Benjamin Nworie in Abakaliki
A two-time member of the House of Representatives and Ebonyi South senatorial candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Hon. Linus Abaa-Okorie, has formally flagged off his campaign for the 2027 general election.
He stressed that he has learnt from previous service, and the zone can no longer afford representation that was ceremonial, distant, or uncertain.
Okorie said he would be a senator who would not disappear after the election but would operate a functional constituency system through which citizens can submit complaints, propose community projects and receive information on legitimate opportunities.
In his declaration at Okposi in Onicha Local Government Area of the state, the senatorial candidate noted that his zone must be represented by someone who can speak for their communities at home, engage institutions in Abuja and understand how wider development partnerships can be mobilised for opportunity.
According to Okorie: “I know the National Assembly. I know its possibilities. I also know its limits. I, therefore, ask you for your mandate not to experiment, but to work.
“I served for eight years in the House of Representatives, from 2011 to 2019. I chaired the House Committee on Agricultural Colleges and Institutions.
“I participated in legislation, appropriation, and oversight, worked with federal institutions, and facilitated employment, empowerment, education, healthcare, agricultural interventions, electricity projects, community development, and welfare support.
“For those eight years, I also served as a member of Nigeria’s standing delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly (JPA) — the inter-parliamentary body that brought together parliamentarians from African, Caribbean and Pacific states and Members of the European Parliament, and whose successor framework is today the OACPS-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly.”
He added: “That responsibility gave me practical exposure to international parliamentary cooperation, democratic oversight and partnership dialogue beyond our national borders.
“Through that platform, I engaged with issues that remain directly relevant to our people: human rights and democratic governance; sustainable and inclusive economic growth; trade and development cooperation; environmental sustainability and climate action; peace and security; and migration and mobility.”
“That experience matters because effective Senate representation should be able to connect local priorities with national policy and credible international partnerships.”
Okorie added: “Across Ebonyi South, the same story repeats itself in different forms. Graduates wait for jobs. Farmers wait for inputs and markets. Communities wait for development. Patients wait for healthcare. Traders wait for support. Artisans wait for tools. Young people wait for opportunities. Students wait for assistance, and indigent families wait for succour.”
He further added that all the candidates of the party in the zone were working together to ensure total victory in the general election.