Ike Nnachi, Abakaliki
An aspirant for Ebonyi South Senatorial seat in next month’s bye election under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Silas Onu has said his motivation for vying for the position is to provide service to the people.
This is as he alleged that some opponents are already plotting to rig the election using security agencies to compromise some electoral officials.
Mr Onu stated this in an interview with Journalists in Abakaliki, capital of the state.
He lamented that the zone has been badly represented in the past and he has come to offer a better alternative to the people.
He said: “The motivation for running is service to the people. Our people have been badly represented for many years and I do think that our people deserve better. Representation is not about Christmas largesse.
“Every Christmas you come and give people motorcycles and bags of rice and people come and dance for you. It is beyond that, representation is a whole package.
“The people’s interest must be advanced at the center. There are a lot of things you can attract from the center to your people both from government and other interests that exist in your zone.
“There are lots of ways you can promote your people, artisans can get good promotions from the senator and even civil servants; their interests can be better protected if they have a good Senator.
“Apart from all of this, there is a passion to serve my people that is deep within my heart. I am very passionate about it,” he said.
On zoning, Mr Onu, a former state Chairman of the PDP, said that his party has never given the ticket to anybody from his Ohaozara Local Government Area.
He however noted that though zoning favours him, he was running based on competence amd not on zoning.
He expressed confidence that he will emerge victorious in the senatorial election no matter the pedigree of candidates other parties will field.
“I am running based on competence not based on zoning even though Ohaozara has never had a senate ticket before in my party PDP. I see the whole of Ebonyi South as my zone. I want to represent all the people of Ebonyi South.
“I am not bragging but I will beat any candidate they bring whether from Onicha or Ohaozara. I know the work I am putting into this project. I am connecting with the people, the voters. I am not planning rigging, I am not planning to write results.
“So those thoughts should be banished; there will be real election. People will vote and vote will count in this senatorial election. This election will not be about party, it will be about competence, it will be about persons.”
“I am contesting to win. It is not about money, it is about the trust I have in Ebonyi South people, they know what is good and will stand for what is good. I am not stepping down for anybody; if you know my history, you will know that once I make up my mind to do something, it is only if it is not the will of God then I will not get it.
“I don’t have political godfathers; I have always been independent and that was what created problem for me when I ran for chairmanship. Because those that should have been godfathers felt they can’t control me, so they came and scattered things in the congress.”
Mr Onu said his party has mapped out measures to thwart every attempt at rigging the elections.
“There will be no window for any manipulation in this election. We know what they know. We will make sure we stamp all windows of cheating out.
“That is the only hope they have, to use security to undermine INEC. And we will make sure INEC is not compromised. We will make sure the security agencies also do their work. Let the people’s will be the determining factor in the election,” he concluded.
