… Urges political parties to respect LG’s zoning agreement
By Duke Onyeoma
A sociopolitical pressure group in Imo State, Ikemba Ezinihitte Forum, has defended the continued retention of the Ezinihitte Mbaise State House of Assembly seat in Ezi Centre, insisting that the existing zoning arrangement in the local government should be respected in the interest of fairness, equity, and political stability.
In a press statement signed by its Secretary, Azumaduiri Udochukwu, the group said political peace in Ezinihitte Mbaise has historically been sustained through mutual understanding and equitable power sharing rather than numerical strength or dominance by any bloc.
The forum explained that the zoning arrangement, which emerged after the restructuring of political blocs in the early 1990s, was deliberately designed to prevent the concentration of political power in one area and to guarantee inclusiveness among the various blocs in the local government.
According to the statement, the arrangement had been respected over the years, noting that Oliver Enwerenem from Ezi East served two terms of eight years in the Imo State House of Assembly between 1999 and 2007. He was succeeded by Dr Obiọma Ekennia from Ezi West, who also completed eight years in office.
The group further recalled that Engr Bruno Ukoha from Ezi East later served one term before Hon Anyadike completed the remaining tenure, giving Ezi East another combined eight years in the Assembly.
It argued that the current representative, Dr Henry Agbasonu from Ezi Centre, who was elected in 2023, and insisted that Ezi Centre’s rightful eight-year slot should be allowed to run its full circle in 2027 under the zoning understanding.
The forum warned that removing the Assembly seat from Ezi Centre before the completion of its expected tenure could undermine trust in future political agreements and fuel suspicion among the blocs in Ezinihitte Mbaise.
It also maintained that zoning and rotational arrangements remain critical tools for unity and stability, not only in Ezinihitte but across Mbaise and other parts of Nigeria, where political stakeholders often rely on consensus and inclusion to sustain peace.
The group further stated that it had opposed the emergence of the council chairman from Ezi Centre during the last local government elections, arguing that the chairmanship position, based on the existing arrangement, rightly belongs to Ezi East and should be send back to Ezi East in the next council elections to maintain our zoning arrangements while Ezi Centre retains the House of Assembly seat.
Reaffirming its position, the forum declared its support for the continued rotation of political offices in Ezinihitte Mbaise and called on political parties interested in winning the next House of Assembly election to field candidates from Ezi Centre.
The statement added that the forum’s position was rooted in justice, balance, and the need to preserve the longstanding political understanding that has helped maintain peace in the area over the years.
