By our correspondent

Few months ago when I advertised the  vacancy in the Abia State House of Assembly for Ikwuano State Constituency representative, I was nearly roasted alive. Today, my traducers can no longer cover their shame  with their hands. From the Abia ruling party, PDP, six  aspirants who wanted to take up the office were screened. And from that list, we can see the determination in the campaigns of Hon Cookey Nwachukwu, Dr Chukwuemeka Onyenaucheya and Kalu Israel, these gentlemen are not running for the fun of it, they are running in response to the quest of the people for people-oriented representation

Like I said earlier, representation is not about organising inter-community football pageants, the communities have been doing that for themselves, representation is not about awarding scholarships, or organising beauty pageants it is all much more than these.

The legislature symbolises the power of the people as it's functions in governance confers on it the eyes, ears and voice of the people.

Indeed, representation - of the interests, grievances and aspiration of the people - is the legislature's foremost function and the basis of it's legitimacy. 

 Going by our definition above, we can see why even the PDP cannot assure Hon  Stanley Nwabuisi a return ticket. He has failed to live up to the expectations of his office. Even the apolitical lament that Ikwuano has been denied the presence of government. Shall we continue in retrogression that Stanley Nwabuisi be returned for a second term?

Even party members have reason to complain that this supposed leader of the party in Ikwuano has not been up and doing...but one can excuse him, he was imposed on the party courtesy if his Uncle, the sad aspect is his unwillingness to get to the brass tacks.

A stakeholder in Ikwuano PDP complains that Hon Nwabuisi as a leader of the party,  he has disunited the party more than he met the party in 2019. He has in no way supported the growth of Ikwuano PDP, he disregards the Ikwuano Caucus and Stakeholders, he's been very unaccessible to the youths and his constituents. As a matter of fact, if the party ticket is mistakenly given to Hon. Stanley Nwabuisi the Ikwuano PDP will fail woefully at the general election.

Surveys from several PDP members have given a glimpse that if he is given the PDP primary ticket this time, a lot of  members of the party may  work against the party like it happened in 2015 when the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) won the  Ikwuano State Constituency seat
 
If a legislator could do nothing with his first term, what is the guarantee that he is going to do well in his second term?  Matthew 25:18 recommends what should be done to him: "Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents."

This is an appeal to the PDP delegates to give the PDP ticket to an aspirant  who has the interest of ndi Ikwuano at heart, a legislator who will promote and unite the party, a legislator who will regard and respect Stakeholders, a  legislator who understands his primary functions as a legislator and his secondary functions as the eyes, ears and voice of the people.

There is little doubt that Ikwuano voters will reject  Stanley Nwabuisi come back bid if the PDP ignores the yearnings of the people. Indeed giving him an opportunity to waste another four years will be a big loss for  Ikwuano as he will expectedly perform worse than before since there will be no third term opportunity for him

The ball is in the court of the PDP to keep the seat by giving the Ikwuano State Constituency seat to a  People-centric, Pragmatic aspirant. The agitations within the party says it all: Stanley Nwabuisi has failed the party in particular and the people at large.