By Ako Igwari
In the ever-evolving theatre of Nigeria’s democratic experiment since 1999, the distribution of political offices has remained both a measure of inclusion and a mirror reflecting the deeper currents of equity, representation, and justice. Within Enugu State’s Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area, this delicate balance has, over the years, tilted unevenly – leaving certain constituencies, particularly the Igala subset and most poignantly the Igga/Asaba ward, on the fringes of political participation.
Uzo-Uwani, a mosaic of cultural identities and linguistic subsets, is broadly composed of Igbo and Igala extractions. While the Igala-speaking communities account for three out of the sixteen wards – constituting roughly 20 percent of the council area, they represent a significant bloc within the socio-economic architecture of the region. Yet, despite their demographic and economic relevance, their political footprint has remained disproportionately faint.
Since the dawn of the Fourth Republic, the distribution of key political offices – Council Chairman, State House of Assembly member, House of Representatives member, Senator, Commissioner, Special Adviser, and Senior Special Assistant- has largely bypassed the Igala subset. In cumulative terms, the Igala communities have scarcely occupied up to three of these pivotal positions. Such a pattern, whether incidental or systemic, underscores a lingering asymmetry that calls for introspection and redress.
Within this subset, Igga/Asaba ward stands as the most conspicuous emblem of marginalisation. Its political history is marked by near absence, having produced only a single occupant in the State House of Assembly since 1999. Even within the microcosm of the Ogboli clan, the ward has yet to produce a Council Chairman – a reality that accentuates its exclusion from the corridors of local power.
And yet, paradoxically, Igga/Asaba is anything but peripheral in contribution. The ward forms the agrarian backbone of Uzo-Uwani, accounting for over 60 percent of rice production in an area widely celebrated as the food basket of Enugu State. Its vast arable lands and industrious populace have sustained not only local consumption but also contributed significantly to the state’s food security profile. Beyond agriculture, recent discoveries of oil and gas deposits within its terrain have elevated its strategic importance, ushering Enugu into the league of oil-producing states – a development with far-reaching fiscal and geopolitical implications.
It is against this backdrop that the approach of the 2027 electoral cycle assumes profound significance. With indications that Uzo-Uwani may be considered for the House of Representatives seat, the question of equitable rotation has resurfaced with renewed urgency. For many observers and stakeholders, the logic appears self-evident: if fairness is to transcend rhetoric and assume tangible form, then Igga/Asaba ward presents the most compelling case for consideration.
The administration of Governor Peter Mbah has, thus far, cultivated a reputation for measured governance and a disposition toward inclusivity. His leadership style characterised by pragmatism and a nuanced appreciation of the state’s diverse constituencies, offers a glimmer of hope that long-standing imbalances may finally be addressed. In this context, the potential emergence of an Igga/Asaba candidate for the House of Representatives would not merely be a political concession; it would symbolize a restorative gesture – an affirmation that every segment of the polity, regardless of size, holds an inalienable stake in governance.
To frame such consideration as a privilege would be to understate its moral imperative. Rather, it is a question of justice – of aligning political representation with both contribution and inclusion. The Igga/Asaba people, despite their minority status, have demonstrated majority commitment in the spheres of agriculture, economic activity, and communal development. Their story is one of resilience amid neglect, of contribution without commensurate reward.
As the political season gathers momentum, the call for equity in Uzo-Uwani resonates with increasing clarity. It is a call not anchored in agitation but in reason; not in confrontation but in conviction. It invites stakeholders to reimagine representation as a shared enterprise – one that accommodates diversity while fostering unity.
In the final analysis, the unfolding moment presents an opportunity, rare and consequential, to recalibrate the scales. Should Igga/Asaba be accorded its rightful place in the emerging political arrangement, it would mark not only a victory for the ward but a triumph for democratic fairness in Uzo-Uwani.
Indeed, in the quiet cadence of expectation that now permeates the landscape, one is reminded that history often turns on such moments – when leadership meets justice, and when long-silenced voices are finally given their due resonance.
- Ako writes from Uzo-Uwani LGA, Enugu State
