Politics
WHY I WANT TO RUN FOR COUNCILLOR ALADIMMA WARD 1
My names is Austin Udoka Onuigbo (JP) meaning, ‘Justice Of Peace’.
I hail from Uzii in Ideato North Local Government Area of Imo State.
*FAMILY BACKGROUND*
I am a father of one, a devoted christian with good upbringing.
Born on April 12, 1984, and that makes 40yrs plus now.
*EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND*
I am a HND holder on Food Science & Technology from Federal Polytechnic Idah, Lokoja in Kogi State Nigeria.
Also acquired a Diploma in Computer Engineering.
*POLITICAL SOJOURN*
I started active politics in the year 2014 in Aladinma Ward 1.
Member of People Democratic Party till June 2023.
I served the party then as a founding member of PDP New Media Directorate, pioneer of PDP Owerri Municipal Council New Media Directorate with 11 ward media coordinators under my watch.
I was the Owerri Municipal Coordinator of one of the largest Presidential Support Group then under PDP known as ATIKULATION
I later assumed the position of Owerri Municipal LGA PDP Assistant Publicity Secretary, on account of the zoning factor of PDP in Owerri Municipal Council. A post I occupied till my resignation in June 2023.
I joined All Progressives Congress in the year 2023, my entrance into APC in the ward contributed immensely in the victory of the party in the ward.
I was made booth leader of booth 017 Owerri Club, and served as party agent which I delivered the booth to my party All Progressives Congress during 2023 November 11 governorship election in the State.
My contributions, ideas and suggestions in the ward and strategic meetings, played a vital role in the victory of the party at the election in the ward.
During campaign, i worked with APC Owerri zone media team that promoted campaign activities of the party at the zone. The team was headed by Hon Julian Mendosa SA media to State party chairman Hon Sir MacDonald Ebere PhD who supervised the team.
As a new entry to the party APC, I discovered that a lot of party men and women are angry with the party at the ward. Many of them are not bold enough to say they are members of the party. I discovered their was no 100% loyalty to the party and lack of commitment from some members of the party.
They complained about not being carried along in the scheme of things in the party, especially when it comes to dividend and benefits as party members.
They were bittered that some few persons in the ward, are fond of highjacking whatever that comes to the party, including and submitting names of their family members who are not active members of the party, when it comes to benefits that comes to the party.
In my short stay so far in the party as a bonafide member of All Progressives Congress, I have truly discovered some of these their complains to be truly true.
I have seen recycling of same names of few particular persons always appearing in Owerri Municipal list whenever names are needed from the party for a particular assignment or benefits.
Hence, my passion to drive positive change in the party begining at my Ward level, change the narrative as being complained daily by true party men and women.
I have come to change this mentality of it MUST be me circle in the ward.
I have come to give these loyal party faithfuls sense of belonging, through making them partakers of benefits coming to the party at the ward.
These men and women and youths who are complaining are my main reasons for vying for the Councillorship position of Aladinma Ward 1
Before now, some persons when appointed or giving positions, see it as a personal settlement. They neither carry party members along nor support the activities of the party at Ward levels.
They publicly and openly deny ever seeing any goodies from the government, thereby painting the image of 3R Shared Prosperity Government of His Excellency Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma (Onwa Onyoko) Imo State Governor bad before the people.
We should know that government can’t appoint everybody at the same time in government, rather, it is the case of “Enye Gi, Inye Ndi Ozo Nogi Nso”
Without taking the government down to the grassroot, people can’t feel whatever good achievement the state government is doing in the State.
So, I present myself to serve my people, to bring this government to us at the grassroot level.
To achieve my goals, I have a well mapped out plans on how to support small scale businesses in Aladinma Ward 1, empowering widows and indigent people to start up little businesses to enable them provide food to their families.
Well designed programmes to bring in entire youths of Aladinma Ward 1 into APC in the Ward.
