By David Owei,Bayelsa <\/p>\n
As political consultations are rife for the choice of consensus candidates for the All Progressives Congress across Bayelsa State, political stakeholders from the Ogbolomabiri axis of Nembe Local Government Area, have intensified calls for fairness and strict adherence to zoning principles in the allocation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket for the Brass\/Nembe Federal Constituency ahead of the 2027 general elections.<\/p>\n
In a strongly worded position emerging from a consultative meeting in Nembe, leaders, youth groups, and community influencers from Ogbolomabiri (Nembe Constituency I) insisted that the time has come for their axis to produce the next member of the House of Representatives under the APC platform.<\/p>\n
Historical Imbalance Since 1999<\/p>\n
Stakeholders highlighted what they described as a \u201clongstanding structural imbalance\u201d in representation since Nigeria\u2019s return to democratic rule in 1999.<\/p>\n
According to them, all individuals who have represented the Brass\/Nembe Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives have emerged from the Nembe-Bassambiri axis.<\/p>\n
“Before the Fourth Republic, one Prof Telimoye Oguara, of Bassambiri served in the 3rd Republic. At the start of the Republic in 1999 to 2003, another Nembe Bassambiri son succeeded him, in the person of Barr. W.W. Wuku. <\/p>\n
“Then followed by Hon. Michael Kalango (2003-2007) and Hon. Foingha Jephthar (2011-2019) who represented the Brass\/Nembe Federal Constituency for two tenures. Anytime it had been zoned to Nembe; it is the Nembe Bassambiri enclave leaving that got selected leaving out Ogbolomabiri completely from the political equation since 1999 till date. <\/p>\n
“Now is the time for a son of Nembe Ogbolomabiri to pick the APC party’s ticket to win the general election. They might argue that Bassambiri is only constituency 2 and not 3.. But we are not micro zoning. Mini\/Ikensi,\/ Oluasiri are all part of the bassambiri stock . Just as Okoroma \/Tereke are part of the Ogbolomabiri enclave.”The stakeholders reiterated.<\/p>\n
They argued that, despite Ogbolomabiri constituting Nembe Constituency I and playing a significant role in the political and electoral strength of the federal constituency, it has never produced a federal lawmaker.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis pattern has persisted for over two decades,\u201d a community leader stated. \u201cFrom before 1999 till date, representations at the National Assembly for Reps have consistently rotated within Bassambiri blocs, leaving Ogbolomabiri completely excluded. That is neither equitable nor sustainable.\u201d<\/p>\n
Call for Zoning in Line with Senatorial Precedent<\/p>\n
The stakeholders drew parallels with the Bayelsa East Senatorial District, where zoning among Ogbia, Nembe, and Brass Local Government Areas has been largely respected since 1999, contributing to relative political stability and inclusiveness.
\nThey emphasized that the same principle should now be applied to the Brass\/Nembe Federal Constituency, particularly as it is widely acknowledged that it is Nembe\u2019s turn to produce the next representative.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor equity, justice, and political balance, zoning must not only be preached\u2014it must be practiced,\u201d a youth leader noted. \u201cJust as the senatorial district has rotated successfully among the LGAs, the federal constituency must now reflect internal equity within Nembe itself.\u201d<\/p>\n
Demand for an Ogbolomabiri Candidate<\/p>\n
The group unanimously called on the APC, as the dominant political force in the state, to ensure that its ticket is zoned to Ogbolomabiri and that a consensus candidate emerges from the axis.<\/p>\n
They stressed that beyond zoning, the choice of candidate must reflect competence, credibility, and a verifiable track record of service to the people.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are not asking for tokenism,\u201d another stakeholder said. \u201cWe are demanding fairness backed by merit. The candidate must be someone with proven social capital, grassroots connection, and a history of commitment to public service.\u201d<\/p>\n
Warning Against Imposition of Unpopular Candidates<\/p>\n
Stakeholders also warned against the imposition of aspirants who, in their view, have previously held public office but failed to inspire confidence or deliver meaningful impact.<\/p>\n
They cautioned that recycling individuals with weak public trust\u2014particularly those who have served as former state lawmakers or commissioners without tangible goodwill\u2014could jeopardize the APC\u2019s chances in the general elections.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe electorate is more aware now,\u201d a civil society representative remarked. \u201cCandidates who have been tried and found wanting will face rejection at the polls. The APC cannot afford to gamble with unpopular figures.\u201d<\/p>\n
Again, it was hinted that some of those aspirants for the Brass\/Nembe Federal Constituency Seat in the APC are yet to teder their resignation from their political appointment as required by the law.<\/p>\n
“Since they have failed to put in their resignation letters before attempting to contest for the seat, that’s a sign that they are only waiting to be endorsed from above instead of showcasing their agenda for a better Brass Nembe Federal Constituency. This can be used against the party in post primary litigations if these persons are cleared to contest.” The statement averred<\/p>\n
A Test for APC\u2019s Internal Democracy<\/p>\n
Observers say the unfolding situation represents a critical test of the APC\u2019s internal democracy and its commitment to fairness ahead of the primaries.
\nStakeholders insist that adopting a consensus candidate from Ogbolomabiri with broad-based acceptance would not only correct historical imbalances but also strengthen the party\u2019s electoral prospects.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe path to victory is clear,\u201d a party chieftain concluded. \u201cRespect zoning, choose a credible Ogbolomabiri candidate, and carry the people along. Anything short of that risks division and electoral setback.\u201d<\/p>\n
As consultations continue, political watchers note that the decisions taken by the APC leadership in the coming week for expression of interest and nomination form sales, could significantly shape the party\u2019s fortunes in Brass\/Nembe Federal Constituency\u2014and test its ability to balance power, equity, and electoral strategy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By David Owei,Bayelsa As political consultations are rife for the choice of consensus candidates for the All Progressives Congress across Bayelsa State, political stakeholders from the Ogbolomabiri axis of Nembe Local Government Area, have intensified calls for fairness and strict adherence to zoning principles in the allocation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":12969,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[6454],"class_list":["post-12968","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics","tag-principles-allocation"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12968","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12968"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12968\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12970,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12968\/revisions\/12970"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12969"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12968"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12968"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12968"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}