EKPEYE PEOPLE BESIEGE NWUCHE; URGE HIM TO RUN FOR SENATE

As political activities towards the 2019 general elections heightens, opinion leaders of Ekpeye Ethnic Nationality in Rivers have besieged the former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Rt. Hon Prince Chibudom Nwuche to demand that he represent them at the red chambers of the National Assembly as Senator representing Rivers West Senatorial District.
In their separate visits, the opinion leaders, chiefs, elders, women and youths that cut across party lines, trooped in their numbers to Nwuche’s Port Harcourt residence and called on him to come out and contest as he is the candidate of the Ekpeye people and Rivers West in general.

Speaking during one of the visits, High Chief Kroham Joel told Prince Nwuche that they were in his residence to confirm rumours milling around that he said he is “no longer interested in the senate but rather to concentrate on his businesses” with the reason of having contested twice but was robbed of his victory by party leaders in the state”. Chief Kroham told Nwuche that the message from Ekpeye people is that he should forget the past and come to the aid of the people who are in dare need of a voice and effective representation at the National Assembly which according to him, “you are the only one for now who can give Ekpeye the needed representation” especially now that it is the turn of the Ekpeye tribe to produce the senator of the Rivers West senatorial District”
Chief Kroham Joel who was one time President General of the Ekpeye Apex Socio-Cultural Organisation – Uzugbani Ekpeye Logbo, told Nwuche that the delegation which cuts across party lines, represents the general wish of the Ekpeye people who insist that it does not matter under which party platform, but that Nwuche should answer the call of the people and run for the Senate which according to him, is certain that he will emerge victorious this time around and his presence in the senate will end the long marginalization and suffering of the Ekpeye people. Chief Kroham regretted it is so unfortunate that despite the fact that Ekpeye is the third largest ethnic group in the entire Rivers State and the largest in the Rivers West Senatorial District, they have suffered marginalization occasioned by “so called power brokers in the state who do not wish the Ekpeye people well but determined to subjugate the people at their selfish interest, emphasizing that this time around the people have resolved to take their destiny in their hands to ensure that Nwuche represents them at the Senate.

In another development, Hon Blessing Agbi, a former chairman of Ahoada West Local Government Area, told Nwuche that it is the yearnings of the Ekpeye political class and the masses that he contest and represent the people in the Senate come 2019. He said the Ekpeye people have resolved to set party affiliations aside and support him massively to realize their ambition that will change the political fortunes of the Ekpeye people for the better.

Also speaking, High Chief (Engr) Samuel Ekiye maintained that “now that it is the turn of the Ekpeye people to occupy the position of the Senator for Rivers West Senatorial District, all hands must be on deck to ensure the realization of this objective”. According to Engr Ekiye, other smaller tribes in the district like Ogba and kalabari have been senators for twelve years each making a total of twenty four years, so Ekpeye must be allowed to exercise their right to run fully their tenure of at least 8 years, stressing that any party that wants the support of the Ekpeye people must first concede to the rights of the Ekpeye people to occupy the Senate come 2019.

Appealing to Nwuche to consider the interest of Ekpeye and contest, Chief Gowon Okoko, a personal assistant to the Ekpeye Monarch, His Royal Majesty Eze (Flt Lieut) Robinson O. Robinson CON, The Eze Ekpeye Logbo of Ekpeye Kingdom, urged Nwuche not to be dissuaded from politics inspite of the many politically instigate persecutions he has been through in recent times including the target to undermine his businesses by some prominent leaders of the APC in the state who occupy a ministerial position as God will continue to vindicate him and bring to shame his persecutors.

In his responses, Prince Chibudom Nwuche repeated to the delegations that he is done with contesting for Senate having tried twice in 2011 and 2015 and despite winning the primaries by the popular votes of the people, the victory was upturned by party leaders in the state who do not want him over imaginary fears but rather prefer those they regard as “loyal” who eventually go there and do not remember the people. Prince Nwuche pledged to continue to support the Ekpeye course in any manner he could but that this time around his businesses which by the grace of God have sustained him for over sixteen years since he left political office, are of paramount interest to him but that he will ponder over the request of the people.
He urged them to be resolute and ensure that credible and popular candidates emerge to represent them at all elective positions as that is the beauty of democracy as against the politics of godfathersm and imposition of unpopular candidates which has mostly contributed to the underdevelopment of the country and impoverishing the people as those who emerge through imposition do not care about the masses but only about their families and their god fathers.
It would be recalled that Prince Chibudom Nwuche contested the primaries of the Rivers West Senatorial District under the PDP in 2011 and 2015 respectively but despite winning overwhelmingly, the results were later changed by the leadership of the party in the state, a situation that made Nwuche to defect from the PDP where he has been for 16 years to the APC over injustice in the PDP.