Sir Sam Ifeanyichukwu Onuigbo, a former member of the House of Representatives and current representative of the South East on the board of the North East Development Commission (NEDC), has formally declared his intention to contest for the Abia Central Senatorial seat in the 2027 National Assembly election.
Onuigbo made the declaration on Friday in Abia State, where he addressed a gathering of supporters, political associates, and leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The former federal lawmaker, who represented Ikwuano/Umuahia North/Umuahia South Federal Constituency for two consecutive terms from 2015 to 2023, said his decision to seek the Senate mandate was driven by a desire to invest his years of experience in service to the people of Abia Central.
“I have consulted with my immediate family, friends and associates on this historic decision,” Onuigbo said. “This gathering of my extended political family and leaders of our great party, the APC, is part of this ongoing conversation to engender commonality of understanding and ensure that we embark on this journey as a united family.”
He traced his commitment to public service to his early years, recalling his humble beginnings around the Odoziobodo Hills, where he hunted rats and squirrels as a child and trekked 12 kilometres daily to and from school.
“That experience led to my decision to attract classroom blocks to my alma mater, Community Primary School Obuohia Obi Ibere, from the United States Consulate,” he said, adding that he also attracted a secondary school to the community to spare future generations the hardship he endured.
Onuigbo noted that his 18-year career at the United States Consulate General in Lagos, where he rose to the position of Supervisory Fraud Prevention Specialist, helped him hone skills in public policy, diplomacy, and legislative leadership.
He served as Commissioner for Lands and Survey in 2011 and later as Commissioner for Finance from 2012 to 2013 under the Abia State Government. He also worked as Special Adviser on Public Affairs to the Speaker of the House of Representatives during the 6th National Assembly.
Recalling his tenure in the House of Representatives, Onuigbo said he remained the only representative to have been re-elected in his federal constituency, a feat he attributed to his performance in office.
He listed several projects he facilitated during his two terms, including the rehabilitation of failed sections of the Umuahia-Ikwuano-Ikot Ekpene federal road in 2016 and 2017, the ongoing total reconstruction of the same road awarded in 2019, and the facilitation of the design for the 16-kilometre Umuahia-Umudike dualisation project with an interchange at Amachara.
He also said he facilitated the construction of a Federal Secretariat in Abia State after 34 years of the state’s creation, attracted erosion control works in Umuahia South and Ikwuano local government areas, and led efforts that led to the restoration in 2025 of management sciences courses that had been delisted from Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike since 2016.
Onuigbo highlighted his sponsorship of the Climate Change Act, describing it as the “singular signature legislation that catapulted Nigeria into global reckoning in sustainability.” He said the achievement had earned him recognition from domestic and international organisations.
The former lawmaker, who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC in 2020, thanked leaders and members of the APC in Abia Central for supporting him as the party’s candidate in the 2023 election. He said that support gave him the “right of first refusal” as he seeks the party’s ticket for the 2027 senatorial poll scheduled for January 8, 2027.
“I have continued to engage in issues of national and international importance to buttress the fact that I possess the strong voice and network to represent Abia Central Senatorial Zone in the Red Chamber come June 2027,” he said.
He urged constituents to base their choice on proven track records of personal integrity and responsible performance, adding that Abia State could not afford to send “intellectual Lilliputs or persons of doubtful pedigree” to the National Assembly.
“The consolidation of the Renewed Hope Agenda is predicated on the preponderance of qualitative lawmakers in the 11th National Assembly,” Onuigbo said, referring to President Bola Tinubu’s policy framework. “Consequently, Abia State, as God’s Own State, cannot afford to send persons of doubtful pedigree to the next star-studded National Assembly being envisaged by Nigerians and President Tinubu.”
He pledged that if elected, he would ensure every ward, state constituency, and local government in Abia Central would serve as a fulcrum of representation through a seamless constituency consultation strategy.
Onuigbo, who currently serves as the South East representative on the board of the North East Development Commission, described himself as “doubly qualified” to serve the zone in the Senate and expressed confidence in his ability to bring honour and accomplished representation to the people of Abia Central.
He also presented a magazine outlining his past achievements, stating that accountability should be the watchword for every public servant.
“After nearly 27 years of unbroken democratic dispensation, Nigerians should be able to elect leaders who deserve to lead them based on their verifiable track records of genuine and transparent accomplishments,” he said.
Discussion about this post