to make him the Speaker of the House of Assembly.
But now, we can’t allow him go for a third term as it negates our zoning formular. Somebody from Omor should go this time around”, Ikegbunam said.
Ikegbunam drew the attention of various stakeholders to the impending breach of agreement by some political actors to actualize their selfish ambition which could be detrimental to the peace being enjoyed in the constituency.
“Since nobody from the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) is contesting the forthcoming primaries with him, I called on other contesters from the All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other parties filing candidates in the constituency, to get prepared for replacement, come 2023 generation,” he said.