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BENDE, ABIA STATE — The Ugwu Nkpa community in Bende Local Government Area of Abia State has declared its support for the Labour Party and its chieftain, Dr. Chima Anyaso, ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The declaration was made on Sunday by the Traditional Prime Minister of the community, Prince Ugochukwu Onyenweaku, during a town hall meeting attended by traditional leaders, women, youths and other residents.
Addressing the gathering, Onyenweaku said the community’s decision was influenced by Anyaso’s willingness to personally visit and engage with the people rather than rely solely on campaign promises.
“For the single reason of visiting us yourself — Ugwu Nkpa will vote for you, Labour Party,” he told the gathering.
According to him, the community was more interested in direct engagement and tangible understanding of its challenges than political rhetoric or material inducements.
“We are not asking for bags of rice. We are not asking for noise on radio. Come, sit with our elders. Walk our roads. See our school. That is the currency we accept in Ugwu Nkpa,” he said.
Anyaso, a prominent Labour Party figure in Abia North, was in Bende as part of a thank-you and consultation tour ahead of the 2027 elections.
He was received by traditional rulers, women’s groups and youths, many of whom displayed Labour Party flags and welcomed him with traditional gestures.
Speaking during the visit, Anyaso said his engagement with the people was motivated by the need to understand their concerns directly.
“I did not come with a bag of promises,” he said. “I came because Bende deserves a representative who knows the name of your villages without reading from a paper.”
He said that if given the mandate, his priorities would include strengthening primary healthcare, improving farm-to-market roads and providing skills development opportunities for young people in Ugwu Nkpa and other communities across Bende.
The community’s youths also presented a charter of demands to the Labour Party leader, highlighting the need for digital skills centres, support for cassava and palm-oil processing, as well as the rehabilitation of the Ugwu Nkpa–Alayi road.
Residents said the road has become particularly problematic during the rainy season, restricting farmers’ access to markets and disrupting movement within the area.
The endorsement was further reinforced by the Ugwu Nkpa Women’s Wing, whose leader, Mrs. Ngozi Kalu, said the women would respect the position of the traditional council.
“When our father speaks, we listen,” she said.
Community leaders described Anyaso’s visit as significant, noting that it was the first time in more than a decade that a major political figure from outside the immediate council area had personally addressed the community at its town hall.
Political observers believe the development could have wider implications for the emerging political contest in Bende, which has 13 wards and remains an important electoral constituency in Abia North.
The Labour Party recorded significant gains in the area during the 2023 elections, making grassroots mobilisation and community-level engagements potentially important factors ahead of 2027.
Onyenweaku subsequently challenged political candidates seeking the community’s support to engage directly with the people.
“Ask any candidate: have you come to us? Have you seen us? If the answer is no, then the answer from Ugwu Nkpa is also no,” he said.
The event ended with prayers for peace and a cultural display, while residents lined the road as Anyaso departed, chanting Labour Party slogans.
For the Ugwu Nkpa community, the visit appeared to reinforce a simple political message ahead of 2027: those seeking the people’s votes must first be willing to come to the people.
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