Hon Stanley Nwabuisi


By Tony Icheku


Ahead 2023 General Elections, one of the offices that will be keenly contested for,  includes State Constituency positions for the respective Houses of Assembly nationwide. And by populist verdict the Ikwuano State Constituency, Abia state has been declared vacant

The legislative seat  according to a consensus of opinion must be declared vacant as its present occupier, Hon Stanley Nwabuisi has failed to live up to the people's expectations.

In a democracy the legislature symbolises the power of the people as it's functions confers on it the eyes, ears and voice of the people in governance.

Indeed, representation - of the interests, grievances and aspiration of the people - is the legislature's foremost function and the basis of it's legitimacy.


That Ikwuano people had been lacking in representation since 1999 played out dramatically on October, 2021 when by Executive fiat, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu ordered that immediate repairs be carried out on Umuahia-Ikwuano-Ikot-Ekpene road. The governor's intervention was in response to protest by students and youths who blocked the road following the  killing a student of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, by articulated truck. It was one death too many on the then  impassable road.

 Following the start of the rainy season in 2021, the road became a death trap, journey from one end of it to another that would take 30 minutes consumed  endless hours. Accidents, often resulting in deaths became rampant. As the entire local government whimpered, groaned and suffered, not a voice was heard amplifying the unfortunate state of affairs. This was the point, the people's representative would have cried loud and consistent till action is taken. Of course, Abians are familiar with the strident voice of Hon Obinna Ichita representing Aba South State Constituency over bad roads in his Constituency.

The Umuahia-Ikwuano-Ikot-Ekpene maybe a Federal road, but after the protest, it was the State government that intervened with palliative repairs. How about the roads in Ikwuano that ought to have been repaired by the Abia Govt? Like the Amawom-Ihim-Amuru-Nkalunta road that is totally collapsed abd  shut down currently? Infact, over 80% of inter-community roads are hardly passable.

The questions on the lips of Ikwuano people is 'Does Ikwuano have no portion in Abia state?' 'Don't our representative sit in the House of Assembly when the Annual Appropriation Bill is passed into law?'

Next to law-making, control over finance or expenditure is the Legislature's next most important function. 'So is Ikwuano never captured in the Capital Expenditure of Abia?' And nobody asks questions about it?

Questions and more questions without answers have been the lot of Ikwuano people since return of democracy in 1999. One after the other, lawmakers who had represented the Constituency ended up representing only their stomach.

Such damning state of affairs which had seen Ikwuano in retrogression development wise is responsible for the search for a true people-centric representative.

According to Mr Chibuzor Moses, a community leader: "We Ikwuano people are looking forward to 2023 when we will pass our verdict on those currently representing us. It is not in dispute that Ikwuano is the most neglected in Abia state, and for me I put the blame squarely on the man currently representing Ikwuano in Abia State House of Assembly.

"I want to say with all sense of responsibility that the incumbent member, representing Ikwuano has failed woefully in all functions of a legislator: representation, law-making, and over-sight as far as we in Ikwuano are concerned.  I put it to you that any party  which fields him for a second term will meet with rejection at the polls. Remember what happened to Theophilus Ugboaja. No amount of rigging will save him, go across the length and breadth of Ikwuano and do your own findings"

Mr Eme Ukazu, a businessman, says those aspiring to represent Ikwuano State Constituency must be outspoken and independent-minded. "We want representatives whose loyalty is to the people, not godfathers. We don't want aspirants who are going there to work for their second term and end up doing eye service in order to be considered good boy and given an automatic second term. We also want people with definite future political ambition not politicians who would be satisfied being local champions "

According to Dr Nkem Ugah, such aspirant must be "people and development-centered"

For Mr Ndubuisi Francis, aspirants for the Constituency seat must be people-centric, not a selfish or self centered politician who would use the people as ladder to power.

"Ikwuano is the most backward in Abia. We need a lawmaker with empathy, with vision. One year is long enough to turn things around in Ikwuano"

Mr Nnamdi Ugoala, an IT expert says only those with requisite experience in community development and service to the people ought to be considered for the office. "We need a representative with vision and determination to drive economic development and empowerment in Ikwuano"

 For Mr Kame Ugah, a Chartered Accountant, echoing Warren Buffett, says "Integrity. Qualification and hard work should be used to assess a prospective House of Assembly aspirant. Definitely if he/she has integrity, he/she will carry people along."

The people, employers for the position have listed traits required of  prospective aspirants, but in the spirit of democracy, and in the spirit of give and take,  the incumbent need  convince Ikwuano people that in terms of  infrastructural development,  youth empowerment, health care delivery, human capital development and inclusion in state affairs, that he deserves right of first offer. The game is on.