– Wild Jubilation Erupts Across Constituency as Stakeholders Hail End of Political Exclusion
Leaders, stakeholders, the clergy, and traditional institutions in Ideato North Local Government Area of Imo State have reached a landmark resolution. After 20 years of political marginalization, they have unanimously zoned the Ideato North House of Assembly seat to Arondizuogu.
This was contained in a release signed by Chief Jonas Nwosu and made available to newsmen after a meeting in Osina on Thursday. The decision has triggered wild applause and jubilation across the constituency.
The last time an Arondizuogu son held the Ideato North legislative seat was in 2007. That was the late Hon. Louis Chukwu. Since then, Arondizuogu has been completely shut out of the constituency’s political representation. With the 2027 elections approaching, that painful chapter is now being brought to a close.
The resolution draws heavily on geography and demographics. Arondizuogu accounts for approximately 40 percent of the landmass and population of Ideato North. Ideato North is historically composed of two ancient peoples: Mbanasaa and Arondizuogu. For two full decades, Mbanasaa has held the legislative seat to the total exclusion of Arondizuogu.
The injustice cuts even deeper when viewed through the lens of the more recent zoning arrangement that divides Ideato North into Zone A, Zone B, and Zone C. That framework clearly stipulates that the House of Assembly seat should be held for only one term per zone. The incumbent lawmaker, who hails from Obodoukwu, has completed that one term. There is therefore no justification, the leaders insist, for the seat to remain in Obodoukwu.
The situation becomes even more glaring when family ties are considered. The communities of Akpulu, Isiokpo, and Obodoukwu are anthropologically and ontologically one family. They call themselves “Umunneato”, sometimes shortened to “Nneato”, a name that means “Three Siblings.” This one family has now held the Ideato North Assembly seat for 12 consecutive years. Rt. Hon. Arthur Egwim from Isiokpo served two consecutive terms, totaling 8 years, before he passed away just months before his tenure ended. The current lawmaker from Obodoukwu has since added another four years. If the incumbent is allowed to continue unjustly, Umunneato would have held the seat for a staggering 16 years.
The irony of this situation is not lost on the people of Arondizuogu. It was an Arondizuogu son who championed the rotational arrangement in the first place. Hon. Charles Ubah, popularly known as Akusinachi, who then represented Ideato North in the House of Assembly, convened a critical stakeholders’ meeting in Osina. All influential leaders and political stakeholders attended. It was at that meeting that the zoning arrangement was agreed upon. Today, the very community that fought for equity is the one being denied it.
Arondizuogu’s pain goes beyond politics. The community has in recent times endured the devastating activities of insurgents, which set it back socially and economically. Its people believe that returning the Assembly seat to them is not just a matter of political fairness. It is a matter of healing, recovery, and justice. “The time to right the wrong is now,” stakeholders declared. The leaders have warned those working against the zoning resolution because of personal ambitions to give peace, equity, and stability in Ideato North a chance.
The resolution has since reverberated across Ideato North with an outpouring of excitement rarely seen in the constituency. Communities, youth groups, women’s associations, and religious leaders have all added their voices in support. The message from Ideato North is loud and clear: 2027 belongs to Arondizuogu.
