Lawmakers from Ideato Nation, the home to former Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha, have formally endorsed Governor Hope Uzodimma as their choice for the Imo West (Orlu) Senate seat.
Okorocha, a native of Ogboko in Ideato South local government area of the state, had lately be claiming that he won the APC primaries for the Senate seat, despite the overwhelming victory recorded by Uzodimma, whose name has since been published as the APC candidate by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
To formally declare their stand, the councillors from both Ideato North and Ideato South local governments gathered at a bridge that Okorocha could not build in their area, but now being constructed by Governor Hope Uzodimma to endorse him for the Senate seat come next year.
They declared, unequivocally, that Uzodimma has done for them what their own son couldn’t do, hence, the unalloyed support for the governor.
The Legislative Councils of both LGAs, thereafter, jointly endorsed Governor Hope Uzodimma as their preferred All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the Imo West (Orlu Zone) senatorial seat in the 2027 general elections.
The endorsement was announced during an unprecedented joint plenary session of the two legislative councils, which was held at the Umuchima Bridge, a strategic infrastructure project in the Ideato area.
The lawmakers said their decision was informed by what they described as significant interventions by the Uzodimma administration in roads, erosion control, security, and other areas of infrastructure development across the communities.
The special session, which temporarily moved the legislative proceedings from the councils’ traditional chambers in Urualla and Dikenafai to the Umuchima Bridge, was described by the lawmakers as both symbolic and historic.
Moving the motion for the special plenary, the councillor representing Dikenafai, Hon. Donatus Ebere said the choice of the bridge as the venue was significant in view of the infrastructure challenges previously experienced in the area.
“Things do not just happen. We have found ourselves at the bridge in Umuchima, and that is what makes this a special plenary,” Ebere said while moving the motion to relocate the two chambers to the site in honour of Governor Uzodimma.
The motion was unanimously supported by members of both councils, who said the gathering was intended to recognise what they considered the governor’s contributions to the rehabilitation of critical infrastructure in Ideato.
The Leader of the Ideato South Legislative Council, Rt. Hon. Hyacinth Onyenekezi, subsequently announced the council’s vote of confidence in the governor and declared its support for his emergence as the consensus APC candidate for the senatorial position in 2027.
Onyenekezi also commended the administration of President Bola Tinubu and Governor Uzodimma over what he described as progress in infrastructure and security. He said the developments had further strengthened the APC’s position in the area.
“Ideato is strictly APC. We urge all other aspirants to step aside for our distinguished Senator,” he declared.
The endorsement also received strong backing from the Executive Chairman of Ideato North and South Local Government Areas, Hon. Chukwunonso Okparaeke, and Hon. Okechukwu Okwara, who described the governor as the best choice for the people of the area.
The council chairmen spoke during an inspection of road reconstruction works following the joint council session. They commended the governor for reconstructing a strategic economic road which, according to him, had been abandoned and neglected for years; pointing out that the road reconstruction was particularly important to the economic and social life of the communities, stressing that the governor had demonstrated a willingness to translate promises into tangible projects.
The council chairmen’s remarks came against the backdrop of growing attention to infrastructure rehabilitation in Ideato, an area that has faced major challenges arising from poor road conditions and severe erosion.
In Ideato North, the Leader of the Legislative Council, Rt. Hon. Otuodi Ezeonuegbu, also praised Governor Uzodimma for interventions aimed at controlling devastating gully erosion in the local government area.
Ezeonuegbu described the governor’s intervention as a major relief for communities that had previously been threatened by extensive erosion and had, in some locations, become difficult to access.
“Before now, this place was a no-go area, but due to the prompt intervention of the governor, we were able to recover it. By this time last year, there were so many gullies here,” the leader said.
He further warned that without the intervention, the continuing erosion would have posed an even greater threat to communities and infrastructure in the area.
“Without the intervention of the governor, Ideato would have been flushed away by erosion,” he said, while praying for continued wisdom for the governor in the administration of the state.
The lawmakers’ joint action effectively brought political endorsement and infrastructure appreciation together, with speakers repeatedly linking the governor’s reported interventions to the decision to support his political ambition.
The Umuchima Bridge, where the special plenary was held, served as a symbolic backdrop to the proceedings, reflecting the councils’ emphasis on infrastructure as a major component of their assessment of the governor’s administration.
The development also underscored the political significance of Ideato North and South within the Orlu Zone ahead of the 2027 elections. By adopting Uzodimma as their preferred APC candidate for the senatorial seat, the two councils signalled their intention to consolidate support for the governor within the area.
The councils maintained that the combination of road reconstruction, erosion control, and other interventions had contributed to renewed confidence among residents, while pledging continued support for initiatives aimed at improving the socio-economic fortunes of the Ideato nation.
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