A two-time member of the Abia State, Hon. Dame Blessing Nwagba has officially joined the race for Abia South Senatorial District election 2023, a position currently occupied by Senate Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe. Nwagba, the 2019 governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) will be contesting the Senatorial election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
News Echo report, that nobody has been reported to have bought an expression of interest form of the PDP for Abia South Senatorial District, but unconfirmed reports have it that Governor Okezie Ikpeazu may be going for the Senatorial seat in 2023. 2023 will make it 16 years that Abaribe has been representing the District and with facts on the ground, he has already purchased the governorship expression of interest form of the PDP and will not be returning to the Senate.
Nwagba’s entrance into the race has brought reactions from some residents of Aba, her home town who described her as a consummate grassroots politician, judging from her past assignments when she represented Aba North State Constituency twice in the Abia State House of Assembly.
They described her as a great woman, a leader with a passionate heart whose personality alone can make both settlers and indigenous Abia South people come together and cast their votes in unison to send her to the Senate for proper representation. Some of the residents said that presence in the race and through the APC if she wins will be an opportunity to push the agenda of Aba into central government and make the commercial city a serious topic for development in Abuja.
Mrs Jane Osuala said she could not hide her joy when the news broke out, but waited to confirm if it was true or not before spreading it to most of her friends who she said believed that such a move will be good for Abia South, especially Aba. “I’m simply happy because if she emerges victorious, we’re talking about quality representation. This is not the issue of noisemaking. It is about service. Whoever you send to represent you determines what you’ll get. “The Aba I see today needs someone like her. Not just like her, needs her to drive the agenda of the development of this city to the table of the Federal government. Abia South is not just Aba, but Aba is the heart of Abia South.
“Her presence in the Senate will make Nigeria understand what we have from Aba to Ukwa and I’m sure things will improve because she knows how to drive her points. I’ve been following her political career for many years. “It is obvious that only the Abia State government cannot develop Aba as we all want. Having a quality representative in a party in the central government is key to what we want. “We’re not just looking at her party which of course is an advantage, but check out her personality you’ll know why women like me and many others are happy about this news,” she said.
Mr Titus Emeribe, a businessman said that having lived around Dame Nwagba’s constituency during her sojourn in the Abia State House of Assembly made him understand that having her as Senator of Abia South is no brainier because she knows how to make things out from nothing. “What more can I say? I don’t want to celebrate too much because there’ll be primaries and then the main election. However, I’m happy because of her quality and what she can offer. This is just what some of us need. “A person that’s accessible and ever ready to listen and improve on certain decisions. I wish her well because if she gets there, Aba and the entire Abia State not just Abia South will be in the news positively every day because she’ll market this city and the entire state to the Federal Government with her good legislative style,” he said.
