CHRONOLOGY OF REPRESENTATIVES OF BENDE FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY: The Need To Respect Equity And Zoning Principle In 2027

By Hon.Chief EMENIKE OKORIE, FCA

Bende Federal Constituency is a political constituency located in Abia State, Nigeria, representing the Bende LGA. The constituency’s citizens are primarily farmers and traders, and the issues they face include road access to farms and challenges from ecological problems like erosion. It is the only federal constituency in Abia State that comprises only one Local Government Area, whereas others comprise of two or three LGAs put together.

Bende Federal Constituency and Bende LGA is politically structured into two zones: Bende South (known as Ikwu Isii) and Bende North (known as Umunna); representing the two State Assembly Constituencies. Bende politics is very unique, and this uniqueness has a pathological fixation from the way our founding fathers,in their own wisdom, have strategically arranged the sharing of power and positions amongst these two geopolitical divides.

Although not quite explicitly writen, but in a gentle man agreement, the founding fathers adopted zoning principle as a practical political strategy to manage diversity and share power. The goal is to prevent the perpetuation of a “disunited character” and ensure that the system of governance support a democratic culture by making it more inclusive of all identifiable groups.

From the inception of the current democratic dispensation in Nigeria in 1999, Bende Federal Constituency have had her Representatives as follows:
(1) Hon.Nnamdi Njoku, from Bende South (Ikwu Isii) from 1999 to 2003. He did one term of four years.
(2) Hon.Mba Aja, from Bende North (Umunna) from 2003 to 2007. He did one term of four years.
(3) Hon.Nnenna Elendu Ukeje, from Bende North (Umunna) from 2007 to 2019. She did three terms of four years each, making a total of twelve years.
(4) Rt.Hon.Benjamine Okezie Kalu, from Bende South (Ikwu Isii), from 2019 till date. He has done one term of four years and is currently serving a second term of another four years.

In the light of the foregoing, one will observe that this position have been rotated between Bende North and Bende South, and on a single term bases, until in 2007 when it was supposed to be the turn of Bende South, but the zoning arrangement was disrupted by Hon.Nnenna Ukeje’s emergence from Bende North.

We all knew the political intrigues that played out then, resulting to the denial of the opportunity of Hon.Chief P.C.Mba who was a consensus candidate from Bende South and supported by both Bende North and Bende South, and the people of Ikwu Isii were robbed of their turn.

From then, things fell apart and the center could not hold anymore. Not only did Hon.Nnenna Ukeje usurped the turn of Bende South, she also broke the initial pattern of single term by doing three terms and wanting a fourth term until God used Dr.Chima Anyaso to stop her from seeking re-election for the 4th time, by winning the rulling party’s ticket ~ PDP. Because had it been Hon.Nnenna Ukeje contested in 2019 general election with Rt.Hon.Benjamin Kalu, she would have remained in the Green Chambers till today.

All of us from Ikwu Isii and most of our brothers from Umunna saw it as injustice against Ikwu Isii, and we fought for the position to return to Bende South, and we rallied support round Rt.Hon.Benjamin Kalu, irrespective of party affiliations. And Ben Kalu emerged in 2019, and was re-elected in 2023, currently serving his second term.

As build up to the 2027 General Election, it is pertinent that the zoning principle entrenched by our founding fathers and leaders be respected for the sake of equity and justice. It must be categorically stated and insisted upon, that it is the turn of Bende North to produce the next House of Representative Member for Bende Federal Constituency come 2027.

The importance of respecting and adhering to the zoning principle cannot be overemphasized. Zoning Principle in politics helps in no small measure to promote political inclusion and reduce marginalization by rotating political offices and appointments among different geopolitical divides.

By creating a system of shared power and representation, zoning aims to foster a more stable and democratic culture, thereby minimizing conflicts arising from the perceived domination or alienation of certain groups. Zoning seeks to ensure that various regions and groups within a social milieu have a chance to hold political power, preventing any single group from monopolizing offices. Zoning provides a mechanism for balancing the conflicting interests and demands within a diverse society, acting as a form of compromise to accommodate all groups.

As matters stand today in Bende LGA, the two key positions that the two geopolitical zones ~ Bende North and Bende South, are both occupied by the people of Bende South (Ikwu Isii). The Deputy Speaker of Federal House of Representative, Rt.Hon.Benjamin Kalu is from Bende South and he is serving his second term. The Mayor (Chairman) of Bende LGA is also from Bende South and he has a tenure of four years.

It, therefore, stands to reason that equity and justice demands that the next House of Representative Member should come from Bende North, and it should be for two terms period before returning to Bende South.

Equity, justice and moral conscience demand that the people of Bende South should support a candidate from Bende North to replace Ben Kalu in 2027, and Rt.Hon.Benjamin Okezie Kalu should be magnanimous enough to support an Bende North candidate to succeed him, in the spirit of equity and zoning principle of which he was a beneficiary in 2019. He shouldn’t contemplate seeking re-election, otherwise that will be his political albatross, because he will loose support. The best he can do in 2027 is to reciprocate the goodwill the people of Bende North and all of us from Ikwu Isii gave him by supporting a candidate from Umunna.

It is the turn of Umunna to represent Bende Federal Constituency at the National Assembly.

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~ Hon.Chief EMENIKE OKORIE, FCA (Omenma),
Is a Political Scientist from the prestigious Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka;
a Public Affairs Analyst;
a Ooet, an Author and a Prolific Writer;
former Deputy Chairman of Bende LGA;
the Chairman of Bende Youths Consultative Forum, and the Coordinator of Abia North Grassroot Leaders Forum.