Ohuabunwa: I’m the candidate of choice for Abia North Senatorial ticket

Former Speaker, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament, Mao Ohuabunwa, represented Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives between 1999 and 2007. Currently seeking to represent Abia North Senatorial District, he tells Assistant Politics Editor, DANIEL KANU, his reasons for the aspiration.

Nigerians are on the march again, as echoes of 2015 general elections resonate across the land, with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) lifting the ban on campaigns. The exercise gets more exciting with political parties conducting their primaries and politicians angling for positions.

For many elected office-holders, the chicken is coming home to roost, as the electorate now lay ambush for those that have, within their tenure, paid little or no attention to the demands of their various constituencies, preferring instead to concentrate on feathering their individual nests.

There are also those that are staging a come-back, seeking to take up higher responsibility.

Mao Ohuabunwa, chartered politician, as he describes himself, and former Speaker of ECOWAS parliament, falls into the latter category.

Speaking with TheNiche in Lagos, Ohuabunwa disclosed that his constituency, Abia North, had been waiting for his return to the beat.

For him, the legislature needs to be strengthened, adding that if he is in the Senate, given his experience and competence, he would assist in consolidating the institution.

He recalled that his antecedents on outstanding public service would arouse enthusiasm and support for his re-election.

Ohuabunwa’s supporters recall, for instance, that he sponsored the first member’s bill at the House of Representatives that became an Act, the National Assembly Service Commission Bill.

Though some argue that the race to the Senate would not be easy for the aspirant, given that the senator he seeks to replace, Uche Chukwumerije, is one of longest serving senators, having been there for 12 years, he insisted that the senior lawmaker does not seem to have the steam he was known for, perhaps on account of age or other factors.

Asked if he has what it takes to confront Chukwumerije, he told our correspondent that there is nothing to be afraid of, as he remains the “the candidate of choice as it stands today”.

He said: “I tell people that I really don’t want to talk about Senator Uche Chukwumerije because of his age, his stature. Unfortunately, there is no way that question will not arise because there is somebody who is there and you want to take over from the person. On that note, I must speak.

“The senatorial zone, which is Abia North, is made up of five local governments and we started in 1999 with Isiukwuato Local Government, and we were represented by General Ike Nwachukwu. Nwachukwu did four years and left. Now we brought in our senator, Uche Chukwumerije, who today has done 12 years.

“You will agree with me that in his first tenure, you could see some vibrancy. But today, you can see that that fire is gone because it is natural that at certain age, you will depreciate in vibrancy, in operation, in activity, in strength.

“So we believe that 12 years is enough time for one to have done something and at least groom younger ones to go in your place. In my place, there is a saying that one cock does not crow all night. After a while, it stops for others to crow.

“Again, it is our resolve in this area that we need a little more, younger person in the Senate, one who can equate the level of vibrancy in the Senate today; who can also go there and get us more dividends of democracy. I have done it before at the lower House and the people could attest to my performance.

“We need a senator that can synergise and network with the other 108 senators to get something for Abia. The legislature is a place where you horse-trade, where you relate to be able to get something – because what is more important is to add value to the lives of your constituents.

“It is a place you need to come down from your high horse to relate with the people, and the truth is that now, more than ever before, we need a rallying point and I think I am well suited to provide that rallying point for Abia North.”

He urged those talking about automatic ticket to perish the thought, adding that the gesture could only be a product of performance.

“I was in the House, twice and we have talked about this issue of automatic ticket. But I tell people that such will not work because even your second term or third term is a product of your performance. The mandate is not a mandate of Abuja, but a mandate of a particular senatorial zone.

“It is the people that will say, go or return. That is why, even in the constitution, there is a clause for recall. That clause means, even after one-week, one month or one year, if the people are not satisfied, they have the power to recall you. The president or the governor cannot recall you; rather, it is the people that you represent that have such power,” said he.

He argued that even in America which Nigerians regularly make reference to, it is still their performance that speaks for them.

A firm believer of President Goodluck Jonathan’s transformation agenda, Ohuabunwa argues that the president deserves another term to enable him finish the projects he begun, just as he praised his state governor, Theodore Orji, for commendable performance.

“Of course, we in Abia with our legacy governor, are fully in support of President Jonathan. He deserves another tenure, given what he has put on the ground. I am proud of our governor, Theodore Orji. He has elevated governance. He has done so much in all sectors, and you could see how Abians are beckoning him to go to the Senate.”