NDC candidate blames infrastructure decline on successive lawmakers, swipes at LP’s Bourdex, Orji Uzor Kalu, insists Obi and party are active in Abia
The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate for Abia North Senatorial District, Hon. Uko Nkole, has said he is seeking the Senate seat in 2027 to extend to the rest of the district the projects he attracted during his eight years representing Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.
Speaking with journalists at his residence in Abam, on the 18th September, 2026, Nkole cited the infrastructure gap and what he described as the underperformance of successive representatives in parts of Abia North as the reasons for his ambition. A former federal lawmaker and federal civil servant, he said his experience gave him a firm grasp of the people’s needs, and that he would replicate his Arochukwu and Ohafia interventions in Bende, Isuikwuato and Umunneochi Local Government Areas.
He alleged that infrastructure and electricity supply in the district have declined since he left office, describing the situation in some communities as a return to an era of darkness and underdevelopment. He named Abam, which he called the largest community in Arochukwu LGA, along with other parts of Ohafia, Bende, Isuikwuato and Umunneochi as areas suffering inadequate power supply.
Nkole said elected representatives have a duty to engage the relevant authorities on power challenges in their constituencies. “Electricity is vital to households, skilled and unskilled workers and small businesses, especially with employment opportunities limited” He said.
Highlighting projects he said he attracted, Nkole listed the Ndiebe Bridge, the Akanu/Ohafia Water Scheme and several electrification projects. He expressed concern that some had been abandoned or allowed to deteriorate. The Ndiebe Bridge, he said, was completed, but its connecting road has since deteriorated, leaving it without an effective link to surrounding communities.
On the water scheme, which he said has a capacity of more than 400,000 cubic metres, Nkole said he facilitated its rehabilitation, including solar street lights around the Akanu/Ohafia axis, the commencement of water reticulation and a 100KVA solar power system to support water lifting. He explained that the scheme was built in 1986 by the then military administrator of Imo State, but later became moribund.
“The project was handed over in 2022 after about two years of rehabilitation, and residents began receiving water in their homes”
Nkole attributed the subsequent setback to a lightning strike that affected the solar system powering the high-lift pumps. He said the reticulation phase has also stalled. He urged the state government to direct relevant officials to revisit the project and called on the current federal lawmakers from the area to appropriate funds for its completion.
Speaking on roads, Nkole said the projects he attracted were handled by two Grade A construction companies, which eventually left the site for lack of funding. He acknowledged Governor Alex Otti’s intervention in inheriting and continuing work on the Ohafia-Arochukwu Road. On the 35-kilometre road, he said work had reached about 65 per cent at binder course level and five per cent at wearing course level, with drainage and culvert works also done, before he left office.
He also commended the Abia State Government for taking over and completing the Omenuko Bridge, one of the projects approved during his tenure, but regretted that its access road remains unfinished. He described the road as a 44-kilometre spine from Umuahia Tower to Ohafia, of which the bridge is a component. He said he also facilitated the reconstruction of the Nmori Bridge (Iyi Uduma).
On public service, Nkole said about 162 people were facilitated into federal employment during his tenure, while civil servants received better support, including opportunities to migrate from state to federal ministries.
Turning to his rivals, he criticised the record of the Labour Party candidate, David Ogba Onuoha Bourdex, a former Transition Committee chairman of Ohafia Local Government. He questioned the management of funds released during Bourdex’s tenure and challenged him to account for the impact of his executive experience on the people’s welfare.
He also faulted the condition of the Ohafia highway from “Old Soldier” junction in Ohafia LGA, arguing that it should have been addressed with funds available in that period. He further criticised the leasing of a community recreation centre by Bourdex to the government for revenue generation, insisting that legislative representation should focus on development and constituents’ welfare.
Nkole said the National Assembly should not be a ground for experimentation, adding that his eight years in the House and 12 years in public service have placed him among the most experienced candidates in the race. He acknowledged Senator Orji Uzor Kalu’s contributions to Abia North but said he would build on existing efforts and deliver better representation.
He dismissed claims that the NDC and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and other candidates are absent from Abia State, saying the party is fully present and operating within the provisions guiding the electoral process. He noted that the presidential contest is national in scope, covering all senatorial districts and federal constituencies, and that the NDC remains committed to its political activities in Abia.
“NDC is a nascent democracy party and the fastest-growing political party in Nigeria today, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and Labour Party are sabotaging the efforts of the southwestern state, Obi is the most qualified candidate in Nigeria to navigate the nation economy policies” He stated
Insisting that his footprint in Arochukwu/Ohafia remains unmatched, Nkole said his central objective, if elected, is to bridge the developmental gaps across Abia North by extending his interventions to Bende, Isuikwuato and Umunneochi.
