20 Years In Senate, No Impact To Show – APC Chieftain Knocks Enyinnaya Abaribe

According to Ireporter Online, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Executive Secretary of the National Agricultural Land Development Authority, Paul Ikonne, has declared that Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe will not return to the Senate in 2027, insisting that constituents in Abia South Senatorial District have resolved not to re-elect him after nearly two decades in the National Assembly.

Ikonne, in a statement issued on Thursday, accused the senator of failing to deliver meaningful development to the district despite his long stay in office, alleging that there are no visible constituency projects across Abia South that justify his prolonged tenure. He maintained that Abaribe’s 20-year representation has not translated into tangible impact for the people of the area.

He further described Abia South as a strategic economic hub for both Abia State and the South-East region, noting that the area hosts Aba, the commercial nerve centre of the region, as well as being an oil-producing zone. Despite these advantages, he argued that the district has not witnessed commensurate development under Abaribe’s leadership.

Ikonne also claimed that residents of the district are already preparing for a political transition, insisting that plans are in place to end Abaribe’s Senate career in 2027. He added that there are even discussions within some quarters about honouring the senator with a traditional title as he “returns home.”

The APC chieftain, who recently declared his intention to contest the Abia South senatorial seat in 2027, also expressed confidence in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid, stating that the South-East would have the opportunity to produce the presidency after Tinubu completes a second term, and should begin strategic political positioning ahead of that transition.