No Zoning In Ideato, Ugochinyere Elected By People — Ex-Lawmaker

A former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Rufus Omeire, has rejected claims of a zoning arrangement in the Ideato Federal Constituency, saying the incumbent lawmaker, Ikenga Ugochinyere, was elected by voters.

Omeire, in a statement on Wednesday, said Ugochinyere was not a product of zoning but of the decision by voters in the constituency to elect him.

He warned that attempts to create a crisis around the issue could backfire.

The former lawmaker, who is the senatorial candidate of the Action Peoples Party (APP), described Ugochinyere as “the people’s messenger, a product of our people’s decision to elect a messenger they have confidence in, even while he was in exile.

“We don’t have zoning, and he can’t be a product of what does not exist. His closest challenger, who was the incumbent, was from Ideato South, went even up to the court, and Ikenga defeated him.”

He said he had previously sought a second term as an indigene of Ideato South but was not returned, arguing that previous representation did not establish a zoning arrangement in the constituency.

“Hon. Austin Chukwukere took over from Hon Mbadigwe, both from Ideato North. The people love Ikenga because he is a light and a messenger who will one day host the Ideato flag at the center of national and international politics, and we can’t exchange an exceptional, young, courageous leader with those who have failed at everything they’ve done in their lives.

“We can’t exchange a robust, over-active, capable young man with any new beginner. Let me also say it here that we are shortchanging ourselves in this quest to always change our Reps after one tenure. We can never achieve any meaningful development from the federal like this. We have finally gotten it right with Ikenga so he should continue the wonderful work he is doing.”

Omeire cited the Ideato Bridge as one of Ugochinyere’s major interventions, saying the lawmaker “single-handedly convinced President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to approve N26 billion for work to start before the state government wrote to the Ministry of Works to allow them to take over.”

He also challenged the Imo State Government to identify a project it had initiated in the federal constituency, saying “until they start the Amanator Isiekenesi Dikenafai Road and finish it, nobody can say they have done anything for us.”

Omeire also criticised those opposing Ugochinyere, describing them as “roadside clowns” and accusing them of launching a “kindergarten attack against a passionate messenger that his people love.”

He urged them to stop their “childish and ridiculous attempt to get attention,” alleging that the agitation was an attempt to secure an extension of their tenure.