2023: National Assembly not your birthright – Ohanaeze to Abaribe’s

The Secretary General of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, has called on Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, to forget about returning to National Assembly for the fifth term in 2023.

Mazi, speaking against the backdrop of an exchange of political brickbats by political leaders, critical stakeholders and socio-political groups over Abaribe’s decision to seek reelection in 2023 to represent Abia south senatorial district for a fifth term in the red chamber of the National Assembly.

Senator Abaribe is currently pursuing his senatorial ambition under the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) after he left the PDP based on an allegation of injustice in the PDP.

However, Mazi, who hailed from Obingwa Local Government Area which formed Abia south senatorial zone, while speaking with journalists in Umuahia on Thursday, ruled out Abaribe’s decision to return to the senate for a fifth term, and regretted that the federal lawmaker has failed to justify the mandate entrusted to him by the people, especially towards enhancing their social welfare, and complementing the positive efforts of well- meaning Abians to raise the bar in Infrastructure in Abia south senatorial zone.

He said, “The National Assembly, particularly the Senate, is not the birthright of Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe. He has remained in the Senate for a long and has equally done his best. At this point in time, there is an important and urgent need for Abaribe to leave the political stage for other people with the needed and requisite capacity and expertises, to speak and attract necessary federal presence or Infrastructures in Abia south. He has played his role in nation- building, and advancing the course of igbo nation for better developmental welfare packages, and inclusion in governance which are highly celebrated and appreciated by Ndigbo at home and in diaspora.

“I’ll advise him to jettison his ambition to seek fifth term in office, and relinquish the Abia south senatorial seat to someone with track records of performance in public or private sector too, because we, the people from Abia south cannot afford to reelect or allow Senator Abaribe for 5th term, it will not help in our collective and positive efforts, and desire to deepen democratic process in the country.”