Abia South Senatorial contest 2027: Prince Paul Ikonne promises a difference
By Okechukwu Keshi Ukegbu
As the contest for Abia South Senatorial District in 2027 intensifies, one contestant has strongly promised to rewrite the negative narratives the senatorial district has been characterized with over the years. His name is Prince Paul Ikonne, the All Progreserves Congress( APC) candidate.
The former Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer (ES/CEO) of Nigerian Land Developement Authority (NALDA) is worried that the senatorial district is highly underdeveloped, especially Obingwa, after Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe’s nearly two decades representation in the Red Chamber, and has vowed that the negative narratives would be reversed immediately he is elected the senator representing the 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 representation in the Senate. Obingwa, his local government area has the worst roads. You cannot freely access the communities in Obingwa, especially the hinterlands. Unfortunately, this is a local government that has produced a senator consecutively for almost 20 years. This is quite unfortunately. These are the anomalies I intend to address when elected a senator, he said”.
“My ambition is to address the.deficiencies that have characterized representation in Abia South, he continued.
Ikonne said that he will leverage on his wide contacts to make sure that youths of the senatorial district, even beyond are meaningfully empowered thro ugh lucrative employment.
” There are over 4000 agencies. And multiple vacancies existed in these agencies at any point in time. I will leverage on these openings to make sure that youths from Abia South and beyond are gainfully employed.
” My agenda will not only be restricted to that of employment alone, I will also make sure that deficit infrastructural state of the district, especially Obingwa, is urgently addressed. If I can turn around NALDA that was moribund to an enviable height, why not Abia South?he posited.
It will be recalled that Prince Paul Ikonne was appointed the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer (ES/CEO) of Nigerian Land Developement Authority (NALDA) in 2020, when NALDA was being revived after having been moribund for many years.
As Executive Secretary/CEO, he was the chief executive and head of the Authority, overseeing its programmes for agricultural land development, youth farming, farm estates and food production. He served in that position until 2025
