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‘He Became Too Comfortable’ FCT Residents Speak On Aduda’s Defeat During Senate Elections

Some residents and indigenes of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have described the time of Philip Aduda in the National Assembly as unproductive, stating that this was why he lost his Senate seat at the 2023 polls.

Aduda who has been in the National Assembly since 2003, sought re-election for his fourth term in the senate, but was floored by Labour Party’s Ireti Kingibe by a wide margin of 101,631 votes.

Although the PDP candidate says he will challenge the results in the election petition tribunal, many residents think Aduda has not provided the Federal Capital with quality representation in the red chamber to warrant re-election.

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Sharon Goje, an indigene of Byazhin in Bwari Local Government Area said Aduda had nothing tangible to show for his time at the senate.

“Senator Aduda has been in the senate since I was in primary school yet those of us who are indigenes are not seeing any benefit, there is nothing tangible that the senator has done other than proclaiming himself as the landlord of Abuja. Apart from his people in Karu, he has done nothing for the rest of us, so he should go and rest,” she said.

Asked if she was bothered that a non-indigene was going to represent the territory in the 10th assembly she said, “what has the indigene done for me? I personally don’t care about the state of origin of the new senator, I just want her to focus on bringing development to the villages as well.

“Some people don’t know that we have villages here in Abuja because the places are undeveloped, so she should just focus on those areas. I also supported Madam Ireti because she is a woman, and I think women should do more on the political scene.”

Clement Offor, an Enugu-born businessman who resides in Lugbe, said the Obidient movement was largely responsible for the defeat of Aduda.

“I think everything revolved around Peter Obi, personally I just voted for LP from top to bottom because of Obi, so the wave affected a lot of people including Aduda. When I voted for the woman (Ireti), I did not even know her, but I just put LP in all my votes,

“So, it wasn’t about Aduda that much, although people have said he is not working,” he added.

A civil servant who simply gave her name as Gift said residents of the FCT need a breath of fresh air in the National Assembly.

“Why must it always be him? (Aduda), is he the only qualified person? Let someone else be the senator so that we can have a breath of fresh air and fresh idea.

“I think he became too comfortable, I heard he even boasts that he is the landlord of Abuja and the people have shown him that they are the real landlord, so he should go and rest.”

Lawal Azeez, a septuagenarian, residing in Kubwa said Aduda has tried and deserves some credit, he blamed new voters and Obi supporters for his loss at the polls.

“I think he (Aduda) actually tried, I moved to Abuja in the early nineties and I can tell you for a fact that he has done quite well, he has been able to maintain a political system that always ensures he is re-elected, if the people were not happy with him, he would have been removed long ago, but everything that has a beginning must have an end, so maybe God has said his time is over.

“I think it’s this new generation of voters and young people that campaigned against him using the Labour Party man (Obi) because the new woman is not really known. But like I said earlier, it’s God that puts people in position, so he should just accept it as God’s will.”

FCTIreti KingibeLABOUR PARTYPDPPhilip Aduda
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