OPINION!! Bende 2027: You Cannot Repudiate Agreement That Helped You Emerged ~ By Emenike Okorie
The attempt by Ben Kalu’s camp to discredit the 2019 zoning agreement raises a fundamental question of political integrity: why is an arrangement acceptable when it serves your ambition but suddenly becomes “fake” when it is time to honour its underlying principle?
The agreement, as understood by its proponents, was designed to return the House of Representatives seat to Ikwuisii after Hon. Nnenna Ukeje’s tenure, in the interest of equity and rotation. OUK reportedly played a key role in the arrangement, while Ben Kalu was its beneficiary. Chima Anyaso was not a party to it because the arrangement was intended to shape who would emerge in 2019. It has also been claimed that Ben Kalu made a ₦500,000 donation in appreciation of the initiative.
Today, the same agreement has become an object of controversy because the question of succession has returned. But denying a document is not the same as disproving the historical circumstances surrounding its creation. If Ben Kalu’s camp disputes its authenticity, let the evidence be examined openly rather than relying on name-calling and political distractions.
Equally misplaced is the attempt to drag OUK’s Abia North senatorial ambition into Bende Federal Constituency’s zoning debate. These are different constituencies with different political arrangements. Unless a comparable agreement governing Abia North is established, the comparison does not resolve the issue before Ndi Bende.
Dr. Chima Anyaso has repeatedly stated that his ambition is about service, not personal acquisition, and that he intends to deploy his personal resources towards Bende’s development. That commitment, like every political promise, should be judged by evidence, transparency and accountability.
Ndi Bende deserve more than political theatrics. They deserve an honest conversation about equity, zoning, performance and the integrity of political commitments.
The question is not who can shout “forgery” the loudest. The question is whether political agreements should be respected consistently, whether their authenticity should be tested through evidence, and whether the principle of rotation should apply fairly when power changes hands.
In politics, credibility is not established by the agreements we celebrate when they favour us, but by the principles we are prepared to defend when they demand sacrifice.
