As the contest for the Abia South Senatorial District seat in the 2027 general election intensifies, Prince Paul Ikonne, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, has promised to rewrite what he described as the negative development narrative that has characterised the senatorial district over the years.
Ikonne, a former Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA), expressed concern over the level of development in parts of Abia South, particularly Obingwa Local Government Area, despite Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe’s nearly two decades of representation in the Senate.
The APC candidate vowed that, if elected, his administration would focus on addressing what he described as the deficiencies in representation and development across the senatorial district.
“Abia South, especially Obingwa, where the serving Senator comes from, is seriously lagging behind in terms of development despite Senator Abaribe’s almost two decades of representation in the Senate.
“Obingwa, his local government area, has some of the worst roads. You cannot freely access many communities in Obingwa, especially those in the hinterlands.
“Unfortunately, this is a local government that has produced a senator consecutively for almost 20 years. This is quite unfortunate. These are the anomalies I intend to address when elected Senator,” he said.
Ikonne added that his ambition was driven by a desire to address what he considers the shortcomings that have characterised representation in Abia South.
“My ambition is to address the deficiencies that have characterised representation in Abia South,” he said.
On youth empowerment, the former NALDA chief said he would leverage his contacts and experience to explore employment opportunities for young people across the senatorial district and beyond.
“There are over 4,000 agencies, and multiple vacancies exist in these agencies at different points in time. I will leverage these opportunities to make sure that youths from Abia South and beyond are gainfully employed.
“My agenda will not be restricted to employment alone. I will also make sure that the infrastructural deficit in the district, especially in Obingwa, is urgently addressed.
“If I could contribute to turning around NALDA, which had been moribund for many years, to an enviable height, why not Abia South?” he posited.
Prince Paul Ikonne was appointed Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) in 2020, during the period when the agency was being revived after years of inactivity.
As Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer, he served as the chief executive and head of the Authority, overseeing programmes focused on agricultural land development, youth farming, farm estates and food production.
He served in the position until 2025.
As the race for the Abia South Senatorial District seat gathers momentum ahead of the 2027 general election, Prince Paul Ikonne’s campaign is increasingly centred on promises of youth empowerment, improved infrastructure and a new approach to representation.
Whether the electorate will embrace his message of change remains to be seen, but the APC candidate has made his position clear: he believes Abia South can experience a different kind of representation.
By Okechukwu Keshi Ukegbu
