The youths of Umunna in Bende Local Government Area of Abia State, have declared that it is the turn of Umunna to produce the next member representing Bende Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives in the 2027 general election.
The declaration was made during a peaceful procession and gathering held on Saturday across communities in Umunna, where the youths insisted that the existing rotational arrangement for the federal constituency should be respected.
Speaking at the protest, Pastor Thomas Ukaonu of said the demand was anchored on a political understanding reached in 2019, which, according to him, allowed the current representative and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, to complete two terms before the seat would rotate to Umunna in Bende North.
Ukaonu explained that in 2023, when another aspirant from Umunna indicated interest in contesting the seat, elders, political leaders and stakeholders across Bende appealed for Kalu to complete a second term, assuring the people of Umunna that the constituency would support their bid after the expiration of his tenure.
He, alongside Comrade Victor Ukaegbu, Chukwu Ogbonnaya, Eke Aja, Uchenna Chinagorom, Nkasi Ogbonnaya and Emmanuel Ogba, maintained that the understanding was endorsed by elders, youths, pastors, traditional rulers, stakeholders and other indigenous people of Bende.
They stressed that Umunna had honoured its part of the agreement and expected the same commitment from other parts of the constituency.
The speakers said the people of Umunna were united in their resolve that the 2027 House of Representatives ticket should be ceded to their clan, warning that any attempt by another section of the constituency to contest the seat would amount to a breach of the agreement.
Addressing Benjamin Kalu directly, the youths appealed to the Deputy Speaker not to seek another term in 2027 but to step aside and allow Umunna to produce the next representative for Bende Federal Constituency.
They commended Kalu for what they described as his contributions and service to the constituency, saying he had done his part and should now support the rotational arrangement by allowing Bende North to take over the seat.
The youths further disclosed that they were prepared to take their agitation beyond their communities to the Abia State Government and the National Assembly to press home their demand, insisting that Umunna would not surrender what they described as its rightful turn to produce the next federal lawmaker for the constituency.
They also stated that youths in the area were ready to safeguard the electoral process during the 2027 elections and ensure that every valid vote cast was protected.
According to them, representation of Bende Federal Constituency has traditionally rotated between Bende North and Bende South, and with the incumbent lawmaker completing two terms spanning about eight years, it is now the turn of Bende North to produce the next representative.
The youths reiterated that their campaign was driven by the principles of equity, fairness and respect for the rotational arrangement which, they said, has guided political representation in the constituency over the years.
During the procession, the protesters carried placards bearing inscriptions such as: “Umunna Cry: Give Us Our Turn for House of Reps,” “It Is Time for Bende North,” “Umunna Is Waiting,” “This Is Our Turn,” “Umunna Says Now or Never,” and the Igbo inscription, “Mmanụ Akara Dị Ụtọ Onye Ratu Ibe Ya Aratu.”
The peaceful protest commenced from Okoko Item and moved through Amaokwe, Akanu and other communities across Umunna in Bende Local Government Area.
