- Landlords’ association, church members endorse lawmaker for another tenure
From Jeff Amechi Agbodo, Onitsha
A member of the House of Representatives for Onitsha North and South, Hon Lynda Chuba Ikpeazu, has been endorsed for another tenure by the Landlords’ Association of Federal Housing Estate 3-3 Onitsha, Anambra State.
The landlords who openly announced their support to mobilise more votes for Hon. Ikepazu due to her track records ranging from empowerment, skill acquisition training, the attraction of federal jobs and projects etc to the constituency.
The spokesman of the landlords’ association Chief Arinze Anyaorah (Ide) said that their endorsement of Ikpeazu was based on numerous road projects constructed in Onitsha North and South including First bank road through Ogbatuluenyi road which he said has reduced traffic in the area.
The endorsement came when Ikpeazu’s campaign train stormed the estate where she promised to tar Emma Emejulu Crescent road if reelected for another tenure, saying that lawmaking is based on experience and seniority to attract more projects.
She said that as the highest ranking member in the House of Representatives in South East, she stands a good chance of becoming the Speaker of the House if reelected, which will not only benefit the constituency but Anambra State and Southeast in general.
Ikpeazu, who earlier visited Our Lady of Fatima Parish Woliwo, Onitsha where she doled out cash gifts to church members and wrappers to Catholic Women Organisation (CWO) where they pledged to support and vote for her based on her magnanimity.
The lawmaker stated categorically that she never stole the mandate of Chief Idu Emeka in 2015 as he alleged during his campaign visits, alleging that she stole his mandate when he was sick.
She emphasised that Emeka, after she won the primary election, went and substituted her name from the INEC list and smuggled his name which made her to filed suit joining PDP and INEC at the high court where she won the case.
“When I won the primary election Emeka who is now contesting under the platform of the Labour Party went and change my name with his own. When somebody drew my attention to the substitution I rushed to PDP headquarters in Abuja to find out what happened it was discovered that they used a pen to cancel my name and replace it with his own name.
“So I had to challenge it in the high court where the court said it was wrongful substitution since I did not resign or died as the electoral act stated. He went to the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court where they upheld the decision of the high court and ordered INEC to give me a certificate of return and I was sworn in by the speaker. So, I never stole anybody’s mandate” she stated.
At Washington Memorial secondary school Onitsha the school community commanded her for installing solar-powered street lights around the school and promised to vote for Ikpeazu.
The campaign train also visited the members of Basilica of St. Andrews Anglican Communion where Ikpeazu appealed to the church members to support and vote for her in next month’s election. She gave wrappers and cash to the church members.
The Venerable in charge of the Dan Uche said that Ikpeazu doesn’t look at the denomination while distributing dividends of democracy, he urged the members to support candidates based on their achievements not their political party.