DR David Onuoha-Bourdex, the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, candidate for Abia North senatorial election, in this interview, recounts how the choice of the electorate was truncated in the March 28, 2015 election and how their choice will prevail in the re-run ordered by the Court of Appeal.

How do you feel about the rerun election ordered by the Court of Appeal?

I feel disappointed because we had a time line for the things we promised to achieve for our people. On the other hand, I feel the temporary setback would restore credibility to the process and legitimacy to us more than if the court had declared us as the outright winners of the March 28, 2015 senatorial election. Among the candidates for the Senate seat, we are the party that was prepared for election. We had a contact with the people and we communicated our manifesto to them. In my manifesto, which was well documented and give to the voters, we outlined the vision that would drive our senatorial representation. In the document aptly titled, ‘’the change you deserve is coming; we promised to mainstream the yearnings and aspirations of the people of Abia North Senatorial district in the legislative agenda of the National Assembly.  You can therefore imagine our frustration when political jobbers that had no clear-cut vision or mission for the good of our people, used dubious methods to steal the mandate given to me by the good people of Abia North Senatorial district.

You are relatively new, what gives you the confidence that you were the choice of the voters?

Onuoha-Bourdex

Our people have never been allowed the freedom to choose their representatives. The PDP  had never won elections in Abia State. It has always been rigging, manipulation, inducement and falsification of results. The three evils of imposition, intimidation and impunity became the undoing of PDP in 2015. I saw that the people had become tired and frustrated by these serial abuses of democracy. We saw the change that was coming and told our people that clearly. We may be new in politics as your question suggested but we have been around as leaders in various ways. That is how we earned the trust and confidence of the people! Those you call the old faces in politics are those that fouled the system and responsible for the alienation of the masses. They are those who see politics and public office as opportunity to plunder, kill and maim.

Former Abia Governor, Orji Uzor Kalu has been giving the impression that the election was nullified because of his petition…

If you are looking for those that are good at making impressions, I am not interested. I am only interested in how to change the reality of warped and imposed leadership that had kept our people to the ground. I told you that I set agenda by which the people evaluated my candidacy for the senatorial seat. And what were the salient points on that agenda? I said it loud that we needed to reposition our people to improve on the polity; that it remains my view that Abia North should be providing the alternative development and industrialized base and cities to Aba in Abia State. As an innovative entrepreneur, I know that we have huge potential in Arochukwu, Ohafia, Isuikwuato, Bende and Umunneochi to lead the change in urban city development. So I was able to unfold my vision to the people on how the available resources and potential in these areas must be tapped through good political leadership with the capacity to interact and collaborate with others in the Senate. So it was not about impression. The rerun election is going to be a referendum on the candidates’ antecedents. The people of Abia North know their sons and daughters. They cannot be deceived by impressions.

With a different party at the centre do you think that you can achieve all your lofty vision?

The political grass is now greener at the national level than before. What I mean by that is that the rejection of PDP that started from the federal level can only make meaning if it trickles down. I am further strengthened by the rejection which my people handed to the old order. So by voting for APGA in Abia State, the people have ensured that all things shall become new. You see the same way PDP was rejected at the centre for APC, our people in their wisdom and ugly experience of past 16 years decided to vote APGA. We share in the national vision of purity, prudence and patriotism. You can see from the driving philosophy of APGA that the emphasis is on well-being of the people not in amassing too much money for the promotion of bribery and corruption.

What are your chances in the rerun election?

I can only boast in the confidence of the assurances from our people. In most hamlets, wards, polling areas and local governments, the people are united in one voice. They say that they would repeat the feat of March 28 by voting for me. During our electioneering campaigns in Isiukwuato, one woman took the microphone and said that they have vowed to vote for me again. She said, ‘’if we voted Bourdex under Pharoah, we must vote him again now that Pharoah is no more.’’ Those were her exact words and her fellow women concurred that that was their agreement. So I am no longer talking about chances but how can I adjust my time line to deliver on my promises. For instance, I know that education remains the life-wire of any enduring development and civilization. As such my challenge is now how to ensure that our educational system is revived and the zone benefits from the federal government intervention agencies such as TETFUND, NDDC and other agencies for promotion of scholarship. I know I have less than four years to work to achieve the location of federal institutions that engage in manpower training in all sectors in Abia North, including the upgrading of the Arochukwu College of Education, (Technical) to a Federal College of Education, (Technical and Technology Development). I am already working towards encouraging our people to establish private universities in Abia North by pioneering the Bourdex University of Abiriba. We have a lot on our plate and we have assured the people that I cannot let them down. Our journey to the Senate is already charted by the people of Abia North Senatorial district. They know we are coming to serve their interest and that of the future generations. That is why the youths are solidly behind us.