Having observed that our youths are lovers of sports, I will use sports to promote the party to them through sports engagement and maintenance of fields in the ward, not just that of Aladinma Primary School which is central chapter.
I will engage my fellow youths of Aladinma Ward 1 in skill acquisition programmes that will enable them to fetch for themselves and support their families.
I will train some of our youths in graphics designs, website creation, computer programmes, photo & video editing etc.
I will attract the presence of government to the entire 5 Chapters of the Ward which are;
1. Aladinma Central
2. Imsu Chapter
3. NYC chapter
4. Prefab 1
5. Prefab 2
Most times, these chapters are forgotten, while keeping focus on a particular chapter, this I want to change.
As Councillor representing Aladinma Ward 1 at the council,i will have additional Personal Assistant outside number of approved PA’s which i will be taking care of them from my approved salary as a Councillor.
Again, I have a well planned packages for the party leaders in the Ward, this package will be coming to them time to time, as a way of accommodating everybody in the Ward.
I will give attention to the challenges of neighbourhood in Aladinma Ward 1, and from time to time engage them in discussion and enlightenment on government policies and programmes.
Lastly, I will contribute my quota in the law making at the local government council chambers, which will impact positively to the residents of Owerri Municipality.
Trust me to do these as mentioned, and I will represent well to the best of my knowledge and ability.
Send me, for I will use every opportunity in my disposal to propagate and consolidate the good works of our performing governor whose most of his good works are not projected and promoted especially at the grassroot level.
Let me use this opportunity to commend the State Working Committee of our great party ably led by our indefatigable State Party Chairman Hon Sir MacDonald Ebere PhD for for their commitment and dedication to the party that made the party formidable in the State, which resulted in the triumphantly victory of the party at the last governorship election in the State.
Let me equally commend and appreciate our ebullient LGA party chairman Hon Chief Onyekachi Ibezim for his decision to give all aspirants a level playing ground. It’s indeed a true and practical demonstration of democracy as enshrined in the party constitution.
I also want to appreciate our Apex Leader Rt Hon Ernest Ibejiako, my ward chairman Hon Ihunna Chikodi (Owelle APC) and his entire executives together with the leaders of my ward, for their hardwork before and during election which resulted in the party winning the governorship election at the ward.

With your total support, I will achieve this and put smile in the faces of Aladinma Ward 1 party members and residents.
I promise never to fail or disappoint if given this awesome opportunity to serve my people as Aladinma Ward 1 Councillor.
God bless Aladinma Ward 1 APC!
God bless Owerri Municipal APC!
God bless Imo State APC!
APCccccc!!! God sent governor
God sent governor, Ebe Esere Aziza!!!
Politics
Electoral Reform: Dino alleges senate’s plot to rig 2027 election
Former lawmaker, Dino Melaye Esq, has raised concerns over the Senate’s reported rejection of the electronic transmission of election results.
The move, according to Melaye, is a clear endorsement of election rigging and an indication of a sinister plan to rig the 2027 elections.
In a statement on Friday, the former lawmaker criticized the Senate’s decision, stating that it undermines the credibility of the electoral process.
The African Democratic Congress, ADC chieftain, also stated that the move opens the door for electoral manipulation and fraud.
He further warned that the rejection of electronic transmission of results is a step backwards for democracy in Nigeria.
Melaye called on lawmakers and citizens to stand up against “this blatant attempt to undermine the will of the people and ensure that future elections are free, fair, and transparent”.
Politics
Electoral Act: Nigerians have every reason to be mad at Senate – Ezekwesili
Former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, has said Nigerians have every reason to be mad at the Senate over the ongoing debate on e-transmission of election results.
Ezekwesili made this known on Friday when she featured in an interview on Arise Television’s ‘Morning Show’ monitored by DAILY POST.
DAILY POST reports that the Senate on Wednesday turned down a proposed change to Clause 60, Subsection 3, of the Electoral Amendment Bill that aimed to compel the electronic transmission of election results.
