A frontline senatorial aspirant for the Imo East Senatorial District, Hon. Chris Asoluka, says if given the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, his candidature will guarantee victory for the party in the forthcoming elections.
Speaking at a press conference in Owerri, the Imo State capital, Asoluka asserted that members of the opposition would be in disarray if he flies the PDP flag because the people know he is the most credible of the aspirants, who has the capacity to effectively represent the Owerri Zone in the senate.
According to him, he was a founding consultant to the National Assembly, who had been severally involved in the teaching of legislative process to both National Assembly of Nigeria and many other African countries, his going to the senate would guarantee the people of Owerri Zone an opportunity provide a ranking member in the mould of the second term governors who would be returning to the senate.
He insisted that the National Assembly— the Senate and the House of Representatives—is not the place for people to learn the art of legislation because the people were no longer ready to listen to the tales told by people who had failed to pursue the interest of the people.
Asoluka, who is a former member of the House of Representatives, reminded the people of Owerri Zone that there were lots of pressing issues that the forthcoming senate would have to debate such as the report on the 2014 National Conference, adding that it is only senators adequately skilled in the art of lawmaking that would be able to debate it to the benefit of their home states.
He urged the people of Owerri Zone not to make the mistake of fielding people who can hardly stand any political and intellectual debate, saying the people’s consideration should centre on individuals who have the ability to build relationship with other lawmakers and executive, as well as the people with the ability to be persuasive and convince his colleagues during plenary and at committee levels so to be able to have the respect of his colleagues.
This is so because, according to him, the senate is a matured platform where national interests are discussed and everything shared equitably and that in the senate, there is need for the senator to set agenda for his people to pursue.
He insisted that any man or woman who can barely set his own agenda should not be sent to the senate as that person would continue to be a bench warmer throughout four years.
The senatorial hopeful assured the people of Owerri Zone that if he is sent to the senate, he would turn the needs of his constituency to become a national problem and urgent attention because he had the ability to argue in favour of Owerri Zone, Imo State and South East in general.
On the recent campaigns by his opponents that he is elitist, Asoluka said those carrying such campaigns were only trying to give a dog a bad name in order to hang it, saying they knew there was no single reason they could campaign against him because of his outstanding records in both public and private lives.
According to him, he remained more of grassroots man than any of his opponents, saying that could explain the reason he had always delivered Owerri West to PDP in every election that had been held over the years in the state more than any of his opponents claiming to be grass rooted.
Asoluka, who is a former vice president of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, thanked the President-General of the socio-cultural group, Chief Gary Igariwe for personally delivering the nomination and expression of interest forms purchased for him to run for the senate position by Young Imo Professionals, led by Chika Nwaozuzu and Linus Okorie.
