Rep Sam Onuigbo


"APC will win hands down", declared Rep Sam Onuigbo while predicting the outcome of the 2023 governorship election in Abia State.

The lawmaker representing Ikwuano/ Umuahia North/South Federal Constituency  in the House of Representatives in an exclusive interview with a national weekly newspaper, Sunday Vanguard asserted that "...there is every real clear chance that APC will win, not by any force anywhere, just natural expression of disgust and dissatisfaction with what has happened in the State. It’s a just a natural, just ask people to vote and let the votes count"

"By the special grace of God,  APC stands in a very strong position to be able to wrestle power from the PDP.

"The ground is wet, the people are tired, they are not getting their salaries, everything, their pensions. So, many things are said, few are done and it’s been on for these number of years.

"So, are you going to be surprised? You cannot be surprised", he submitted

The lawmaker who is aspiring to represent Abia Central Senatorial district come the 2023 election further added that "APC strength in Abia is well defined. Individuals who have put themselves up for leadership have the potentials, proven track record of hard work and integrity, transparency. These are key virtues needed to be able to carry these people along. Leadership, exercising leadership means so much. It comes with sacrifice and not personal aggrandizement.

Onuigbo who also  spoke on the controversy over the zoning of the governorship in Abia pointed out that it is PDP's problem  and not an issue in the APC. However, examining the issue from the prism of credible leadership in Abia, he said:  "What I am saying is that I would like people to spend their valuable time looking for quality leadership, leadership that bears fruit for the common people, that is what people should bother themselves about because if you check it and you know exactly what I am saying, do I need to name states where you can see that the leadership has translated, converted, transformed the State?

He urged Abians to do some kind of self examination, evaluation and  assessment and then know what is the result: "What results are they getting from zoning in a quarter of a century? So, that is what I would like to say. I don’t want to get involved in a PDP generated controversy, no.

"But I will only ask the proponents of we have zoned to A, B, C. I said this on Channels and I want to repeat it now, you’ve used a process for nearly a quarter of a century and the process has not given you an encouraging results, after 24 years by next year of PDP controlled government in Abia, where the governorship has resided both in the north, in the central and in the south, can you put together the accomplishments of these 24 years and juxtapose it against your zoning or not zoning?

"Just put it together and say okay, after 24 years show me the achievements or are you just talking about zoning and not about governance, that is the question I have asked.

"Well, what I am saying is that show me their accomplishments and if after nearly quarter of a century you are finding it difficult to say between now and then, that is what we have done, in nearly a quarter of a century, a quarter of 100 years and you are still consumed by zoning.

"It is a simple thing, I have told you something, put 24 years one side, this is a product of, okay, religious adherence to zoning. Then you now brace that 24 years and then check what has been accomplished. So, if you do the analysis and comparison, then you will now be in a position, perhaps, with the constituents who have been voting all the way.

"Let me conclude this way; I have a member of APC who jumped into that fray. That is now a PDP affair even though any governor that is elected governs both APC, PDP, APGA. This is a PDP approach.

" I wouldn’t want to get involved in what PDP is doing, that may not necessarily be what my own party the APC would want to do. So, why get involved in PDP controversy?

The lawmaker who had been marked up  in terms of attracting infrastructural development to his constituency, explained that while it is not a legislative function, Nigeria's peculiar case, being a  developing economy and "therefore as a developing country, you have to do those things that have the potentials to help your constituents to have a new feel, a better feel of life otherwise if you restrict yourself just to legislation alone, they would be probably be wondering why you went to Abuja".