Reacting to the matter, Ezekwesili said, “The fundamental issue with the review of the Electoral Act is that the Senate retained the INEC 2022 Act, Section 60 Sub 5.
“This section became infamous for the loophole it provided INEC, causing Nigerians to lose trust. Since the law established that it wasn’t mandatory for INEC to transmit electoral results in real-time, there wasn’t much anyone could say.
“Citizens embraced the opportunity to reform the INEC Act, aiming to address ambiguity and discretionary opportunities for INEC. Yet, the Senate handled it with a “let sleeping dogs lie” approach. The citizens have every reason to be as outraged as they currently are.”
Politics
Electoral act: Senate’s action confirms Nigeria ‘fantastically corrupt’, ‘disgraced’ – Peter Obi
Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has condemned the Senate’s refusal to make electronic transmission of election results mandatory, saying the move further exposes Nigeria as a fantastically corrupt and disgraced country.
Obi expressed his views in a statement shared on X on Friday, where he accused lawmakers of deliberately weakening Nigeria’s democratic process ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He explained that his reaction came after a brief pause to mourn victims of a deadly tragedy in Kwara State, where over 150 people reportedly lost their lives.
“Let us first pray for the souls of the innocent Nigerians lost in Kwara. That painful incident is why I delayed responding to the shameful development surrounding our electoral system,” he wrote.
Describing the Senate’s decision as intentional and dangerous, Obi said rejecting mandatory electronic transmission was not a simple oversight but a calculated attempt to block transparency.
“The Senate’s open rejection of electronic transmission of results is an unforgivable act of electoral manipulation ahead of 2027,” he said.
According to him, the action strikes at the heart of democracy and raises serious questions about the true purpose of governance in Nigeria.
“This failure to pass a clear safeguard is a direct attack on our democracy. By refusing these transparency measures, the foundation of credible elections is being destroyed. One must ask whether government exists to ensure justice and order or to deliberately create chaos for the benefit of a few.”
The former Anambra State governor linked the post-election controversies of the 2023 general elections to the failure to fully deploy electronic transmission of results, insisting that Nigerians were misled with claims of technical failures.
“
The confusion, disputes and manipulation that followed the 2023 elections were largely due to the refusal to fully implement electronic transmission,” he said.
He added that the so-called system glitch never truly existed.
Obi compared Nigeria’s electoral process with those of other African countries that have embraced technology to improve credibility, lamenting that Nigeria continues to fall behind.
“Many African nations now use electronic transmission to strengthen their democracy. Yet Nigeria, which calls itself the giant of Africa, is moving backwards and dragging the continent along.”
He criticised Nigeria’s leadership class, saying the country’s problems persist not because of a lack of ideas but because of deliberate resistance to meaningful reform.
“We keep organising conferences and writing policy papers about Nigeria’s challenges. But the truth is that the leaders and elite are the real problem. Our refusal to change is pushing the nation backwards into a primitive system of governance.”
Warning of the dangers ahead, Obi said rejecting electronic transmission creates room for confusion and disorder that only serves the interests of a small group.
He also recalled past remarks by foreign leaders who described Nigeria as corrupt, arguing that actions like this continue to justify those statements.
“When a former UK Prime Minister described Nigeria as ‘fantastically corrupt,’ we were offended. When former US President Donald Trump called us a ‘disgraced nation,’ we were angry. But our continued resistance to transparency keeps proving them right.”
Obi warned that Nigerians should not accept a repeat of the electoral irregularities witnessed in 2023.
“Let there be no mistake. The criminality seen in 2023 must not be tolerated in 2027.”
He urged citizens to be ready to defend democracy through lawful and decisive means, while also calling on the international community to closely monitor developments in Nigeria’s electoral process.
“The international community must pay attention to the groundwork being laid for future electoral manipulation, which threatens our democracy and development,” Obi stated.
He concluded by expressing hope that change is still possible if Nigerians take collective responsibility.
“A new Nigeria is possible but only if we all rise and fight for it.”
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